I screamed out the last sentence in hysteria, yet strangely, I felt much lighter afterward.
Cameron was initially somewhat incredulous, but gradually, anger surged in his eyes. The hand that gripped my chin slowly moved to my neck, squeezing fiercely, and the suffocating fear instantly took over me.
“You’re right, I’m not human. I’m a damn devil!” he growled hoarsely in my ear.
“Laura, now I’ll show you what happens when you anger a devil. Let’s see if you can endure it!”
Cameron violently threw me to the ground.
I knew exactly what he intended to do.
I tensed my body, closed my eyes. I didn’t struggle, nor did I submit. I resisted in the most silent way, using the most intense form of rebellion.
Cameron pressed down on my shoulders, and the hard, cold floor hurt my back. He violently tore off my clothes, his hands reaching inside, intentionally pinching and twisting me. He even bent down to fiercely bite my chest.
He always treated my body like a battleground-trampling, ravaging, conquering. He wanted to hear my pleas, to hear me scream in agony. But I refused to make a sound.
I bit my lip, refusing to utter a single word. Cameron panted heavily, his eyes glaring bloodshot. His fingers forcefully entered, and the intense pain made me lose my sanity.
I bit down on his shoulder.
He roared lowly, pushing me away. There was anger in his eyes, but also an unexpected hint of pity?!
I grabbed my clothes, curling up in the corner. I probably had misjudged again; after every such encounter with Cameron, I would have illusions. In those illusions, Cameron treated me gently and tenderly. Yet, in reality, he was a raging beast.
“Laura…” After a while, he hoarsely called my name.
At this point, he seemed to have calmed down, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, his clothes neatly arranged. I saw his Adam’s apple move up and down.
“After we go back home, say it was a misdiagnosis by the doctor. You’re not pregnant, and you had no intention of running away. You were just feeling upset due to the doctor’s mistake and wanted to take a long-distance bus to clear your mind. I picked you up halfway… Do you understand?”
I was stunned. “What?”
“Do as I say, cover it up. Do you not understand?” He emphasized his words.
My heart shook.
!!!
Cameron stood up, went downstairs, and poured himself a glass of wine in the living room. Feeling uneasy, I followed him. He looked up, and his arm gently lifted, touching the wound at the corner of my mouth.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
I dodged his touch, shaking my head slightly.
“You shouldn’t have lied to me, Laura.” He tilted his head back, downing the entire glass of wine and leaving me with those words.
A sense of loneliness, one I had never seen on his face before, appeared. I was somewhat shocked. Did he care so much about this child? Or was it that he only cared about being deceived?
It was probably the latter…
“Cameron…” I called his name softly.
“Is there anything else you want to say?” He kept his head low, avoiding eye contact.
I hesitated for a moment. “Why are you helping me cover it up?”
“Cameron, I know you’ve always hated me… You’ve always blamed me for your sister’s death. You think I took her place, and it should have been me who died back then, right?”
I smiled faintly and poured myself a glass of wine. As I drank it, the fiery sensation cut through my throat like a knife. Tears rolled down my face, dropping at the corner of my lips, leaving a taste of bitterness.
“Don’t you think this is an opportunity, Cameron? Why are you helping me? You could have handed me over to your parents; they would be furious. You could use this chance to kick me out of The Lynch Family, let me fend for myself, or even kill me… Your parents wouldn’t care…”
A wave of bitterness washed over me as I prepared to pour a second glass, but Cameron grabbed my hand.
He stared at me quietly, his gaze was complex. Soon, it turned back to its usual sharpness. “Want to die?” he sneered, “It’s not that easy!”
“Laura, do you think I’m helping you? I just want to keep you, to torture you slowly!”
“You killed my sister. Until I completely understand the cause of her death, I won’t let you leave The Lynch Family… Don’t worry; when the truth comes out, I’ll make sure you die a gruesome death!”
I kept my head down, not saying a word. Suddenly, he pushed me, and the wine bottle crashed to the ground with a loud bang. This was the Cameron I knew…
I forced a bitter smile, realizing that the fleeting emotions of pity, tenderness, and loneliness were all illusions created by my own imagination.
“Go home,” Cameron said coldly, dropping those two words, picking up his coat, and heading towards the door.
I adjusted my clothes, but the buttons were missing, and the garment was torn, barely covering my underwear. I hugged myself and followed him to the door. As the door opened, I was stunned to see someone standing outside…
In that moment, my breath nearly stopped as I stared blankly at the man in front of me…
Leaning on a crutch, his gaze was filled with suspicion, piercing my heart like needles.
“… Carter,” I stammered, the voice was barely audible even to myself.
“Laura!!!” Carter looked at me and then at Cameron. “What are you two doing here?? What happened to your clothes??”
It was the first time I had seen such a distrustful look in Carter’s eyes. Not only distrust but also disappointment, anger, and humiliation-all mixed in those once pure and innocent eyes.
I wanted to reach out and grab his hand, but as soon as my hand loosened, it revealed the inner garment and the marks Cameron had just left on my neck…
There were two flames burning in Carter’s eyes.
“You two… you…” He struggled to speak, unable to complete a full sentence.
“No, Carter!” I rushed to his side. “Let me explain…”
“Don’t touch me!” Carter went hysterical, forcefully waving away my hand. Unsteady on his feet, he lost balance and leaned to one side.
Cameron steadied him.
Clearly, Cameron was also surprised by his arrival. A momentary panic flashed across his face, but he quickly regained composure, softly calling out, “Carter…”
Carter retreated step by step. “I never expected you would do such a thing to Laura…”
“It’s not what you think, Carter,” Cameron frowned.
Our eyes met for a split second, and in that brief moment, my heart inexplicably trembled.
“Carter,” he spoke in a low voice, “Let’s discuss this inside.”
“No need to go inside, let’s talk right here!” Carter was agitated. “What, afraid of disturbing the neighbors? Afraid of embarrassment? Since you both have the courage to do this shameless act, don’t be afraid of public condemnation!”
Indeed, the truth could not be concealed forever, and this day had finally come. However, it caught me entirely off guard, leaving me unprepared. I genuinely didn’t want to hurt Carter from the bottom of my heart. Moreover, the thought of this matter would become public terrified me. If it came out, I would be forever branded as the eternal sinner of The Lynch Family.
They would kick me out, and I would return to a life of homelessness, struggling to make ends meet. The entire society would label me as a shameless and licentious woman who seduced her brother-in-law. I indeed wanted to escape, but I didn’t want to bear the reputation of being a sinner, when I was the victim. I couldn’t allow myself to fall to such a level!
Without considering the consequences, I stepped forward and held onto Carter’s arm. I let him push me and even hit me, but I refused to let go. He delivered a slap across my face, leaving half of it burning with pain, my ear ringing loudly.
I looked at him in disbelief.
The Carter who once cherished me like a treasure had disappeared. All I could read from his furious face were two words: adulterous woman.
“Carter…” Tears streamed down my face. “Can you give me some time? I promise to explain everything to you.”
“Don’t need too much time. I can explain it to you right now.” Cameron walked over with a cold face, placing a hand on Carter’s shoulder. “Carter, Laura is not pregnant; it was a misdiagnosis at the hospital. She wasn’t feeling well emotionally and decided to take a long-distance trip to clear her mind. I was worried she might encounter problems on the way. So, I intercepted her midway and brought her back.”
“She… she tripped, and I brought her here first to take a shower and change clothes. I didn’t expect you to show up…”
“Didn’t expect?” Carter sneered, “Didn’t expect I would ruin your good time?”
“Carter…”