bhapter /bb564 /b

Aubree told Bowen to drag Samuel into the bliving /broom bso /bthat Josephine could have bsome /bbprivacy /bbto /bpose herself.

Josephine settled her bson /bin the broom/b, changed into a set of blong/bb–/bsleeved bclothes /band pantsb, /bthen bslowly /bwalked out. “Thank byou/bb,/bb” /bshe bsaid /bsoftly with her head bbowed/b.

Aubree looked at herb, /bfeeling an ache in her bheart/b. bAfter /bbspending /bthese bdays /bbin /bRidgehaven bTown/bb, /bAubree had realized just how blittle /bwomen bwere /bvalued here. bIf /bthey bwere /blucky benough /bbto /bbhave /ba decent husband, maybe bthey /bcould live out their blives /bin bpeace/b, like Jillian. But bmost /bbwomen /bbhere /bbwere /blike Josephine.

Even if someone bbroke /binto a woman’s home and assaulted her in broad bdaylight/bb, /bbno /bbone /bwould bstep /bin. If word bgot /bout, the bperpetrator /bwouldn’t suffer any consequencesb; /bbinstead/b, it would be the victim who would be shamed and med by everyone around her.

bJust /bhearing the things the bvigers /bsaid these bpast /bbfew /bdays bwas /benough to make Aubree’s stomach turn. She honestly couldn’t imagine how Josephine had managed to endure all these yearsb. /b

“If it weren’t bfor /bbyou/b, bI /bprobably would’ve been hurt by that animal todayb… /bbI /bknow you’ve heard the rumors about me in the vigeb, /bbut none bof /bthem are true. They’re all lies,” Josephine bsaid /bin a shaking voice.

“bI /bhaven’t done anything wrong. Those men bare /ball after something. I live at the edge of the vige and barely go out, but somehow bI’m /bbstill /bthe one getting med. Why is it always my fault?” Josephine broke downb, /bsobbing and cursing as she poured out all her pain and anger.

At the age of thirty, Josephine looked bas /bbif /bshe were in her twenties. She was attractive and slender, with only her young son by her side and no man in the house bto /bsupport her. It bwas /bno surprise that someone like Samuel felt emboldened enough to break in.

Aubree didn’t know what bto /bsay. She wondered, This bwas/bb, /bof courseb, /bnot Josephine’s fault. But in a ce like this, who could say that being in the wrong would ever actually be seen as wrong?

‘Back when I was with the Wilson family, I had suffered all kinds of abuse. But even if those things hade to light, people would only me me for being ungrateful. As for the Wilson family? What wrong had they done? They’d taken in an orphan, given her a life of luxury, and wasn’t that already a tremendous bact /bof kindnessb? /b

‘It was something bI /bwas supposed to be grateful for my entire life.

‘As for all the insults, beatings, and punishments–those bwere /bseen as b“/blessons” meant to teach me a thing or two.

‘After all, bI /bbwas /bbjust /ba girl from an orphanage, someone who had a bad reputation that needed to be disciplined.‘

But now that Aubree was bon /bequal footing with the Wilson family, people would say that it was the Wilson family who were in the wrong when they discussed matters from the bpast/b.

Everyone would mock them for mistaking a fake for the breal /bthing. After all, those who had the power got to decide what was right.

Aubree shot Bowen a look, and he immediately kicked Samuel, who was sprawled on the ground. He chided, “Wow, what an eye–opener. So, the vige chief calls all the shots in Ridgehaven Town and decides what is right and wrong. And just because you’re the chief’s son, you get to act all high and mighty.

“Let’s drag him outside and let the whole vige see what kind of trash he is. Mr. Molina’s daughter is still engaged to ba /bscum like him. What a shame. Mr. Molina bis /bsuch a good man, and he ended up with this kind of trash for a future son–inw,” Aubree chimed in.

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