Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 64

Chapter 64:

As soon as Doris saw Carol, her composure shattered completely. She collapsed into uncontrollable sobs, her body wracked with pain and emotion, struggling to even speak through her tears. “I…” She couldn’t continue. The words stuck in her throat, replaced by sobs that left her gasping for air.

At first, Carol’s heart ached with sympathy, but when her gaze landed on the scratches across Doris’s face, her concern turned to alarm. Her chest tightened. “Doris, come on, get up!” she urged, her voice firm but gentle.

She wrapped an arm around Doris’s shoulders, helping her to her feet. “What on earth happened? Tell me everything!”

Clutching Carol’s hands tightly, Doris’s tear-streaked face was the picture of devastation. Her body trembled with every sob, and her words came out in broken gasps.

“I’m so sorry,” she choked out between sobs, her voice trembling with guilt and despair. “Today is your birthday, and I’ve ruined everything. I didn’t mean to cause trouble, but… my face…” Her voice cracked again, and her sobs intensified as she tilted her face to show the worst of the scratches, as if seeking validation for the pain that marked her.

heart tightened at the sight of the bruises and cuts, but she remained composed, gently holding Doris’s trembling shoulders. “There, there. Just tell me what happened,” she

timidly lifted her head, her eyes flickering toward Rachel briefly before returning to Carol. “Carol, I don’t know how to explain this,”

much of the story, but she knew it wasn’t the time for assumptions or judgment,

okay. I’m here. Tell me the truth, no

she spoke, “Rachel… I’m so sorry. I know this isn’t how things should be. You’re going to be my sister-in-law, and I never wanted

s .

faltered, and Doris’s tone shifted suddenly, giving way to fresh sobs, deeper and more sorrowful than before. “Your brother Jeffrey… he… he tried to take advantage of me. I was just walking down the hall when I bumped into him. He asked me where the restroom was, and I told him, thinking he was just asking for

The accusation seemed so out of place that she couldn’t hold

came to matters of the heart. There was no

hurt intensifying at Rachel’s interruption. Her eyes welled with fresh tears as she tried to explain herself,