Chapter 23%
Wendel gritted his teeth, but he had no words to refute X
Iris only leamed of his fate later from her father.
In the end, the family of the injured class president reached a settlement with Esther–they demanded compensation of five hundred
dollars for medical expenses.
But Esther only had thirty
The two of them had just arrived in Nashville, and even if they pooled all their savings together, they couldn’t come up with five hundred dollars.
At the very least, for a long time, Wendel wouldn’t have the means to bother Inis.
However, her life didn’t improve–it got worse.
Rumors about her began to spread like wildfire at school.
People whispered that she had an improper relationship with her adoptive brother–that even though he had a family of his own, he was still willing to fight other men over her at school.
The rumors grew more and more outrageous…
At first, Iris pretended not to hear them. But soon, it wasn’t just whispers behind her back–people began targeting her directly.
Her homework went missing without explanation…
Glue was smeared into her hair.
Once, she was even locked inside a bathroom stall.
None of it was life–threatening.
But for someone already drowning in the stress of academics, it was enough to push her over the edge.
She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about the root of it all!
Finally, one evening, instead of going home. Iris made her way to the factory where Wendel worked.
Wendel never expected that she would come looking for him.
When he heard she was outside, he immediately dropped everything and rushed out of the workshop.
Outside the factory gates, Iris stood in her school uniform, her face pale and weary.!!
She didn’t say a word when she saw him. She only stared at him, her gaze cold and unwavering.X
The intensity of her eyes sent a chill down Wendel’s spine!
Feeling uneasy, he quickly asked, “Iris, what’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?”
The words had barely left his mouth when a sharp slap landed across his face.
The force of it stung.
For a moment, he was silent, pressing a hand to his burning cheek. Then, he let out a bitter laugh.
“I really thought you had something to say to me,” he murmured. “Turns out, you came all this way just to slap me?”
“Go ahead. I deserve it. I wronged you, and if you hate me for it, I won’t complain. If hitting me makes you feel even a little better, then hit me as much as you want.”
in her past life, seeing him like this–humble, self–deprecating–Iris would have forgiven him, no matter how great his mistake was. But now, every move he made only fueled her anger
She forced herself to steady her voice.
“You stormed into my school and caused a scene. Did that make you feel good?” she demanded. “Did you even stop to think about how it would affect me?‘%
“Now, everyone’s turned against me. They spread rumors, they humiliate me. Are you happy?”
“You claim you still care about me? Don’t make me laugh! The truth is, you just couldn’t stand seeing me doing well without you. You wanted revenge, didn’t you?“%
Panic flashed across Wendel’s face. He grabbed her by the shoulders, his voice desperate.3
meant
“I was wrong. I wasn’t thinking clearly! But Iris, I swear, I still love your he pleaded. “I didn’t malize my own heart before. I never m to hurt you. And besides, haven’t I suffered enough? Haven’t I paid for my mistakes?”
His voice cracked with emotion. “I’m working hard every day to earn money–not just to pay off the medical bills, but to save up… I want to go to London with you—“X
Iris‘ eyes widened in shock.!
She shoved him away with all her strength, her voice shaking with fury.
“Are you insane?!” she roared. “You’ve completely lost your mind!”
But Wendel didn’t even try to deny it
“Yes, I’m insane!” he shouted back, eyes burning with obsession. “As long as I stay by your side, as long as I’m alive–there will come a day when I win you back!”
Iris closed her eyes.
