Chester nodded. "But that was four years ago. Back then, Henry and a few other privileged students attacked her together. Because of them, Alicia lost hearing in her left earâpermanently. Her right pinky was shattered, and she suffered multiple soft tissue injuries..."
Chester could never forget that incident. He doubted he ever would.
That year, as a detective, he'd failed to catch the suspect who killed his own younger brother. After being demoted to a beat cop, he still hadn't managed to protect Alicia from becoming a victim.
Tyrone stood quietly to the side, saying nothing.
The attorney kept his silence as well; after all, no one could quite figure out what Tyrone was thinking.
To Tyrone, Alicia was little more than a stranger. Even if she agreed to marry him as part of some arrangement, it was strictly business. He wasn't the type to meddle in the affairs of someone like Alicia.
â
When Alicia was finally released from the holding cell, Tyrone was waiting for her outside.
"Thank you..." Alicia was awkward and a little uneasy as she offered her gratitude.
She hadn't expected Tyrone to show up in person.
"Did this make you late for your dinner party?" she asked quietly.
Tyrone looked at her for a moment, his eyes unreadable. "No."
On the drive, Tyrone asked, "Why did you hit her?"
"It was... an impulse, I guess." Alicia gave a bitter laugh and didn't elaborate.
She'd already caused Tyrone enough trouble for one day.
"The injury on your leg yesterdayâwasn't from the car accident, was it?" Tyrone glanced over at her.
Alicia didn't answer.
Some of the bruises were old, from the accident, but most were freshâfrom when Cecilia kicked her into the pond.
"You could tell the police. If the other party started it, you have grounds to file a complaint." Tyrone frowned slightly, thinking Alicia was far too passive. "If you never fight back, they'll never stop."
If someone could be bullied so badly and still not push back... it was hard to understand.
"How do you know I never fought back, Mr. Lynch?" Alicia's composure finally frayed, old wounds torn open. Her voice shook. "With your background, even if you didn't fight back, no one would dare touch you. But what if you were an orphan? What if there was no one behind you? If you stand up for yourself, all it does is provoke them."
Her voice trembled.
Four years ago, Cecilia, Mira, and Henry hadn't tormented her for no reasonâthey'd done it because she resisted.
It started when Henry confessed to her and she turned him down.
Then Henry began stalking her, and Alicia reported him to their teacher, even called the police.
She did everything she could, but every move only made Henry and Mira escalate their revenge.
They dragged her into a filthy restroom, doused her with water, stripped her, took photos. The day she called the police, as soon as the officers left, they kicked her into the stall.
They were reckless. They knew as long as no one died, their families would smooth everything over.
Even if someone did die...
Alicia blinked back tears, turning away, her breath shaky. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lynch..."
She'd lost control.
"You must've looked into me. I'm an orphan. No parents. Easy to manipulate." Alicia's tone was flat, almost numb. "I don't have anyone behind me, but I have weaknesses. Thirty-seven kids at the orphanage who never got adopted, and the headmistress who raised meâthey're all things I care about."
The day Henry and the others dragged her into the equipment closet, locked her in a crate, she'd thought about taking them all down with her. She couldn't beat Henry, but she could've hurt Mira and Cecilia.
She'd wondered if it was worth itâto kill, to die, to make sure they paid.
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 15 Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse ï¤Chapter 760 - 756: Encountering a Man with Evil Intentions But no. She didn't even have the right to die.
"I'm sorry," Tyrone said quietly.
The driver took them to a private styling studio, where Tyrone instructed the designer to help Alicia pick out a dress and do her hair and makeup.
Alicia stayed silent the whole time, not saying a word.
Tyrone had bailed her out. She owed him now.
"Sir, everything we found on Alicia is in here." While Alicia was changing, Tyrone's assistant came in and handed him a folder.
He hadn't realized how much injustice Alicia had suffered. Until now, he'd only looked into her family background.