Everyone Can Hear My Thoughts, and Now They're Panicking

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: It’s Not Me You Betrayed

Jane Lancaster was at a loss for words. ’Do I really seem that bad-tempered?’

Okay, she was.

"I’m fine," Jane Lancaster said, her tone shifting. "But Pauline, what are *you* so nervous about?"

’Pauline Shaw is so jumpy. It’s probably guilt. After all, she swore she’d never see Gordon Dawson again.’

In the novel, Pauline Shaw, Jane Lancaster’s supposed best friend, ultimately sided with Luna Morgan.

She was the first of the sympathetic female side characters, so of course she got her own romantic subplot to satisfy the shippers—a second-chance romance.

A roguishly handsome bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls for a prim and proper heiress, teaching her to smoke, drink, and get tattoos. It all sounded pretty cool.

But the original Jane Lancaster couldn’t appreciate the punk’s over-the-top, domineering swagger.

She had been entrusted by Pauline’s parents to keep an eye on her studies and couldn’t stand seeing someone lead Pauline astray, so she decided to intervene.

Pauline Shaw had always listened to her, so she quickly came to her senses, not only blocking Gordon Dawson but also vowing to never see him again.

’So what? It’s not me you’re betraying. I won’t stop you. At most, I’ll just have to respect your choices, mock the inevitable disaster, and ship you two till the end of time.’

’It’s just that Mrs. Shaw couldn’t handle it and practically gave herself an aneurysm from the rage.’

Pauline Shaw realized something was wrong. She hadn’t seen Jane Lancaster’s lips move at all.

"Sorry, Jay, I wasn’t talking about you," Pauline Shaw said, quickly composing herself.

She didn’t know how Jane Lancaster knew all this, nor how she was able to hear her thoughts.

But she refused to believe that her mother had been so enraged she’d had a stroke.

Her mother had always been a formidable woman who cared only for her company and her career. She barely paid her any mind, so how could she possibly get angry enough to have a stroke over her?

If Jane Lancaster thought she could still control her with the same old scare tactics and exaggerations, she had another thing coming.

She wasn’t that naive little girl anymore. This time, she wouldn’t be anyone’s puppet.

Her mind made up, Pauline Shaw smiled. "But Jay, you must have misunderstood. Things aren’t what you think. Even if you don’t trust anyone else, you should trust your cousin."

She sounded concerned, but her words were pointed. "Whatever happens, don’t play games with your own health. After that terrible storm last night, everyone was worried sick."

Luna Morgan was utterly confused.

"Did something happen last night?" she asked quietly, a note of apprehension in her voice.

Pauline Shaw said, "It has nothing to do with you. You fainted last night, so you wouldn’t know anything."

She wanted to make it clear to Jane Lancaster that she was picking the wrong target.

Luna Morgan was sincere and genuine. If Jane Lancaster was still treating her like some imagined rival, it was just pathetic.

Jane Lancaster had absolutely no reaction to Pauline Shaw’s blatant defense of Luna Morgan.

’Only the heroine is worthy of the righteous sidekick’s sympathy. A vicious villainess like me is only fit to be alone in the dark—gloomy, lonely, and plotting my next evil scheme.’

Jane Lancaster glanced at her phone. The latest message was from Caleb Lowell, sent three minutes ago, saying he had arrived at the hospital.

Just then, her phone rang. She answered it, her expression unchanging.

Her face, however, took on a look of confusion. "Pauline, are you... accusing me? That man just now said I hurt Luna, and then he shoved me so hard..."

Her eyes widened in a display of pure disbelief. "Don’t tell me you thought so too? That I was about to stab Luna with that knife?"

Pauline Shaw froze. "You... Why would you think that?"

She hadn’t expected Jane Lancaster to pick up on her subtle suspicion, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

"I can handle others misunderstanding me, but you’re my best friend. How could you suspect me like that?" Jane Lancaster asked, her voice laced with sorrow.

Her beautiful eyes welled up with tears and hurt, looking as if she might cry at any moment.

