Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After Prison

Chapter 2 The Harsh Truth

Meryl's face went pale, her eyes losing their sparkle. Those hellish three years should have taught her something.

She took a deep breath, trying to control the storm of emotions inside her, her fingers curling into fists.

As the car passed under a bridge, the shifting light cast shadows on Dalton's face, highlighting his unchanged coldness. Swallowing her bitterness, Meryl asked, "Dalton... Did you pay off those people in prison, asking them to bully me?"

In prison, she had broken down many times, even thinking about ending it all.

But she couldn't let go of Dalton. She was scared he wouldn't manage without her.

She couldn't believe he could be so cruel to her.

Dalton's response was chillingly calm. "What do you expect me to say?"

Meryl froze for a moment, then a wry smile crossed her lips.

Was this his way of confirming it?

To him, she was just a jealous woman and had arranged for Lydia's kidnapping, leading to Lydia almost being assaulted.

The evidence had been plenty, leaving Meryl with no defense.

enough to risk her own reputation, and she

that her love

grew empty as the car pulled up to what had once been her

flower pots. She had

the house was filled with Lydia's

like it was being pierced by needles. Her lips turned pale

distress. He told the maid: "She's filthy.

and led

her nose and said, "Miss, when was the last time you bathed? You should take better care of

getting bullied in prison for years. But Myrel didn't

sending the maid away, she locked herself in the

her prison days still haunted

endured relentless abuse. Though the last month had brought some relief, her old

from bruises

a deep scar on her left foot, which throbbed with each rainstorm, reminding her of the old pain. Whenever the pain became too much, Meryl would keep telling herself that the agony would eventually

came out of the shower, she slipped into the fresh clothes the maid had left, which fit her

she opened the bathroom door, she walked

nearly

to steady her, wrapping

jarring for both of

against his chest,