Chapter 369: Jules And Maya
Jules had not left her apartment in almost two whole months. She stayed inside day after day, feeling more and more trapped, like the walls were closing in on her.
She needed fresh air. She needed to clear her mind. So, she decided to go for a walk. The sun was shining softly, and the breeze was light.
Her feet carried her without much thought as she headed toward a nearby park.
When she reached the garden, Jules felt a small smile appear on her face.
The green trees, colorful flowers, and the quiet sound of birds made her feel peaceful.
As she slowly walked along the garden path, she began to think about her life.
But suddenly, her peace was broken.
She heard a voice, soft but very familiar, calling out her name.
Jules froze. Her heart skipped a beat.
The voice sounded like someone from her past. She slowly turned around. There, standing not far from her, was Maya.
Jules' expression changed immediately.
Fear mixed with anger flashed in her eyes.
She turned to leave, as if trying to disappear from Maya's sight.
But Maya was faster. She began to walk after Jules, her steps steady and full of confidence.
If Jules thought ignoring Maya would make her stop, she was wrong.
Maya spoke in a low, serious tone. She said,
"If you try to ignore me, I will make sure your mother finds out you were here in the park today. I would really love to see how your mother and your ex-husband deal with you then."
Jules stopped in her tracks. Her hand clenched into a tight fist.
She slowly looked at Maya, her voice steady but cold. "What do you want now?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
Maya chuckled lightly. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with glint.
"Nothing," she said.
"I just can't understand how you, who looked like you were dying of sadness, suddenly look so full of life. Were you faking your depression? Or did you do it just so your ex-husband could leave you a way out?"
Jules' eyes narrowed. She tightened her fists even more. How dare Maya say that?
"Leave me a way out?" she said bitterly. "The truth is, my ex-husband made sure I would never have a way out. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made everyone believe that I was the one cheating on him. That I was betraying my own husband."
Her voice trembled for a moment, but then she became stronger, fiercer.
She looked straight into Maya's eyes and said, "You have already ruined my life completely. Now, you should be happy and leave me alone."
Maya's smile didn't fade. Instead, it turned into something darker.
She looked at Jules' beautiful face. For a moment, her eyes were filled with jealousy.
Ever since they were young, Maya had always felt that Jules was the favorite child.
Jules seemed to shine in every way. People paid more attention to her, and even Jules' ex-husband was someone Maya secretly liked at first.
But fate had chosen Jules instead, and that made Maya furious.
Maya remembered every moment. How she had done everything to ruin their dates, to create misunderstandings, to sow doubt in their minds.
And when Jules was about to get married, Maya could no longer stand it.
She had gone as far as faking her own death, making it seem as though Jules was responsible. She wanted everyone to believe that Jules had caused her death. The perfect plan.
Jules' life had fallen apart after that.
People looked at her with disgust. Her ex-husband, who once loved her, now treated her like a criminal and tortured her too.
The pain was so deep that Jules had almost wanted to give up and end it all. But now, she was standing here, alive, stronger, and even more beautiful than before.
Maya's eyes glinted with fear for a second, though she tried to hide it.
What if Jules' ex-husband saw her now? What if he realized how wrong he had been and started loving Jules again?
That was something Maya could never let happen.
After thinking for a long moment, Maya chuckled softly.
Then, without warning, she turned on her phone camera, making sure it pointed at Jules. She wanted to record every second of this moment. Every word, every expression.
Jules still did not understand what was going on. She stared at Maya, feeling the tension in the air.
Without a word, she tried to walk away again, hoping this encounter would end.
But Maya was not done. She blocked Jules' way.
Her voice sounded calm.
"Don't you want to know why your ex-husband tortured you so much? Even though he supposedly loved you more than me?"
Jules sighed and spoke calmly, almost like it didn't matter.
"I'm not interested." She smiled, but it was cold. 'Ever since I said yes to Lucas, my life has been full of joy and excitement. I forgot all about that scumbag who ruined me.'
Maya was not satisfied with that answer.
She stared at Jules with cold eyes. "If you don't want to know, you'll regret it later," she said seriously.
Jules shook her head slowly.
"The only thing I regret," she said firmly, "is ever treating you like a good sister. Ever acting like I was your elder sister, even though I knew exactly how scheming you really were."
Maya froze for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, she stepped forward and tried to hug Jules.
"I'm sorry," Maya whispered, her voice trembling.
Jules' expression twisted into one of disgust. She pushed Maya away without any hesitation.
She didn't want to feel any sympathy for her. She didn't care.
But Maya saw this coming. She let herself fall onto the cold stone pavement, starting to cry loudly.
"I never expected you to hate me so much," she sobbed. Her voice was full of pain, or maybe it was fake.
"Even if you hate me, can't you at least remember that I was going to marry your ex-husband's brother? Shouldn't I be treated with some respect?"