"What do you really want?" Elizabeth Bennet faced the terrifying Jane Eyre with a sense of trepidation.
Jane squatted down, showing no signs of injury, let alone the madness of a supposed mental breakdown. Her current state was better than ever.
"I want you to live in agony," she pronounced each word deliberately, "Dont think I dont know about the past five years youve been entangled with Darcy. I know every roll in the sheets you two have shared, but now our relationship has changed. I hope you will pay more attention to your own identity in the future. You are nothing more than a dog in the Bennet family, not even worthy to carry our shoes, and dont dare to dream of climbing up to Darcy. He will never see you as a human being."
Elizabeth sneered, struggling to rise despite the pain, "You should tell him these words. If you really have the ability, control your own man and keep him away from me."
"How could that work? Your weak spot is him. If I really kept him far away, how could I make you live in agony? I want you to watch me and Darcy, to see how your beloved man treats me, to make sure you never forget the feeling of being trampled under my feet for the rest of your life!"
Jane stood up with her, much steadier than Elizabeths trembling form. "Your madness has been cured long ago, hasnt it?" Elizabeth suddenly affirmed.
Although the events that had transpired were chaotic, she had seen the moment Jane pulled her down, the sly grin and satisfaction in her eyes.
Jane was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, "I thought you were more intelligent, but you are so naive! Let me tell you, from the very beginning, I have never been ill. I have been pretending. Because as long as I pretend to be ill, Darcy will blame all of this on you, and every time I see the expression of pain on your face, it brings me immense pleasure."
Although Elizabeth had already suspected as much, hearing it confirmed was still shocking. For five whole years, her episodes of madness, numbering in the hundreds, had all been an act! Just to see her suffer.
"Youre still holding a grudge from our childhood, arent you?" It was the first time since their fathers death that Elizabeth had brought up their childhood, and the first time she had spoken so bluntly to Jane.
Jane was clearly hit where it hurt, and almost instantly became furious: "I will never forget how you and that dead old man bullied me back then! I will settle that score with you, every bit of it!"
"Im telling you one more time, my father did not mean to... "
Jane immediately interrupted her: "I only believe what I saw! Elizabeth, you actually dont need to explain, because I wont believe a word you say!"
After saying this, she grabbed the wound on Elizabeths arm with intense hatred, her delicate nails digging into her flesh.
Elizabeth almost fainted from the pain, but she still bit her lips tightly, not allowing herself to cry out.
Jane wanted to see her suffer, wanted to hear her scream in pain, but she would not let her have her way so easily.
Just as Jane was about to exert more force, a knock came at the door.
A steady and magnetic voice, tinged with urgency and concern, came from outside the door, "Jane, may I come in?"
Darcy was here!
Elizabeths first instinct was to escape from this place of trouble, but they were on the third floor with only one exit, making escape impossible.
At this moment, Jane had already let go of her and, in front of Elizabeth, began to undress. She used her fingers to tear open the wounds on her back, allowing blood to flow all over her body, while her grotesque smile was as terrifying as that of a demon.
"Darcy..."