Chapter 31
The room fell silent again.
I quietly cleaned and bandaged my wounds.
This time, I only allowed myself a brief moment of breakdown before forcing myself to regain composure. What else could I do? Let myself go mad?
The longer I wasted on emotions, the more satisfaction Regina would get.
I had evidence of Regina distributing the video, but I still couldn’t prove her involvement in the kidnapping. Reporting it now wouldn’t be the best option.
I collected my thoughts and turned my phone back on, intending to contact Austin.
Even though Norton had quickly had Regina delete the video, it had already spread across various platforms.
I accidentally opened a news alert.
Title: “Woman Spreads Private Video of Boyfriend’s Ex.”
The article was mostly descriptive, without any pictures, but the comments section didn’t hold back.
“Lucky enough to see the video, it’s quite something! Haha!”
“Got the original video, DM me! Free of charge!”
“Send it to me!”
“Want one!”
I instinctively dropped my phone and collapsed onto the couch, trembling.
Death should be a quick release, right? If I died, I wouldn’t have to care about what others thought anymore, whether they’d seen the video or not.
I repeated to myself over and over: Calm down. It’s not my fault. I shouldn’t be ashamed. It’s not my fault, it’s theirs. Don’t think about it. Just don’t look.
As I repeated this, a tear suddenly fell on my hand. I only then realized I had been crying.
The room was silent for a moment, and I sluggishly pulled my thoughts back.
I pinched my arm hard, taking a deep breath to hold back the tears.
Get a grip, Doreen.
Crying won’t help. Regina and Norton are probably feeling very pleased right now.
I started talking to myself again, trying to brainwash myself into calmness.
Facing this head–on was too hard, so I chose to avoid it. I cut myself off from the internet and hid at home all day.
In the beginning, Norton still came to my door every day.
Sometimes he begged for my forgiveness, other times he muttered to himself, complaining about why I was treating him this way.
Occasionally, he mentioned the mastermind behind the kidnapping.
Norton said he wouldn’t let him get away with it.
I started noticing something off. Norton’s mood swings were rapid and extreme.
Much later, I realized he was already showing signs of a split personality. And the trigger was me.
But staying home and offline meant no progress. After much mental preparation, one evening, I’ventured out with a mask and baseball cap.
Thankfully, I had recently gotten a new car that Norton hadn’t seen. I followed him from work to his apartment complex without noticing anything unusual.This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
Just as I was about to leave, Regina walked by with an elegant shopping bag.
“Norton!”
I instinctively lowered my seat, hiding in the shadows.
Norton looked unwell, his expression tense, “What are you doing here?” he frowned.
Regina looked upset. “You got promoted to general manager, so I bought you a suit as a gift.”
“I don’t need it.”
Norton’s coldness brought tears to Regina’s eyes. “Are you still mad about the video? But you initially agreed to it! What’s the point of regretting now? Doreen will never forgive you!”
Norton’s demeanor turned icy. He suddenly grabbed Regina by the throat.
“Norton!” Regina’s shocked voice snapped him back. He released her, took a step back, and walked away, looking devastated.
I have to admit, I felt a pang of disappointment when he let go. But another thought struck me: despite his recent failure, Norton had been promoted to general manager.
I was pondering this when my gaze inadvertently fixed on a spot behind the building. There stood a man, also wearing a hat and mask, watching Norton walk away.
When his eyes met mine, I froze completely.
The last thing I wanted to remember surged back like a flood.
He was the mastermind behind the kidnapping, Norton’s arch–nemesis, and the first one to tear at my clothes.