A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

She was sobbing, and not in a quiet, dignified way. This was full-on, ugly crying.

Lisette thought that if she broke down like this, the others would rally around her, maybe plead her case or at least yell at Calliope for being so harsh. After all, hadn't everyone always taken her side over the years?

But this time, nobody came to her rescue. All she got were nervous glances and people instinctively stepping back, as if her tears might be contagious.

It was a long, awkward moment before Monty finally spoke up.

"Lisette, look, Callie's put up with a lot from you before. I don't think there's any need for anyone to die here, but if you're uncomfortable living with Callie, maybe you should be the one to move out."

As soon as Monty finished, Horatio and the others nodded in quiet agreement. Even Zelda gave a hesitant nod.

To be honest, Zelda was pretty freaked out. What if Silas was right, and whatever Lisette had was actually contagious? If any of them caught it, they'd be screwed. So for now, the best plan was to get her out of the house.

Lisette never expected this. She stared at them, stunned. But then she quickly snapped back.

"If I move out, Callie still won't leave me alone! She wants me dead, doesn't she? She'd only be happy if I was gone for good!"

She turned to Calliope, desperate, almost accusing.

Calliope was sitting next to Silas, who looked every bit the king of the castle, smirking with a kind of bored amusement.noveldrama

He didn't believe for a second that Lisette would actually go through with anything drastic. Neither did Calliope.

Lisette was the kind of person who threatened, not acted. She was just trying to guilt-trip everyone.

But did Calliope care? Honestly, not even a little.

"If you're asking, yeah, I'd be thrilled

if you were gone," Calliope said a shrug, sounding like she was

commenting on the wear

"Go

ahead, prove it. Let's see you do it."

Lisette gaped at her in disbelief. How could Calliope sound so...casual? So cold? Was she really just telling her to go die?

Everyone else was just as shocked, turning to look at Calliope like she'd suddenly sprouted horns.

The air was heavy, everyone feeling a strange mix of discomfort and relief.

Still, with Silas there smiling faintly, nobody dared to contradict Calliope. Instead, Monty tried to reason with Lisette.

"All right, Lisette, that's enough drama," he said tiredly. "If you can't stand it here, just move out, okay?"

Lisette's eyes were red, brimming with tears. "You just want me dead, don't you? Fine! I'll show you!"

And with that, she bolted for the stairs, her footsteps echoing down the hall. "What's she doing?" Horatio muttered, frowning.

"Probably going to try and throw herself off the roof," Calliope said with a laugh, raising her voice so

Lisette could hear. "It's only fournet

stories you know, you're not even likely to die from that. Want to make sure you really go, Lisette? Headfirst, right down to the concrete. That's your best shot."

"And hey, if you mess up and just break a leg, that's still better than ending up paralyzed, right? Wonder who'd take care of you then?" she added, like she was giving tips on baking a pie.

"But hey, you said you were gonna do it. Go for it! And if it doesn't work out the

first time, there's always a second try!"

The whole room went completely silent. No one dared to speak. Except Silas, who chuckled softly.

"My wife is absolutely delightful," he said, clearly enjoying the show.