Chapter 171
Everett was deep in thought as his car pulled up to Moon Bay. He stepped into the bedroom, expecting warmth and comfort, but instead found nothing but darkness and cold. His brow furrowed in confusion, and he called for Ava. "Where's my wife?"
Ava, who had been briefed by Selena before she left, casually replied, "She went on a business trip, sir. Left this afternoon. Didn't she tell you?"Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.
A business trip? Right after he'd helped her out of a big mess. She couldn't even give him a heads-up before taking off? It was obvious she was dodging him!
Everett's handsome features darkened like a stormy sky. Ava, ever the perceptive one, noticed his displeasure and realized Selena hadn't clued him in. She couldn't make sense of this couple.
Back in the day, Everett was the one never at home, leaving Selena to spend sleepless nights alone. Now, just when he'd finally come around, she was the one nowhere to be found. Honestly, they were more dramatic than the soap operas she watched. Everett rubbed his temples in frustration and headed back to the bedroom, pulling out his phone to call Selena. A cold automated voice quickly greeted him: "The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."
He gripped his phone tighter, his eyes steely with determination. "Selena, you really know how to play this game."
Selena's latest assignment was to interview Heather, a domestic violence survivor. Heather's husband, Kent, wielded a lot of clout in the area, and despite Heather reporting the abuse numerous times, nothing ever came of it.
Over the past six years, the relentless beatings had put her life in serious jeopardy, leading her to suffer from severe depression and delusions. Desperate, her parents turned to the media, hoping public pressure might save their daughter.
At first, several outlets jumped at the
chance for a juicy story, but their articles were swiftly censored
online. Those outlets were either et
harassed into silence or bribed to smear Heather with outrageous accusations, attempting to clear Kent's name.
They painted Heather as a manipulative gold-digger, claiming she married her good-for-nothing husband for money and cheated him, supposedly driving him to violence. They even called her mentally unstable, saying Kent only hit her lightly, and she inflicted the severe injuries on herself to frame him.
As the narrative shifted, the online tide turned against Heather, and the harsh words became too much for her fragile state. She attempted suicide by cutting her wrists.
Thankfully, her parents discovered
her in time and rushed her to the hospital, barely saving her life. At their wit's end, a kind netizen pointed them toward Ink & Insight, a fearless media outlet committed to
ove
uncovering the truth, regardless of Kent's influence.
Selena met Heather in the hospital room. Heather was a shadow of her former self, her hospital gown hanging off her frail frame. She lay there, barely clinging to life, her heartbeat monitor the only sign she was still with us. Selena sat down and gently called her name. Heather turned to face her, her eyes void of any spark, more like a ghost than a living person.
Having reported on many grim stories, Selena was no stranger to the dark corners of life, but the sight of this scarred woman struck her deeply. There was no need for questions; it was clear Heather's story was true and her husband's a sham. The state of a woman in her marriage sometimes needed no words; a look into her eyes said it all. Having endured three years in an unhappy marriage herself, Selena could truly feel Heather's pain.