Chapter 9
Lilian, frantic with worry, hurried after her.
With space finally cleared in the cramped room, Theodore forced his way inside.
“Adora!”
His fury ignited at the sight of his disobedient daughter.
Without hesitation, he lifted his hand, ready to slap her across the face.
“Mr. Matthews, don’t-!”
Eugene reacted instinctively, rushing forward to shield Adora, wrapping his arms around her just as Theodore’s palm came
down.
Smack!
The heavy slap landed directly on the back of Eugene’s head, the sharp sound echoing through the room.
Even listening to it hurt.
“The hell are you doing?!”
Theodore’s hand stung from the impact, his face turning red with anger.
“This is family business! Stay out of it!”
But Eugene didn’t move.
His hands were still on Adora’s shoulders, gripping them tightly.
And in that moment, he realized just how thin she was.
Beneath his palms, all he could feel were bones.
A dull ache spread in his chest as he turned to Theodore, his voice laced with quiet urgency.
“Mr. Matthews, please… Adora just came back. After everything she’s been through, it’s only natural she’d struggle to adjust.
This is trauma. She’s acting out because of it.”
Theodore, still fuming, planted his hands on his hips.
“Then she should see a damn psychologist! Throwing tantrums in this house isn’t going to fix her! We don’t owe her anything!”
Adora stood motionless, her father’s thunderous voice pounding into her like a hammer.
And just like that, whatever was left of her already shattered heart broke into even smaller, irreparable pieces.
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It was Ruby who was at fault, yet not a single person called her out on it.
Instead, they turned all their rage on her–the actual victim.
Adora lifted her gaze to Eugene, taking in the conflicted pity on his face.
It made her sick.
She smiled faintly and said, “Dear brother–in–law, I have HIV. Aren’t you afraid of holding me?”
Eugene’s entire body stiffened.
His hands jerked away as if electrocuted, and he instinctively took a step back.
“Adora…” he murmured, his voice unsure.
‘Theodore, still fuming, had nearly forgotten about that little detail.
But the moment Adora reminded him, his anger was instantly replaced with alarm.
He quickly backed away as well, suddenly relieved that his slap had landed on Eugene instead of her.
What if he had touched her skin? What if he had gotten infected?
“Enough. I won’t argue with you anymore. Stay in this room and don’t go anywhere!” Theodore barked before turning on his heel
and storming out.
Eugene, still unsettled, followed after him without a word.
Dinner was completely ruined.
Ruby sobbed through an entire shower, washing her hair, scrubbing her skin, brushing her teeth–three times over–yet she still felt unclean, convinced she could still smell dog feces on her.
Eugene took a shower, changed into fresh clothes, then sat on his bed, scrolling through his phone, searching whether HIV could.
be transmitted through a simple hug.
It was nearly dark by the time the household finally settled, and they all gathered at the dining table.
Mary had the chefs reheat dinner, but no one had much of an appetite, especially Ruby.
Her stomach churned at just the thought of what had happened.
Midway through the meal, she abruptly stood up and rushed to the sink, gagging.
Eugene stood from his seat and grabbed his coat to leave.
However, after seeing that Ruby still looked unwell, he thoughtfully accompanied his fiancée upstairs, intending to soothe her to sleep before leaving.
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But the moment Ruby pulled back the covers and caught sight of what lay beneath, a blood–curdling scream tore through the
house.
Her voice cracked from the sheer force of it, loud enough to shake the walls.
Right there, on her bed was another pile of dog feces.
They were even bigger than the one on Adora’s bed.
“АААААНННННН!”
Ruby clutched her head, shrieking like a madwoman before collapsing to the floor, retching violently.
But there was nothing in her stomach–she had barely eaten, only sipping a little soup at dinner.
All she could do was dry heave, spitting up bitter stomach acid.
Hearing the commotion, the rest of the Matthews family came rushing in.
The moment they saw what happened, their fury erupted, blood pressure skyrocketing on the spot.
“This must be Adora’s doing!” Peter stormed downstairs, his face twisted with rage.
Without hesitation, he kicked open the door to the maid’s quarters.
