"Everything. I want to know everything, Aunt Ruby," Ella almost implored, despite a sense of dread washing over her sane heart.
Ruby knew sothing, which is why she asked her mother's forgiveness.
Yes, the eting did not slip her mind because Ruby's words were etched in her mory. She apologized to her mother for sothing she regretted, but Mischelle never responded.
Ruby, on the other hand, felt her soul escape her body. She sat numb, recalling the episode that ended her friendship with Michelle. Once buddies had beco complete strangers, and it was all her fault.
It's been years, yet she has never gone a day without being haunted by those nightmares. She made an awful mistake by putting her sole companion in the hands of the predator who stole away her innocence.
Yes, her selfishness drove her to take the plunge and discover the consequences of her betrayal. She lost her spouse in a car accident, and her older kid was crippled. She survived on a modest flower business, but she had no idea how long she would be there because the governnt was renovating it, clearing all the local shops.
She knew far too late that it was all her karma. She took advantage of Michelle's generosity, which was improper, and now she was facing the consequences.
Ella's grip on her shoulder loosened as soon as those words left her mouth.
"You were the product of that painful night," she concluded, crying even harder, but her words left Ella numb to the point that she could not think straight.
Ella felt as if she had been hit by lightning, and every word Ruby spoke was like a slap to her existence.
She was born as a result of rape. Her mother had been abused.
Those words echoed in her thoughts like a broken record. She was so ashad of herself that she wanted to leave and hide sowhere where she wouldn't be able to hear anything.
"W-who did it to her?" she managed to say, despite her heart pounding with each word.
Ruby was embarrassed that she couldn't even et Ella's gaze anymore. She was a stain to the na of friendship, which she recognized after seeing how wretched Michelle's life had beco as a result of that one occurrence.
She lost everything, and her character was often questioned. Her daughter was called nas simply because she made the decision to push her into the hands of that predator.
With trembling lips, she answered, "The one who owned the place."
She didn't utter the na, but her statents hinted at who it was.
"Jedrick"
The na unintentionally slipped out of her mouth, and she staggered to stand up. It was too much to bear, yet not too much to leave the environnt that had suddenly beco suffocating for her.
Ella needed to leave the place that had only left her with scars.
It was an unwise choice that ended up shattering her heart severely.
Ruby gaped as she watched Ella walk away without hearing her out, and the man who was with her also went, but not before apologizing to her.
***
[Outside]
Ella hurriedly opened the gates and went out, dashing aimlessly down the road.
Despite Stefan's repeated calls, she continued to walk, oblivious to his plea.
She had no idea where she was heading, and her heart was full of remorse. A pain that would not leave her no matter how much she justified it.
'Your mother was raped,' the words echoed in her mory, and her chest began to suffocate. It's no surprise that Priscilla referred to her as a bastard child, but what was even worse was that her mother was suffering so much on her own.
'Is this why she wasn't willing to tell her anything? Was this the reason she kept everything bottled up to herself because she knew once the truth was out, she would likewise find herself in the deep end?'
Ella had no idea how long she had been going, and the sun had set, but her legs would not stop.
As she walked down the familiar path, all of her childhood mories flooded back to her. They were not beautiful, but they were also not horrible because she had a fruitful existence with her grandparents.
Stefan, who did not stop Ella and followed her like a shadow, eventually saw her stop in front of a dingy tavern, and Ella entered inside without hesitation.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he followed her in, seeing her sink in her anguish.
****
Eveline slept longer than intended, and even after she woke up, Gabriel refused to let her go ho.
Instead, he asked her to assist him with work and kept her occupied until he had finished scrutinizing a few docunts.
"I'm wondering how you manage to work such long hours. I'm already losing it, and there's still so work to do." Eveline leaned in her chair and questioned Gabriel; her brow furrowed slightly.
She was an excellent student who could study for hours on end, but focusing on a specific docunt was mind-boggling.
How was she ant to help her father with the firm if she was so wound up?
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it once you know the trick," Gabriel said, causing Eveline to sit slightly straighter in her chair.
"Trick?" She queried, and Gabriel shrugged.
"Hmm. Trick. You assu I'm always reading the docunt. No, there are instances when I just scroll it. But it doesn't imply I'm ignorant, because Leon already had everything sorted, making it easy for to finally conclude."
Eveline gave a blink. So she'd been rubbing her eyes for nothing when he already had a back for everything he asked her to do.
"Is this so form of punishnt? Making work for nothing?" Eveline inquired, only to see him shrug as if he was enjoying seeing her so heated up.
Eveline's lips parted as she peered at Gabriel in bewildernt. This man was undoubtedly a sly fox, unpredictable at tis, which made her wonder if she knew him well enough.
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