I froze for a few seconds, the silence on my end clearly agitating Amelia. Her voice rose sharply.

"We're heading to the hospital now. Hurry up! Paris is still mumbling your name. Just come over if you still have any conscience left."

She hung up before I could respond, but not before I caught the faint sound of Paris weakly murmuring my name through the line.

How interesting.

Even if Amelia hadn't said all that, I would've gone to see her anyway.

After all, I wanted to see just how badly she'd been hurt.

When I finally arrived at the hospital, Amelia was already helping Paris outside.

My eyes naturally fell on her.

Paris' head was wrapped in thick bandages, and her leg was in a cast.

Amelia spotted me, relief flooding her face as if I were some kind of savior.

"Oh, thank God you're here. Go pay the hospital bill, will you?"

I stared at her in disbelief, pointing at myself. "Excuse me? You want me to pay?"

Amelia didn't seem to grasp what was wrong. She nodded, completely unfazed.

"Who else? You and Paris are such good friends, aren't you? It's only right that you help her out."

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Friends, sure. But that doesn't mean I'm an idiot."

I tilted my head toward Paris, who had been unusually quiet the entire time.

"Paris, you seem to be in pretty bad shape. Maybe you should call your family to help cover the bill. After all, these hospital fees can't go unpaid."

Paris' face flushed with embarrassment. "No, no, it's fine. I still have some money left. There's no need to call home."

Amelia shot her a frustrated look. "Then why did you tell me to wait for Belinda? I've been wasting all this time with you for nothing."

Paris mumbled an apology, her head hanging low.

Amelia waved her off and then glanced at me. "Come with me to pay the bill."

As we walked, I noticed a shift in Amelia's attitude. She was being... friendlier.

I decided to ask. "So, how exactly did Paris end up in a car accident?"

Amelia scratched her head, still puzzled.

"We were heading to the cafeteria, and suddenly, this car came toward us."

"Paris just... threw herself in front of it. I still don't know what she was thinking."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Wait, are you saying Paris caused the accident herself?"

Amelia sighed, clearly frustrated. "What else could it be? She acted like she was possessed or something. Now she's stuck paying the bills."

A sudden thought hit me, and I grabbed Amelia's arm. "What color was the car?"

Amelia frowned, clearly trying to recall. After a moment, she finally spoke.

"White. Yeah, it was definitely a white car."

She seemed more confident now. "I remember it clearly—Paris' blood was all over that car."

Her words sent a chill down my spine.

I remembered vividly that after I had thrown away that cursed comb, a white car had driven over it, crushing it beneath its wheels.

For a brief moment, I felt a wave of relief. Thank God I had gotten rid of that comb.

After we paid the bill, Paris ignored the doctor's advice and insisted on being discharged.

When I asked why, she mumbled something about not wanting to waste money.

I couldn't help but chime in coldly, "If you're so short on cash, just leave."

I said it while watching her closely from across the room.

My words must've hit a nerve because, for a split second, I caught the flash of hatred in her eyes before she quickly looked away.

Back at school, I motioned for Amelia to help Paris.

Then, I said, "I'll head back to the dorm. I've got something to take care of."