Pauline Shaw went rigid.

She had never seen this side of Jane Lancaster.

Ever since they were children, Jane Lancaster had been the "perfect child"—bright, precocious, calm, and mature. That was why Mr. and Mrs. Shaw had asked her to look after their own withdrawn, insecure daughter.

Pauline Shaw had always hoped for a chance to prove herself, to be the one to take care of Jane Lancaster for a change.

But Jane Lancaster was never sad or hurt. She was so strong... it was as if she didn’t have a heart.

Remembering that Jane had been in a coma for three years, Pauline Shaw’s heart ached. "Jay, that’s not what I meant, I..."

’...10, 9, 8...’

Pauline Shaw froze. Looking up, she realized Jane Lancaster wasn’t even looking at her.

She was staring toward the door, as if expecting something.

’...3, 2, 1!’

Before Pauline Shaw could process what was happening, the door was thrown open with a BANG.

At the same time, Jane Lancaster’s gloating inner voice echoed in her head.

’Haha, bingo! Surprise, surprise! Didn’t see that coming, did you?’

Caleb Lowell stood in the doorway, phone in hand. "Jay!"

Pauline Shaw’s mind went blank. In that instant, she understood everything. She whipped her head around to stare at Jane Lancaster.

Jane Lancaster, who had been looking at her with a tear-stricken expression, flinched when she heard Caleb Lowell’s voice and instinctively looked up.

As if trying desperately to hide her turmoil, she forced a smile. "Zion."

But a single, unplanned tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

’BEEP. Change in character affinity detected. Disgust +5.’

A sudden chill ran down Pauline Shaw’s spine. Any trace of guilt or sympathy she’d felt just moments ago vanished completely.

This was a brazen, calculated ploy. She never imagined that Jane Lancaster would one day resort to such a trick.

But Caleb Lowell clearly fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. That single tear from the corner of Jane Lancaster’s eye seemed to sear his very heart.

The sleepless night of tossing and turning, the worry and anxiety—it all erupted in that single moment like a furious tempest.

"Jay, why are you crying?" His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over the others in the room, heavy with menace. "What the hell happened?"

His eyes landed on Luna Morgan, and he quickly drew his own conclusion. "Did you do something to her again?"

The expression on Luna Morgan’s face went completely blank.

Mama Knight spoke up. "The young miss was kind enough to come visit Miss Morgan, and was even peeling an apple for her. But then Miss Pauline’s friend misunderstood, thought she was trying to hurt Miss Morgan, and shoved our young miss."

"That man didn’t even apologize before Miss Pauline rushed him out of here."

She was clearly unhappy with how Pauline Shaw had covered for her friend. She couldn’t say anything before, but now that Caleb Lowell was demanding answers, there was no reason to hold back.

"The young miss’s arm is hurt. There’s a big, ugly bruise forming."

Jane Lancaster’s skin was very fair, so while the injury hadn’t been obvious at first, a dark bruise was now beginning to blossom, looking ghastly against her pale skin.

Jane Lancaster shot Mama Knight an appreciative glance.

’I didn’t even notice that detail. Mama Knight truly is the master of airing grievances. Impressive!’

’Airing grievances?’ Caleb Lowell paused, the word momentarily cooling his white-hot rage and allowing a sliver of reason to return.

Pauline Shaw grew frantic. "It has nothing to do with Luna! It was me, I misunderstood Jay..."

"No, it’s my fault," Luna Morgan said, her voice trembling. "I’m the one who accidentally pulled out my IV. That’s what caused the misunderstanding."

She knew Pauline Shaw didn’t want Gordon Dawson to be dragged into this, and as her friend, she couldn’t be disloyal.

Caleb Lowell’s focus sharpened, his eyes turning bone-chillingly cold. "Was it really an accident?"

In his mind, even if Jane Lancaster was intentionally stirring the pot, Luna Morgan was definitely not innocent either.

Luna Morgan’s face grew even paler. "I’m sorry."

’BEEP. Change in character affinity detected. Disgust +3.’