Julian’s young niece had been stalked, brutally violated, and died a horrific death. And he made me strip bare, forcing me to my knees in front of her memorial service, demanding I beg for forgiveness. My arms instinctively crossed over my chest, trying desperately to cover myself, but Julian just gave a chilling smirk. His cold, heartless voice shattered the last shred of my hope. “Harper, why wasn’t it *you* who died?” He shoved me hard, sending me sprawling to the floor. My hand instinctively flew to my stomach. But the next moment, his mocking voice, devoid of all mercy, pierced my ears. “Harper, look at you. You look utterly pathetic, don’t you?” With that, he sneered, his eyes filled with disgust, then gave a subtle nod to a few tough-looking guys lingering by the door. Panic instantly seized me. My eyes pleaded with him, but he just ignored me. He only looked at the photo on the altar, a tender expression on his face, and softly said, “Chloe, I’ve avenged you.” That very day, I was violated by those thugs right there in the memorial service. My unborn baby. Gone. I finally gave up. The love I had forced simply wasn’t meant for me.
One by one, the thugs finally pulled away from me. I lay on the ground, like a shattered doll, covered in angry bruises, a spreading pool of blood beneath me. My eyes were dead, lifelessly rolling. I heard the thugs’ jeers and crude jokes. “This chick’s got real soft skin, huh? Pretty fun.” “Tell me about it. Can’t believe that guy actually gave us his own wife to mess around with.” Listening to the stream of insults, my face remained blank. But when I heard Julian’s name again, my heart still gave a violent lurch. I simply closed my eyes, trying to shut it all out. But then, the thugs suddenly pulled out a camera. The click of the shutter jolted me awake. I could only curl into myself, a desperate, helpless wreck. “Bossman, we can’t take pictures like this. Maybe… maybe we should just forget it?” One of the thugs seemed to have a flicker of conscience, a moment of hesitation in his eyes. A sliver of hope sparked within me, and my curled body relaxed for a second. The next moment, Julian’s cold voice rang out. “Keep taking pictures. Otherwise, you won’t get a single cent of that ten grand.” The thugs, hearing this, quickly obeyed, not daring to hesitate again. “Julian, please don’t do this.” My eyes no longer held the deep love they once did, only a desperate plea. Julian’s lips tightened, and his tall frame stiffened slightly. *Harper… why was she looking at him like that? No, it’s fine. Everything will be fine once Harper atones.* Julian could only silently reassure himself. And the thugs, seeing me curled up, simply reached out and yanked at me. Two of them pulled my arms wide apart, while another violently spread my legs. In this utterly humiliating position, I was forced to face Julian. He remained impassive, his expression flat. His eyes even held a hint of disgust and impatience. “Hurry up. We have other things to do.” He glanced at me, bored, and walked straight towards Chloe’s framed photo on the altar. I clearly saw the deep pain and helplessness buried in his eyes. And the name Chloe, whispered like a broken prayer. All of it stabbed deep into my heart. But I was his wife, wasn’t I? Then, one of the thugs called out, “Mr. Julian, everything’s done. Take a look.” Julian looked at me, trembling on the ground, his eyes complex. Then he took the camera and quickly scrolled through the images. His gaze suddenly froze, and pain resurfaced in his eyes. I thought he was feeling sorry for me. But then he blurted out, “Chloe, how much pain you must have been in that night. It’s all my fault.” His face contorted, like a trapped animal fighting for breath, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at my photos. Only then did I realize he was thinking of Chloe again. Julian quickly flipped through them, then threw the camera back to the thugs. In an instant, his gaze turned to me, sharp as an ice blade, cutting right through me. “Harper, I want you to feel every bit of that pain too.”
