Chapter 6
I slept until sunset. My body still hurt, but I felt much better.
For three days, Dr. Hayes never left the house. He focused entirely on helping me recover and hired a maid to apply medicine to my wounds.
On the fourth day, Thaddeus stormed in. The maid avoided my eyes guiltily as she opened the door
and left.
“Scarlett.” That familiar voice made me tremble uncontrollably.
Thaddeus didn’t notice. He walked straight up to me and glared at Dr. Hayes.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you contact me sooner? Why didn’t fight back when they hurt
you?”
My face went pale. I instinctively backed away, which cut Thaddeus to the core.
Ede
“Scarlett, I’m so, so sorry. I swear I had no idea they were doing that to you. I just wanted to teach you a lesson, make you struggle a little–not anything like this. I didn’t know…”
“Please come home with me. Let me revenge for you–I’ll personally hunt down every single person who touched you. No one could get away with jail. Just come home with me, Please?”
By the end, his eyes were drowning in regret.
Vivienne arrived moments later, breathing heavily. When she looked at me, her eyes flashed with hatred before she quickly masked it with a fragile expression.
“Scarlett, I’m so sorry,” she whispered tearfully. “You must hate me now. It’s all my fault. I should have kept quiet. I’m the one who hurt you…‘
She sobbed dramatically. Thaddeus automatically wiped her tears, his face softening with concern.
I said nothing. I stood frozen beside Dr. Hayes, terrified to my core. But Vivienne wouldn’t leave me alone.
“Why are you with Dr. Hayes? Are you two running away together? What about Thaddeus? He’s
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your fiancé!”
At this, Thaddeus finally turned to Dr. Hayes, his expression darkening.
“Hayes, I need an explain! You knew I was searching for Scarlett. Why didn’t tell me?”
“Scarlett, come here with me. Let’s go home. I’ll get revenge for you. I promise no one will ever hurt
you again.”
My face turned chalk–white. Suddenly I grabbed my head and screamed, dropping to my knees in front of Thaddeus. I banged my head on the floor wildly, unable to hear anything else.
“I’m sorry… I know I was wrong… please leave me alone, I don’t love you anymore… I’ll go away, far away… please just let me go.”
“Don’t make me back… please… Vivienne, I apologize… it was my fault… I hurt you… I’m guilty.….. I can go to jail or die… just don’t make me go back…”
When my parents arrived, this was the scene they found.
Mom rushed over and hugged me, collapsing in tears, apologizing over and over. Dad’s eyes watered as he kept saying he’d take me home.
“My baby, my poor baby,” Mom sobbed, her voice shattered with guilt. “I’m so, so sorry. We failed you completely. It’s all our fault. Mommy should have believed you. ”
But my family had abandoned me long ago. I had no home anymore.
Finally, I nearly lost my mind. I tore at my clothes, struggling wildly.
“Please, just leave me alone. I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t send me back!”
“Or kill me instead. Kill me… Let me die for my sins! I can’t go back there. Please let me go! I’d rather
die…”
My stomach twisted violently. I retched and collapsed, vomiting blood mixed with glass shards they’d forced me to swallow before I left Velvet Nights.
Dr. Hayes’s pupils contracted in horror as he held me in his arms.
Mom couldn’t take it and fainted. Thaddeus’s legs gave out. He fell to his knees in front of me,
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reaching to touch me, but I jerked away,
His eyes filled with anguish as he pounded his chest hard.
“Scarlett, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I ruined everything,” he choked out. “I know I was wrong. Let me take you to get treatment. We can forget all this. Please, Scarlett, I’m begging you.”
As he reached to embrace me,I felt a surge of strength out of nowhere. I shoved him away and staggered out through the open door.
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