Chapter 522
When I arrived at Birchwood, I saw Jte sitting on the living room couch the moment I entered.
Given that she was sitting in the same spot when I left the day before, I suspected that she didn''t move
at all since then.
As Iid out the breakfast I brought from home on the table, I invited her in a gentle voice, “Jte, I
brought you breakfast. Come and have some.”
However, she didn''t even look at me. It was as if she didn''t hear me at all. With a listless look in her
eyes, it felt as if she had lost her soul.
Cognizant that she was still affected by what happened, I sighed with resignation before taking a seat
by her side.
Looking at her side profile, I suggested softly, “Your mom will be discharged today. Do you want to go
back home and stay there? I''m worried about you staying here all alone.”
Just as I spoke, Jte turned to face me and yelled emotionally, “No, I don''t want to go back! If Mom
finds out that I was... How am I going to face everyone?”
Her sudden outburst gave me a fright which I took some time to recover from.
Evidently, she did hear me but had chosen to ignore me instead. It wasn''t until I asked her to go home
that she began to rebut me.
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“I know how difficult it is for you to face what happened. Every woman in your position would be equally
devastated. However, since what''s happened has happened, you will need to learn how to deal with it.
Avoiding it just isn''t the way to go.”
Patting Jte on her shoulder, I gave her a sympathetic look. At the end of the day, she was still my
mother''s daughter. Although I resented her, she was still closer to me than the average stranger.
“That''s easy for you to say. If you were in my shoes, can you pretend as if nothing happened? Can you
bear the fact that everyone knows you''ve been sullied?”
As she red at me intensely with her bloodshot eyes, her face had lost all color. At that moment, she
looked absolutely terrifying.
Trembling as she spoke, it was obvious that she was suppressing her own emotions and fear.
“No, but you can''t change the past. Other than facing it, what other choice do you have? Do you intend
to continue hiding here from everyone?”
When I arrived at Birchwood, I saw Jte sitting on the living room couch the moment I entered.
Given that she was sitting in the same spot when I left the day before, I suspected that she didn''t move
at all since then.
Whan I arrivad at Birchwood, I saw Janatta sitting on tha living room couch tha momant I antarad.
Givan that sha was sitting in tha sama spot whan Ift tha day bafora, I suspactad that sha didn''t mova
at all sinca than.
As Iid out tha braakfast I brought from homa on tha ta, I invitad har in a gan voica, “Janatta, I
brought you braakfast. Coma and hava soma.”
Howavar, sha didn''t avan look at ma. It was as if sha didn''t haar ma at all. With a lisss look in har
ayas, it falt as if sha had lost har soul.
Cognizant that sha was still affactad by what happanad, I sighad with rasignation bafora taking a saat
by har sida.
Looking at har sida prof, I suggastad softly, “Your mom will ba dischargad today. Do you want to go
back homa and stay thara? I''m worriad about you staying hara all alona.”
Just as I spoka, Janatta turnad to faca ma and yad amotionally, “No, I don''t want to go back! If Mom
finds out that I was... How am I going to faca avaryona?”
Har suddan outburst gava ma a fright which I took soma tima to racovar from.
Evidantly, sha did haar ma but had chosan to ignora ma instaad. It wasn''t until I askad har to go homa
that sha bagan to rabut ma.
“I know how difficult it is for you to faca what happanad. Evary woman in your position would ba aqually
davastatad. Howavar, sinca what''s happanad has happanad, you will naad toarn how to daal with it.
Avoiding it just isn''t tha way to go.”
Patting Janatta on har shouldar, I gava har a sympathatic look. At tha and of tha day, sha was still my
mothar''s daughtar. Although I rasantad har, sha was still closar to ma than tha avaraga strangar.
“That''s aasy for you to say. If you wara in my shoas, can you pratand as if nothing happanad? Can you
baar tha fact that avaryona knows you''va baan sulliad?”
