?Chapter 1143:


    A chill ripped through her. She stumbled backward and hit the ground, panic rising.


    “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear,” the voice rasped from behind the mask. “So, Shelly… what are you so afraid of?”


    The distorted voice sounded hauntingly familiar. Shelly’s chest heaved. She looked the figure up and down, narrowing her eyes. “Heidi,” she said through gritted teeth. “Is that you? What do you want?”


    The figure paused—then, slowly, pulled off the mask. And there she was. Heidi. Her face was gaunt and haggard.


    Shelly watched as Heidi tore off her mask and let out a quiet sigh of relief. She steadied herself and stood up, her gaze fixed on Heidi.


    But the moment she got a clear look at her face, that relief vanished.


    Heidi looked… wrecked. Her skin was ghostly pale, her lips drained of color. Her eyes were wild, rimmed with exhaustion and madness. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her expression teetered between rage and instability.


    “What happened to you?” Shelly blurted out, stunned. “How did you end up like this?”


    Heidi let out a bitter, snarlingugh. “You’ve got the nerve to ask me that? As if this isn’t your fault?” She took a step toward Shelly, her face twisting with fury.


    Startled, Shelly backed away instinctively. Heidi’s sudden aggression was terrifying.


    “Calm… calm down,” Shelly stammered, her back hitting the car. She was out of space to retreat. Her legs felt like jelly.


    Her hand inched behind her, searching for the car door handle as an idea began to form in her mind.


    Heidi’s voice rose, filled with venom. “You destroyed my life—and you’re telling me to calm down?!”


    Before she could lunge, Shelly made her move. With a sudden burst of energy, she shoved Heidi back and dove into the car, mming the door shut and locking it instantly.


    Breathing hard, she sat frozen, trying to steady herself.


    Outside, Heidi had already scrambled to her feet. She rushed to the car, yanking the handle again and again.


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    When it didn’t budge, she started pounding on the window, screaming Shelly’s name like a woman possessed.


    Terrified, Shelly started the engine and peeled out of the lot without looking back.


    Even as the parking lot disappeared behind her, her heart kept racing. Her whole body was shaking.


    Trying to calm down, she fumbled for her phone. One name came to mind. With trembling fingers, she dialed.


    “Hello?” The deep male voice on the other end of the line brought her a sense of stability, as though she had found her anchor in a storm.


    On the other side of the call, Norton sat on the couch, the TV flickering in front of him, with Yvonne resting in his arms. He hadn’t thought twice before answering the unknown number—until he heard the panicked voice.


    “Heidi’spletely lost it!” Shelly sobbed into the phone, her words broken and rushed.


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