Chapter 68 I've Got Your Back

Benoit looked at Queenie calmly, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger, "Do you have anything you want to say to me?"

Slightly nervous, Queenie picked up her milk cup and hastily took a sip, "Everything that needs to be said, Sarah has already told you, hasn't she?"

"No, I want to hear it from you," Benoit spoke calmly, without any sense of aggression. It was more like a gentle encouragement. "Regarding your situation, I never want to hear it from anyone else, I want to hear it from you. If you don't want to say it, I'll wait until the day you completely trust me."

Queenie's heart trembled slightly, and she tightened her grip on the milk cup.

After a few seconds, she had made up her mind.

Setting down the cup, she looked at Benoit earnestly, "I heard that you don't like other people touching your things. Is that true?"

"Yes," Benoit answered without hesitation, "The rumors are true. I have a strong possessiveness and don't like others touching my belongings. If someone has touched my things, I'd rather destroy them and buy new ones."

Queenie immediately understood, thinking of the previous sofa and decorations in the house.

"And..." Benoit paused, his expression remaining calm, "When it comes to meals, I never eat with people other than family or those who I deem worthy. I don't share dishes with others. These rumors are all true."

Queenie looked at Benoit in shock, not expecting him to be so candid.

So, after hearing about Sarah's own violation, was he trying to distance himself from her?

Queenie's hand anxiously tightened, and she asked the question that had been on her mind, "What if it was me... who was violated by someone? What if I was violated by those three thugs that night? If, I say if..."

Queenie took a deep breath and painfully closed her eyes, "What if I was violated by Leo?"

The air instantly became quiet.

Queenie bit her lip, anxiously waiting for Benoit's answer.

After a long time, she received no response and disappointedly opened her eyes to look at Benoit.

Only then did she realize that Benoit had been staring at her the whole time, waiting for her to open her eyes before speaking.

"Mrs. Clancy, if I haven't been able to earn your complete trust, it must be because I haven't done well enough before."

His voice was as warm as ever, gentle like the wind in the mountains.

Queenie's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. "You are not an object, you are a human being. A living, independent-thinking individual. Whether in the past or in the future, if something unfortunate were to happen, it would be because I failed to protect you properly. Those who commit such acts are the ones to blame, not you."

Queenie's eyes welled up in an instant, her voice muffled. "But don't you find it repulsive?"

"Do you really think I, Benoit, am such a shallow man in your eyes?"

Unable to contain herself any longer, Queenie rushed over and embraced him tightly.

Benoit gently patted her back, emphasizing once again, "You can always trust me, no matter what. If something uncontrollable were to happen, I would only feel heartbroken for you and seek revenge on your behalf. Queenie, if you can marry me, I would be more than satisfied."

Queenie sniffed, wiping away her tears, and sat back down on the chair. After regaining her composure, she slowly began to talk about Leo.

"Leo was a student in the class I taught during my internship. He... wasn't a good person."

Queenie laughed self-deprecatingly. "I never thought I would describe a student in my lifetime like this. I always believed that students were like pieces of jade, and teachers were the ones carving them. But everything changed when I met him, completely shattering my preconceived notions. I still remember that day..."

"When I was at school, I discovered Leo bullying a girl. She was a well-behaved student and had the best grades in the class. He dragged her into the sports equipment room, and I happened to pass by and rescued her. After finding out about Leo's despicable behavior, I talked to him several times, trying to figure out how to change him, to make him realize that bullying others was wrong. I even reached out to his parents privately, but the efforts had little effect. "

"Then one day, I found out that Leo had forcibly taken that girl to a hotel. I chased after them, wanting to save her, but..."

Queenie painfully covered her face, as if it was a nightmare.

"Leo pulled me in as well and locked me in a closet. Then he...violated that girl in front of me. I was trapped in the closet, listening to her cries for help, each one like a knife stabbing into my heart. Afterwards, the girl didn't dare to cry out anymore, begging for mercy, in excruciating pain..."

Queenie spoke, her breathing becoming unsteady.

Benoit pushed the wheelchair closer and embraced her. "Alright, it's not your fault, stop thinking about it."

Queenie buried her face in Benoit's shoulder, shaking her head. "No...if I hadn't thought that Leo was still just a child and had reported him to the police, it might have ruined his whole life. Maybe the tragedy wouldn't have happened. I will never forget the sound of that girl's heartbreaking cries. And then, my second brother arrived. His friend saw me being..."

“Next, I brought Leo into the room and told him. He then came and took me and the girl with him. Leo stubbornly insisted on teaching me a lesson. But my older brother saved me and promised repeatedly that I wouldn't call the police, wouldn't testify, and would never set foot in the West District again, only then did Leo give up.”

“I truly never imagined that a minor...could be so cruel!"

Benoit stared at Queenie, certain as ever, "You don't seem like someone who wouldn't call the police."

Queenie was momentarily stunned, not expecting Benoit to know her so well, but then she sarcastically curled her lips, "I did call the police. I took that girl to the police station. My older brother was so angry he almost cut ties with me."

"And what happened after that?"

"Afterwards, that girl was likely threatened, and her family was also bribed, so she voluntarily went to the police station to retract her report. The girl's family said that she and Leo were watching horror movies in the room.”

“The girl accused him because she failed to pursue a relationship with Leo. And as for me, because I was locked in the closet and couldn't see what was happening outside, I could only hear the voices, I couldn't testify. And that's how the case was dropped."

"So, you became an elementary school teacher because the Blair family manipulated things behind the scenes, isn't that right?" Benoit's gaze turned cold, as if he would stab the Blair family as soon as Queenie confirmed it!

Queenie shook her head, "It was because of Leo, but not because of the Blair family. After that incident, I realized I couldn't change the mindset of a high school student. Rome wasn't built in a day. Many high school students' values and personalities have already formed and cannot be changed. So, I wanted to teach elementary school, to cultivate their character and shape their values from an even younger age."

Benoit nodded, gently grasping Queenie's arms and solemnly said, "You can go wherever you want, I'll support you!"

"Okay." Queenie nodded.

Benoit then asked softly, "Can you tell me if you sought counseling because of this incident?"

Queenie's expression grew pained, as she bit her lip in hesitation before managing to speak, "Because of that experience, for a long time, I felt dirty, scared, and resistant towards it. Pollard had mentioned similar requests before, but I always refused. But I knew that it wasn't good to continue like that, so I sought counseling."

Benoit's gaze darkened, "So, when we were together doing that, you were nervous and stiff, right?"