"I know this guy. He’s that lunatic who wants to marry into a rich family and become a wealthy woman's husband. Apparently, he’s been clinging to Ms. Johnson from Johnson Group and doing everything he can to please her. However, she doesn't even give him the time of day."
"This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone with so little shame."
"Hey, newbie! Get over here!"
The man beckoned Bradley with a finger, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
"Don't you love kissing up to people? Come on, come on. Let’s see just how obedient you are. Start by wiping my shoes clean. We want to see how much humiliation you can take!"
"I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"
The man shoved Bradley hard, sending him crashing into the wall. His bones, which had not yet fully healed, throbbed with pain from the impact.
However, compared to the pain in his heart, this was nothing.
In his wildest dreams, Bradley had never imagined that Lilian would be the reason he ended up in such a miserable state.
When Bradley remained silent, his eyes empty of both fear and hope, the arrogant man felt his pride take a hit. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped Bradley across the head. Several men rushed forward and forced Bradley's face against the filthy shoes.
"I'm talking to you. Did you suddenly lose your voice?"
Bradley was struck until his head spun. His teeth slammed against the shoe, cutting into his gums and filling his mouth with blood.
"Go ahead. Just beat me to death."
Bradley lifted his eyes. His gaze was filled with grim determination and a broken kind of despair. He had no strength left to fight back, and his helplessness only made the men more reckless.
"Well, look at that. You’ve got some backbone after all. Let me tell you something, you piece of shit. When you were brought in here, the people from Johnson Group told us to give you a proper 'welcome'. I was starting to worry that I wouldn't find anything fun to do."
Bam!
A foot flew toward Bradley. He had no time to dodge before the kick sent him sprawling across the room.
The next moment, several men swarmed him, raining punches and kicks down on his body. Bradley could do nothing but curl into himself and hold his arms tightly around his head.
By the time they had finally tired of beating him, blood stained the corners of his mouth. He lay sprawled on the floor like a lifeless body, every bone in him seeming to have turned to jelly.
A jeweled bracelet had been torn apart, scattering across the dusty floor in front of him. It was the gift Lilian had given him for his twentieth birthday.
Back then, she had only recently returned to the Johnson family. She had no power or influence, and even the bank account she used was constantly monitored.
She had secretly saved money by tutoring after school, and she used those earnings to buy him the bracelet.
Five moonstones were set into it. At the time, she had held the bracelet in her hands and told him, "When I bought it, I thought of these five moonstones as promises about our future. Five stones, five wishes. I will make every one of your wishes come true."
That same year, the Johnson family had beaten her nearly to death because she refused to marry Matthias.
Bradley had used the first moonstone to make a wish. He wished for Lilian to stop worrying about him and boldly pursue the path she wanted for herself.
As long as he could be with her, he could endure anything.
During their third year together, Lilian unexpectedly became pregnant. However, the Johnson family schemed to make her lose the baby, and Bradley was forced to undergo sterilization as well. Furious over what her family had done, Lilian nearly severed ties with them before taking Bradley and leaving the family home behind.
Bradley had used the second moonstone to make a wish, convincing her to stay. He had promised her that they could have another child someday.
He had seen too much of her suffering. He had watched her study financial knowledge night after night until exhaustion clouded her eyes.
He had seen the blisters and torn skin on her palms from practicing golf so she could master the etiquette expected of someone from a wealthy family.
He had seen her back covered in bloody wounds whenever she made even the smallest mistake and was punished for it.
Lilian had suffered so much. Bradley could not bear to let his presence ruin all the effort she had put into changing her life.
He had been willing to sacrifice himself to help her succeed.
However, in the end, she had betrayed him.
She had made Bradley lose everything in the most complete and devastating way possible.
Blood continued to drip onto the floor, spreading into dark stains that seemed to outline the shape of his shattered hopes.
Suddenly, the iron door in front of him began to open. A police officer glanced inside, and his eyes eventually settled on Bradley.
"Are you Bradley? Come outside."
Bradley struggled to his feet and staggered toward the exit one unsteady step at a time.
The officer led him outside, where the sunlight was painfully bright.
A slender figure stood in the light and shadow.
"Here. Someone came to bail you out. You’re free to leave."
Bradley raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight. Through his horribly swollen eyes, he slowly made out the woman standing before him.
If it was not Lilian, then who was it?
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