The Devil's Good Girl-Chapter 258: Broke his word, so no need to keep mine.

Jackson was in the shower when he heard Fil’s squeal. He quickly grabbed the bathrobe, wrapping it around him while running out of the bathroom.

When he came out, he saw Fil on the floor. Her face filled with horror, prompting him to rush to her.

"Fil!" he squatted to her side, seeing her pale complexion up close. Her entire body was trembling. "What’s wrong?"

"That... Jack, there’s... Kim..." Fil pointed at her phone three meters from her. Her finger shook, her eyes wide.

Kim?

Jackson furrowed his brows, about to get up and take the phone. But Fil clasped his wrist, looking up at him with conflict.

"It’s okay, sweetheart," he reassured. "I’ll check it."

Fil reluctantly let him go, watching him pick up the phone.

The phone was facing down, but when Jackson flipped it, he understood what scared her.

"Is it... Kim?" she asked in a shaky voice. "Is it her?"

Jackson turned his head to Fil, only to see her raise her brows as if she was unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"No." He shook his head. "It’s not her. It’s fake."

Fake?

Fil furrowed her brows, her eyes were brimming with disbelief. She saw what she saw. That photo contained Kim, seemingly being tortured by someone! But seeing the curiosity and puzzlement in Jackson’s countenance, she waned.

"Are you sure?"

"Do you want to see it again??" he asked, knowing she would only believe it if she saw it again.

Fil hesitated before she nodded.

With that, Jackson walked back to her. Before showing the photo, he scanned her for a second.

"I’ll turn it now," he remarked, letting her prepare herself.

When she was ready, Jackson carefully flipped the phone to show her the photo. He already raised the brightness of her phone so she could see it clearly.

Fil, on the other hand, partially narrowed her eyes. After a while, she slowly widened her eyes for a better look.

On the screen was a hand grabbing a blonde hair. There was red paint on the person’s hand and the hair, but it was clear this was a mannequin.

"Oh," Fil heaved a sigh, placing her hand across her chest. "It’s fake."

It was fake, but the seed of worry in his heart grew.

It was already clear it was fake and yet, Fil mistook it as Kim being held hostage. How was that possible?

"Oh, god." Fil patted her chest, looking up at Jackson with a slight embarrassment. "I’m sorry. I really thought it was true."

Jackson forced a smile. "Well, it was scary at first sight," — he responded, despite not believing his own remarks.

"Why would someone send like this to people?" she wondered while calming her racing heart. "I thought it was Kim. The hair looked so much like hers."

"That’s impossible. The hair color looks the same, but Kim is surely getting dolled up for a project," he tried to lighten up his tone.

"Then who sent it?"

Jackson checked the number. It was an unregistered one. "It’s probably some random prank messages."

"That is not a good prank." Her frown deepened. "Whoever did this is so mean. What if one of the numbers is owned by an elderly with a heart condition?"

"Let’s hope none of the people who received the message were elderly."

Fil frowned, but then again, she knew Jackson couldn’t do anything. This was probably a random prank message and the sender probably just guessed some random numbers. It just so happened her number was one of the unlucky people who received it.

"Gosh." She sighed deeply, letting Jackson help her get up.

"I’ll block the number and send it to me in case this happens to me," he said as he did his due diligence to copy the number and send it to his cell phone. He then quickly blocked the number and deleted the message.

"It’s okay now." Jackson placed the phone away, holding her shoulders carefully. "How do you feel?"

"A little better now that I know it’s fake." She forced a smile, noticing he ran out of the shower and still had some soap in his ears. The lingering fear in her heart quickly disappeared upon realizing how he had run out of the shower to check on her.

Fil couldn’t help but chuckle. "I’m sorry you have to run out of the shower. You should get back, Jack. You still have soap in your ear."

*****

[FLASHBACK]

Latrice could endure the pain, and suffering Quentin would put her through. She could endure the endless and countless nights he would force himself on her, inflicting harm on her when he was drunk with jealousy, or listen to how he would ask for her forgiveness.

She didn’t mind them at all.

For her, his abuse was unpleasant, but they were nothing compared to the pain of what she was born with. She knew she would still outlive Quentin. Or perhaps she could use his abuse as her means of escape. She was simply waiting for the time the crown prince would hurt her so badly it would temporarily kill her.

If she died, Quentin wouldn’t look for her or chase after her.

But everything spiraled out of control when two months came by, and news of war reached the crown princess’s palace.

Latrice sat on the intricate garden chair and listened to the maid whisper the rumors in her ear. She had been locked in the Jade Palace under the crown prince’s orders. Hence, she hadn’t been aware of the situation outside.

"He sent the Duke to the front line?" Latrice slid her eyes to the maid, and the latter nodded as she took several steps back.

"It was a secret order," said the maid cautiously. "Only now that the Duke joined the front lines did everyone know about the crown prince’s orders."

"I see." Latrice slowly gazed at the pond not far away from her vantage point. "So, despite keeping our end of the bargain, His Highness seemed he didn’t plan to fulfill his promises after all."

"Your Highness, where are you going?" asked the maid when Latrice rose from her seat.

This time, her eyes shone with sharpness as she said, "To His Highness, the Crown Prince. He went back on his word, so I do not have any more reason to keep mine."