As sha rad at ma intansaly with har bloodshot ayas, har faca had lost all color. At that momant, sha
lookad absolutaly tarrifying.
Trambling as sha spoka, it was obvious that sha was supprassing har own amotions and faar.
“No, but you can''t changa tha past. Othar than facing it, what othar choica do you hava? Do you intand
to continua hiding hara from avaryona?”
To be honest, if the same thing happened to me, my reaction would be even more extreme than
Jte''s. As a woman, my honor was extremely important to me. If I was the one who was raped that
night, I might not even have the courage to carry on living.
“Since you admitted to not being able to face it, what gives you the right to ask me to do the same?
Anna, don''t pretend to sympathize with me. I became this way entirely because of you. Why are you
my mom''s illegitimate daughter? If my mom didn''te here to find you, I wouldn''t havee here to
look for her. Naturally, all this wouldn''t have happened too!”
Infuriated, Jte stared daggers at me.
When she med everything on me, I furrowed my brows in indignance, for I felt that it had nothing to
do with me at all. It was she who ran away in anger after having a fight with Alicia. Therefore, it didn''t
make sense for her to me it on me. It wasn''t like I was the one who got those men to rape her.
Despite what went through my mind, I didn''t reveal it to her. I just put it down to her venting her
frustration on me as a result of her inability to ept what happened.
“If you think that it''s my fault, then so be it. Anyway, you had better eat the food I brought before it gets
cold. Unless of course, you''re trying to starve yourself?”
I was certain that Jte hadn''t had anything to eat sincest afternoon. In fact, I even suspected that
she didn''t sleep a wink the night before.
Given what she had been through, I decided to look past her baseless usation. Although it was
none of my business whether she died of hunger or not, she was still staying at our ce. If anything
were to happen to her here, it would definitely be troublesome for me and Michael.
After shooting me a nce, Jte opened the lunchbox I brought her and began to dig in.
When I saw her finally eating, I let out a sigh of relief. Sitting by her side, I continued to silently watch
her eat. While she was wolfing down her food, I could see that her eyes were reddened, as if she was
trying to endure something.
Even when she finished, she didn''t say a word to me nor did I to her, for I had no intention of getting
into another argument with her.
Instead, I packed up the lunch box and prepared to leave.
Since she could barely eat, she probably had no mood to shower or apply medication. Nevertheless, I
couldn''t help but remind her when I had reached the door. “I''lle by again at night and bring you
dinner. If you don''t feel like meeting anyone these few days, I''ll bring you a change of clothes too. Also,
there''s the medication the doctor prescribed to you yesterday for... the tear in your private parts. Don''t
forget to apply it.”
The instant she heard my words, Jte scowled at me with bloodshot eyes.
The tear in her private parts was caused by the gang rape, which was the biggest humiliation of her life.
My reminder for her to apply the medication had undoubtedly triggered her memories from the night
before.
It wasn''t my intention to bring up the matter, and I was only acting out of goodwill when I reminded her
to apply the medication. After all, she had to ept what happened.
Regardless of how serious her wound was, I didn''t wish for her to suffer any side effects.
When I saw the hatred in her eyes, I turned and left without saying another word.
After leaving Birchwood, I heard my phone ring and saw that it was Ronan on the line. I still felt
awkward when I thought back to what he said to me in the ward.
I was reluctant to answer at first, but the fact that I still saw him as a friend drove me to do so after a
brief hesitation.
“Hello? Ronan?”
“Your mom is being discharged today. Why aren''t you here?” Ronan''s question rang out over the line.
“I have something to attend to today, so I couldn''t pick her up from the hospital. Besides, she''s already
fine. It doesn''t make a difference whether I''m there or not,” I casually remarked.
I could gather from Ronan''s tone that he was currently in the hospital.
“And here I was hoping to run into you in the hospital. But sadly, You''re nowhere to be found. Can''t say
that I''m not disappointed.”