Slap! Gabriella gave the man a hard slap.
“Have you no shame?”
Furious from Gabriella’s slap, the man raised his hand to return the slap. The force of it sent her falling toward the ground.
“Since you won’t appreciate my kindness, I’ll do it myself. It’s the same at the end of the day, anyway.”
The man then lifted Gabriella to place her on the office desk, about to tear her clothes away.
“No! Don’t! Let go of me! Help!”
Gabriella flew into a panic. When she looked at the disgusting man who nauseated her, she felt as if she had been plunged straight into hell.
Gabriella flung her hands around in desperation, but she could fight against the man’s strength. Right as desolation was about to overtake her heart, she abruptly touched something solid. It was an ashtray.
Suddenly finding strength in her arms, Gabriella then smashed the ashtray onto the man’s head.
“Ah!”
With a shriek, the man collapsed onto the ground with his hands holding onto his head.
Gabriella stared at the man in agony for a few moments. Blood was gushing past his fingers and down his face. She was terrified. It took her a few moments before she recollected herself enough to think about escaping. The moment she did, she stumbled her way out of the office.
The entire way back to her rented villa, Gabriella could hear her rapid heartbeats in her ear. Only when she stepped into the safety of her house, then could she finally calm down. Recalling what had just happened, she thought, That man should be fine. He’s only bleeding badly because it’s a head wound. His life won’t be in any danger. With those thoughts, Gabriella’s heart returned to her chest from her throat.
However, she still had not found a job yet. She was a talentless person in this complicated and tough society; she was worse than an ordinary person. It seemed like selling her looks was the only way for her to make a living.
However, Gabriella’s ego refused to let her do that. No matter what happened, she was once the daughter of the Wards; she would not let herself become the plaything of others.
As she grabbed her head in frustration, Gabriella realized she could not do anything. She was trapped between choosing between life and dignity.
Just as she was stuck in a dilemma, Carl called.
When she saw the familiar number, Gabriella accepted the call, wanting to find out what else he had to say to her.
“Gabriella, I’m Carl. How are you?” came Carl’s concerned voice.
Somehow, his words made Gabriella tear up.
She could not believe that Carl would be the one who would voice words of concern to her at her most upsetting moment.
“I’m fine, Carl. What’s the matter?” Gabriella inquired with faked tranquility.
Despite her calm tone, thousands of thoughts were flashing past her mind.
“Gabriella, stop lying. I know life is horrible for you now. I’m really upset that this has happened to you. I love you so much to the point my heart breaks when I see you sad. I wanted to court you when you were still the esteemed daughter of the Wards, but I didn’t have the courage to. You were like the sun, and a peasant like me could never be a match for you. But, Gabriella, you didn’t understand what my feelings for you were back then. You didn’t know whether or not my feelings for you were sincere. I’m sure you know now, don’t you? I love you. Please accept me!”
Carl’s voice was so earnest, and it was as if he was going to show her his heart just to convince her.
“What do you mean?”
Carl’s words moved Gabriella. She was in the darkest moment of her life, and his words were like glowing fireflies, lighting up her heart.
“What I mean is, Gabriella, marry me. I can understand why you won’t accept me when you were in your prime moments. After all, you were brilliant back then. However, in times like these, I hope you can accept me so that I can take care of you. I don’t want to see you suffer anymore.”
When he heard Gabriella wavering, he decided to win her heart over once and for all.
