Ashley tidied up her bedroll in her room when Melissa called her out for a late-night snack.

“Your injury hasn’t healed yet; there’s no rush to diet,” Melissa said, handing her a small bowl of soup.

“This was made for Mr. by the kitchen, but I secretly saved a bowl for you.”

Ashley silently accepted it.

Since the last incident, Ashley and Melissa’s relationship had been in a delicate state.

Seeing that Ashley was willing to respond, Melissa grabbed her wrist, “Ashley, please forgive me, okay? I was just too anxious before. I was afraid your dad was really in danger.

“And you have such a well-paying job; even if we lose that money, you can earn it back. But your father…“

When Melissa cried, her tears came quickly and fiercely, yet she always managed to cry in a way that evoked pity.

Ashley tightened her grip on the spoon, not responding.

After crying for a while and seeing that Ashley didn’t speak, Melissa’s sobs gradually weakened.

A trace of anger flashed in Melissa’s eyes, and she glared at Ashley.

At that moment, she realized she hadn’t truly looked at her daughter in a long time.

Unconsciously, Ashley seemed to have grown up.

Her hair was thick, her neck long and slender, her figure curvy and sexy.

While Melissa was busy and anxious trying to stave off aging, Ashley was like a blossoming flower, radiant and beautiful.

Looking at Ashley’s tight, fair skin, Melissa instinctively glanced at her own hands. No matter how much she maintained them, her skin inevitably sagged and spotted.

A look of vicious jealousy crossed Melissa’s eyes. But she quickly hid her clenched fist with her sleeve, took a few deep breaths to force herself to relax.

When she opened her eyes again, they were soft and warm, “Ashley, I know I was wrong, but… that day he made a scene at the hospital, kneeling at my ward door begging me. He said if he didn’t get the money, those people would cut off his legs, he—”

Melissa’s sobbing was so intense that her words became almost unintelligible.

Ashley placed the bowl on the table and stood up to leave.

Melissa quickly grabbed her, her voice involuntarily rising, “Ashley, please forgive me. Do you want me to kneel before you?”

Ashley’s hand clenched instantly.

Melissa’s thin hand tightly grasped Ashley, seemingly pouring all her strength into it, “I know he’s not a good father, but he’s the one who raised you.

“Ashley, you can’t be so cold-hearted, denying him entirely for a small mistake. Do you remember? When you were little, he was so good to you, didn’t you love him too?

“Even if… even if he made mistakes later, and you hate him, at least, at least don’t watch him die, okay?”

Melissa’s tears fell like a torrent, one drop after another landing on Ashley’s hand.

Again.

Again!

As if not forgiving Jack was an unforgivable sin, as if she deserved to die!

Ashley felt an unbearable phantom pain tightening her back. Melissa didn’t notice her sudden pallor, continuing to speak about Jack’s past kindnesses.

Even the time he fed her milk, or he bought her an ice cream had become immense honors in her life.

Melissa’s tears weren’t warm, but they burned Ashley to the core.

Ashley looked at her. Melissa, with tearful eyes, looked at her as if she were her entire world.

Every word she spoke could push Ashley into an abyss.

Ashley stared at her, a phrase surfacing in her mind: guilt tripping.

She opened her mouth, suppressing the tumult in her chest, and finally, a thousand words condensed into one sentence, “I am going upstairs.”

...

Ashley blew cold air in the garden until her eyes were no longer red, then went upstairs with her quilt.

When she entered, Brian was on a phone call.

The full-toned English from his mouth turned into a sexy, deep melody, unhurried in the quiet room, which inexplicably calmed her down.

Ashley placed the quilt aside and knelt to spread the blanket. As she reached out, she noticed Melissa had bruised her hand.

How much force did she use?

Ashley pulled her shirt sleeve down to cover her wrist and continued laying the blanket. When she was done, she placed a pillow and arranged the quilt like a sleeping bag.

Brian had long finished his call and was quietly watching her. When she finished, he said in a low voice, “Come here.”

Ashley stood up and walked half a meter from the bed.

“Come up.”

Ashley was startled, looking at Brian in surprise, “Mr?”

Brian patted the edge of the bed.

Ashley bit her lip, hesitating. Even in this state, he still wanted...

“I won’t touch you.” Ashley didn’t believe him and stood still.

Brian’s eyes darkened, “Am I unable to invite you?”

Ashley had no choice but to approach.

Standing by the bed, Brian reached out and brushed the hair from her chest, “I heard you have a boyfriend?”

Ashley’s heart tightened, blurting out, “How is that possible!”

Brian looked into her eyes, “Then, who is John?”

His hand moved up, resting on the artery in her neck.

Ashley’s back erupted in goosebumps, and she tried to stay calm, “Just a classmate.”

“A classmate? Like that Robert, huh?”

His hand slowly squeezed her neck, tightening, “Ashley, you know what I hate most.”

“That’s true! We are just schoolmates...” Ashley spoke with difficulty, belated fear making her body stiffen.

She forced herself to look into Brian’s eyes, trying to appear sincere, “Well... we, we are friends, friends...”

Brian’s grip tightened.

Ashley’s limbs began to twitch uncontrollably. And the suffocating lack of oxygen turned her lips purple and her body trembling.

Just when Ashley thought she would pass out, Brian released his grip.

Air flooded into her nostrils, and Ashley collapsed on the bed, coughing violently.

Brian looked at the pale back of her neck, now marked with deep fingerprints.

After a long time, Ashley stood up, supported by her body.

Physiological tears soaked her eyelashes, making her eyes appear innocent.

Brian looked at her, softly saying, “Don’t let me down.”

Ashley suppressed the bitterness in her heart, hoarsely saying, “I know, Mr.”

She took a step back, intending to go to the floor bed.

Brian, “What’s that?”

Following his gaze, Ashley saw a corner of red sticking out of her pocket.

Ashley took it out, “This... was given to me by Miss. James as a reward for doing the laundry.”

“Open it.” Ashley opened the red packet and took out what was inside.

... A condom.

Used.

The atmosphere became terrifyingly quiet.