Julian strode towards me, grabbed me, and dragged me out the door. My skin scraped against the rough ground, quickly leaving me covered in blood. Some patches of skin were completely torn away. I let out continuous gasps of pain, but Julian ignored me. He looked at me with disgust, his voice hoarse, filled with deep sorrow. “So you know what pain is, don’t you? But my Chloe was only eighteen this year. How could you be so cruel, seeing her in trouble and doing nothing, ruining her life?” Listening to Julian’s harsh accusations, I shook my head repeatedly. “Julian, I was going to get help! I didn’t think Chloe would…” Julian cut me off. His large hand shot out, clamping around my neck, strangling me. His eyes were bloodshot, and the strength in his grip steadily increased. “Harper, if it wasn’t for you, how could my Chloe have died?!” He wouldn’t listen to my explanations, his expression one of pure hatred, as if he wanted to kill me. Only when my eyes rolled back into my head, my vision blurred as I gasped for air, did he violently shove me into the car. I slammed into the window, and in an instant, streaks of blood appeared on the glass. A flicker of guilt immediately crossed Julian’s eyes, but it vanished just as quickly. He repeatedly told himself that the person in front of him was a murderer. Chloe was someone he had raised himself. How could she be so heartless? In an instant, a renewed resolve flashed in Julian’s eyes. *Harper should pay for her mistakes. I’m just helping her.* When the car door opened again, I was terrified to see that it was *that* alley again. Julian saw the fear in my eyes and simply stroked my hair, trying to soothe me. “Just stay here one night, and I’ll forgive you, okay?” Since Chloe’s incident, it was the first time I’d heard Julian use such a gentle tone. But I shook my head, biting my dry, peeling lips, my voice hoarse. “Julian, I really didn’t do it. Please, believe me?” My heart was filled with despair. I couldn’t think of any other way but to beg Julian. Julian’s body stiffened for a moment. After a pause, he spoke again in that gentle voice, “Harper, I believe you. If you stay here for one night, I won’t pursue this any further.” My joy hadn’t even had a chance to bloom before the latter half of his sentence plunged me into hell. My heart was heavy with disappointment. Julian still wouldn’t believe me. Seeing that I remained silent, Julian’s patience ran out. He tugged at his tie, his expression annoyed as he stared intently at me. After a while, someone reminded him that things were about to start. He looked at me with hesitation. After a long moment, he closed his eyes, and when they opened, only grim determination remained. He yanked me out of the car. I lost my footing and fell to the ground. The rough pebbles on the asphalt once again bit into my skin. Julian watched, unblinking, his fingers clenching and then relaxing. “Harper, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.” With that, he heartlessly left me, tossing only a thin jacket to cover myself. I watched in despair as his car drove further and further away. That jacket was one Chloe had picked out for him. Chloe was the child of a family friend he had adopted. Every time something related to Chloe happened, Julian would lose control. I thought he just loved kids. But then, that night in his study, I discovered he harbored such disturbing intentions!
Chloe’s father and Julian were close family friends. Fifteen years ago, Chloe’s parents died together in a car accident. Before they passed, they entrusted Chloe to him. My mind replayed all of it. But just then, I heard the sound of footsteps. I turned back, terrified, to see it was the same men who had violated Chloe that night. I tried to stand, but my legs had no strength. I could only lie on the ground, inching forward, crawling with my body. Just as car lights appeared in front, I didn’t even have time to scream for help. I was dragged into the alley. In despair, I furiously clawed at the ground, but it was useless. I could only watch, helpless, as one man after another assaulted me again. My lower body started bleeding again. After the last man left his mark on me, a large crowd suddenly swarmed in. They immediately started snapping pictures with their cameras. Reporters. Frantically, I grabbed the tattered jacket from the ground to cover myself, but it was too damaged to conceal my whole body. “Stop! Please, stop taking pictures!” The reporters’ eyes showed a flicker of sympathy, but their hands didn’t stop. And then, Julian finally arrived, late. His face was cold. He immediately ordered the four men to be apprehended. Then he slowly crouched down and lifted me into his arms. As he walked past the reporters, admiring glances fell upon me, and envious whispers floated in the air: “How lucky she is! Even after all this, Mr. Julian came to rescue his wife himself.” Those voices clearly articulated the bitterness in my heart. But who knew all this pain was Julian’s doing? Until Julian carried me back to the car, I didn’t say another word. He looked at me silently, then made a call. “It’s handled. Thanks for the idea.” The person on the phone was my own brother – Leo. “No problem, brother-in-law. Harper made such a mistake; she should pay the price.” I understood. So, the idea to send me to that alley tonight was Leo’s. Leo, whom I had practically raised myself! Just because he liked Chloe, he would destroy me like this? I listened to their conversation in a daze. Even after Julian hung up, I remained lost in my own world. Julian’s hand unexpectedly landed on my shoulder. I reacted violently, shaking it off. Anger immediately flared in his eyes, but seeing my terrified expression, he reined it in. “Harper, you should be happy. I finally caught those four men.” He paused, then forcibly gripped my shoulders, turning my face to him, his expression matter-of-fact. “Harper, this time you’ve finally done something for Chloe. I’m sure her spirit won’t resent you anymore.” With that, Julian waited for me to embrace him as usual. But he waited a long time. Not only did I not reach out, my body began to tremble violently, my lips quivering. “Harper, what’s wrong?” My vision suddenly plunged into darkness. In the moment before I passed out, I saw genuine concern in Julian’s eyes. But I didn’t need him anymore. Five days later, When I woke up, I found myself not in a hospital, but at home. My entire body ached, as if my ribs had been ripped out, and I couldn’t help but groan. Julian glanced at me and explained, “You weren’t well enough for the hospital, so I brought you home. I gave you some medicine.”
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