Resent, Reject, Regret by Aqua Summers

Chapter 875 You Just Have to Trust Me

Deirdre would never know how much it pained Brendan to see her retreating into the corner like a puppy being bullied. It felt like his heart was being torn into two by someone's bare hand.

The rage-and his helpless ignorance-at the kind of abuse suffered by the woman he loved was coursing through his veins and animating every single fiber in his body. How he wished he could be the one to suffer in her place!

The pain from his forceful kiss lingered on Deirdre's lips. Quivering, she said shakily, "B-Brendan, I...”

He threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Why can’t you just- stand up for yourself more, Deirdre? Why?" he murmured, pained.

Deirdre did not know how to react at all. She had never heard Brendan use such a voice before-never heard him sound so desperate, so vulnerable, so pleading.

"I’m... I'm fine..." It took her a long time to force her thoughts back down to comfort him. "Nothing happened. I'm okay. It wasn't so bad, you see? If it were, I would have told the warden."

Brendan unbuttoned her collar and stared at the bruises coldly. "This is your definition of 'okay'?"

hastily buttoned her

before fastening her seatbelt and driving her

her bruises had been targeted at areas where her uniform would cover. They were all over her and were made by her aggressors kicking her with the tip of their

black-hearted would you have to be to even do such a thing to

inmates had not done what they did unprompted-and even if they did, they would not have found the need or desire to hide their

call, the nurse had finished her task, too. Deirdre put on her clothes, her

hold of her shaking hand and did the last button

can rest easy tonight, so please, take a good, well-deserved rest. I'll be right

If other people learn that I've been sent to the hospital

Hearing her care for

so powerless that my love can’t even get a good night's sleep. The police have incentives not to let news like that be leaked to the public, so you have nothing

but Brendan, rubbing her hair, interjected gently,