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Chapter 176
Everyone was stunned by the sudden intrusion of a strange woman.
Lavern reacted in a flash, jumping up from his seat and yanking Shawna aside, anger flashing in his eyes.
“Who the hell let you in here? What do you want? Get lost, now!” Lavern snapped.
Seeing Lavern’s furious face and remembering all the drama they’d heard about, everyone instantly realized that the woman grabbing Yara’s hair was the one behind Marina and Lavern’s breakup.
Shawna wasn’t about to leave. Ever since Lavern made her lose her baby, she’d been living in a constant state of paranoia and desperation.
She didn’t dare cause trouble for Marina, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t make trouble for any other
woman.
Once she found out Lavern had been ignoring her because of Yara, she was determined to make Yara pay. Marina quietly slid her chair back, trying to stay out of the line of fire in case things got too heated.
Shawna yanked Yara’s hair with all her strength. Even after Lavern pulled her away, she still managed to rip out a handful of hair.
Yara clutched her scalp, sobbing into her friend’s arms, completely falling apart.
Shawna spat in Yara’s direction, with nothing but spite.
“You’re the real bitch here!” Shawna shouted.
“You’re nothing but a filthy rat, crawling around in the gutter! Go ahead, say it to my face–are you really gonna claim there’s nothing going on between you and Lavern?”
Shawna was practically screaming by the end, her voice echoing through the room.
Every single word she said was crystal clear to everyone there.
The classmates who’d been about to throw Shawna out all froze in place.
Panic flickered in Lavern’s eyes. Almost without thinking, he raised his hand and slapped Shawna across the face.
Shawna lost her balance and fell to the floor, clutching her cheek. But instead of breaking down in tears like last time, she actually started laughing.
“Lavern, don’t even think about getting rid of me. You wrecked my whole life, and now you want to toss me aside just because you hooked up with this tramp?” Shawna shouted.
She’d always had trouble getting pregnant, and after the miscarriage, the doctor told her she’d never be able to have a baby again. Lavern owed her a lifetime.
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Yara felt her friend, who had been protecting her just moments ago, quietly drop her hand. Worried about her own reputation and afraid Lavern’s whole deal might get messed up, Yara quickly spoke up.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Yara snapped. “Lavern and I grew up together. If I wanted to be with him. I would’ve done it ages ago! Marina and I are really close friends.”
“Marina’s right here, so don’t even think about trying to drive a wedge between us,” Yara added.
As Yara spoke, she glanced over at the spot where Marina had been sitting, only to realize that at some point, Marina had quietly moved all the way to the back, keeping herself out of the drama and even whispering with the classmates next to her.
Lavern’s breath hitched. He whipped his head toward Marina.
“Marina, don’t listen to her. She’s crazy. There’s nothing going on between me and Yara, you—” Lavern blurted out.
Marina cut him off before he could finish. “What does that have to do with me? We’re already broken up. Even if you and Yara get together, I wish you both the best.”
Shawna was totally triggered by Marina’s words.
She shot Marina a manic glare.
“You really think they only started hooking up after you broke up with Lavern?” Shawna spat at Marina.
“They’ve been messing around for ages, and I’ve got the proof right here!” Shawna barked.
As she spoke, Shawna whipped out her phone, ready to pull up the evidence.
Lavern snatched her phone and slammed it to the ground, shooting Shawna a nasty glare.
“You’re straight–up delusional! Get out, or I’ll have your parents send you to a mental hospital!” Lavern snapped.
Shawna’s folks were all about the money, and her mom wasn’t doing well. If Lavern waved some cash at them to get Shawna locked up, you bet they’d jump at the chance.
The room went dead silent for a moment, and all the gossip dropped to a whisper.
Marina suddenly clicked her tongue.
“Why’d you smash her phone? Afraid I might actually see the evidence?” Marina shot back.
Lavern’s face went stiff.
“Marina, you seriously believe her? She’s the one who ruined us. How could you trust her?” Lavern shot back.
Marina let out a cold laugh. “If I can’t trust her, why would I trust you, the one who cheated?”
Lavern’s expression shifted, totally shut down by Marina’s clapback.
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Yara spoke up in a hurry.
“Marina, we’ve been friends for so many years. Don’t you believe me? If I ever wanted to be with Lavern, I would’ve done it a long time ago. Why would I wait until now?”
Marina shot Yara a half–smile, her voice soft but with an edge.
“Oh, so what Shawna just said, that you and Lavern have been together all along, is actually true?” Marina shot back, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Yara’s face changed instantly. She’d thought she was being clever with her words to convince Marina, but Marina had zeroed right in on the real issue.
“Marina, you really don’t trust me? I’ve always hoped you and Lavern would patch things up. If there was anything between me and him, would I honestly be trying to get you two back together?” Yara pleaded.
Marina just nodded.
Yara breathed a quiet sigh of relief, ready to keep working her angle with Marina, but Marina cut in, her voice calm and almost teasing.
“That’s a good question to think about.” Marina glanced up at Yara, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and asked quietly. “So, what are you really after?”
Yara’s heart raced, alarm bells blaring in her mind.
Lavern didn’t look any better; fear flickered in his eyes. If Marina linked this incident to money or his scheme involving Ross Group, everything could unravel. Suddenly, rage clouded his expression, and he kicked Shawna viciously in the stomach.
“That’s what you get for trying to ruin things between Marina and me! For trying to sow discord!” Lavern yelled, completely losing it.
Shawna had just lost her baby, and her stomach was still weak as hell. Lavern’s kick was so vicious, she doubled over, gasping for breath, barely hanging on.
Everyone in the room was stunned, rushing to drag the furious Lavern away before things got even worse. Marina watched the whole thing with a calm, almost detached look, a cold smirk playing at her lips.
‘Lavern really knows how to pass the blame, Marina thought, her eyes narrowing.
‘It’s like he’s trying to act like Shawna forced him to cheat, and he’s the innocent one here, Marina scoffed to herself.
Seeing Shawna’s face turn deathly pale, Marina spoke up softly, almost indifferent. “Want me to call the police and an ambulance?”
Shawna clutched her stomach, her face twisted in pain, and managed a weak nod.
With Shawna’s response, Marina pulled out her phone and called for help.
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Someone stepped in, trying to stop her.
“Marina, why are you helping her? She’s the side chick, after all. She totally brought this on herself,” the person said.
Marina shot the speaker a cold, indifferent look.
“I’m not helping her. I’m looking out for myself. If she dies here, every single one of us is gonna be an accomplice to murder. No way am I getting tangled up in a mess like that because of some scumbag,” Marina said.
When she said “scumbag,” her eyes landed on Lavern.
Lavern was stunned, totally thrown off. He never imagined Marina would actually call him a scumbag.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
