Chapter 200: Foolishly Paying for a Man
They planned to head back home the day after the court verdict. Everyone except Ashley had already boarded the flight to Rochester City.
Even without intense preparations or inner turmoil, Ashley felt no relief. Guilt and anger gnawed at her, leading to sleepless nights. When she did manage to sleep, nightmares jolted her awake.
In her dreams, Fred would point an accusing finger at her, "After all these years of loving you, you ungrateful jerk! You've been nothing but a disappointment!"
Or her cousins would take turns berating her, tightening their grip on her neck, demanding she apologize to Fred.
The worst was when she dreamed of her mother, tears streaming down her face, crying, "Ashley, I'm so disappointed in you. For Damian, you even schemed against your uncle. You don't deserve to be my daughter. I don't have a daughter like you!"
Then her mother would start having an episode, smashing things desperately, and slashing her wrists with glass, leaving them bloody and mangled.
Ashley suddenly sat up in bed. The night outside was still pitch black. She was so exhausted she couldn't even reach for her phone. She just sat there, drenched in sweat, hugging her knees until dawn.
On the third day of Fred's incarceration, Ashley applied to visit him.
The towering prison gates felt oppressive.
In the past, when she visited clients in prison, she always walked in briskly, feeling detached and not finding the place particularly eerie. But now, standing within the high walls and electric fences, she felt a chill from head to toe.
Her resolve grew stronger; she had to get Fred out!
Through a thick layer of bulletproof glass, Ashley held the phone, seeing Fred's haggard face. She pinched her leg to hold back her tears, "Uncle Fred, how are you?"
Fred was noticeably thinner, and in just a few days, several more wrinkles had appeared on his face, with deep lines etched beside his nose. "Eirondia's prison is better than Rochester City's. It's not cold in winter or hot in summer. I'm okay."
Ashley's eyes turned red. "Have my cousins come to see you?"
Ashley had called her cousin Adam and Paula, but no one answered. Clearly, they didn't want to deal with her.
Fred said, "Yes. I explained to them that this wasn't your fault. They're not blaming you; they just haven't figured out how to talk to you yet. Give them some time, they'll understand."
Ashley nodded reluctantly. "I have a plan. Fred, just wait a little longer. When the time is right, I'll apply for medical parole for you."
Fred said, "Do as you think best. I can wait."
Ashley held back her tears, sniffing, "Is Adam running a restaurant in Eurostan?"
Adam also had a restaurant back home, but after their father got into trouble, he was constantly harassed by creditors and couldn't keep the restaurant open. After moving to Eurostan, he lacked startup funds and took three years to finally rent a place and get it going.
Ashley had learned these bits and pieces from her father.
Fred said, "He's just fooling around. Doing business abroad isn't easy. But let him try if he wants to."
Ashley noted it down. "Which hotel are my cousins staying at? They won't see me, so I'll go find them. I made the mistake, I should apologize in person."
Fred kept refusing, saying family grudges would naturally resolve over time. But Ashley insisted, believing that letting it fester would only make things worse.
Adam and Paula were staying at a budget chain hotel near Taramila University. The hotel was in an alley, surrounded by a mixed crowd, and the security wasn't great.
Ashley sat in the lobby and made a few more calls, but still, no one answered.
The front desk also refused to provide their room numbers, citing guest privacy protection.
Ashley had no choice but to wait in the lobby.
She didn't see them from 3 P.M. to 7 P.M.
As night fell, the lobby lights came on, making Ashley's face particularly noticeable.
Several times, some guests blatantly stared at her with ill intentions.
Security generally worsens abroad after dark. If Ashley didn't see her cousins by 8 P.M., she would have to hurry back to her hotel. After all, a lone woman could easily become a target for criminals.
Ashley was on high alert, gripping her bag strap tightly.
"Hey, lady, want a drink?" A burly man suddenly whistled at her, staggering toward her.
'This is bad,' Ashley thought, realizing the man was clearly drunk.
She moved towards the crowd, but the man grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards him. "Where do you think you're going? Refusing me? You're asking for it!"
Ashley felt pain in her arm and protested, "Let go of me!"
The man's companions, four in total, surrounded her, completely disregarding the fact that they were in a hotel lobby. They sneered and looked menacing.
Ashley now understood what it meant to deal with jerks. It seemed bullying others was their daily routine, and they assumed they could do whatever they wanted.
Her legs went weak with fear, but she kept a calm face. She stared coldly at the man. "I'm a lawyer working for the embassy. If you touch me, I'll call the embassy immediately."
The man sneered, "Who are you trying to scare?"
These men were unreasonable and started to get rough.
A heavy punch landed on Ashley's head, making her dizzy and causing her to lose her balance. She stumbled to the side and barely managed to grab a pillar to avoid falling.
The man licked his lips and was about to throw another punch.
Someone shouted, "Let her go!"
Upstairs in the room, Ashley's head was still spinning. Seeing her cousins, her emotions surged, and she felt a mix of feelings.
"Adam, Paula..." she murmured.
Paula looked at her pitiful state and sneered coldly, "Don't call me. I don't deserve to be your cousin."
Paula thought she should have stopped her brother from saving Ashley earlier and let those thugs drag her out and do whatever they wanted.
Ashley's eyes were red. She wobbled as she stood up and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to see me or hear my explanation, but I had to apologize to you in person."
Adam sat on the sofa, his hands crossed. His face, which resembled their father's, was young and handsome but now dark with anger. "Ashley, I have just one question. Did you send him to prison to please Damian?"
Paula gritted her teeth and spat, "There can't be any other reason. Back then, she would do anything to satisfy Damian's demands, even offering half of the Astor Group as a gift. After being dumped by the Hearst family, she still went to please them. It's shocking how low someone can go!"
Ashley, feeling guilty, didn't argue with her. Instead, she said seriously, "No, when I took this case, I didn't know Fred was also a defendant. Adam, I've completely cut ties with Damian. I would never hurt Uncle Fred for him."
Adam was skeptical, remembering her blind infatuation with Damian, which was hard to accept.
"I visited Fred today. He told us not to blame you. But Ashley, we've already lost so much for the Astor Group. What you did has destroyed our family. Your aunt's blood pressure spiked when she heard the news, and she had to be rushed to the hospital. Our trip to Eirondia has been full of troubles."
Ashley hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I'll find a way to get Fred out as soon as possible."
Paula gritted her teeth. "Easier said than done! This is Eirondia. Dad changed his nationality to join Eurostan, making his status complicated. And your boss is Damian. If he had the intention of sparing my dad, he wouldn't have gone so hard on him!"
Ashley looked at Paula and said firmly, "Paula, I was young and foolish before, blinded by love. This time, I was used. But believe me, I will handle this properly and give you a satisfactory explanation."
Paula's disdain was written all over her face. She didn't even want to look at Ashley. When she married Damian, the Astor Group benefited, and they did gain a lot. But who knew that in just three years, the Hearst family would drag the Astor Group into hell, and they suffered along with it.
Now, Ashley was divorced, unwanted by Damian, and no one else would want her.
Paula mocked, "No wonder you're a lawyer. You sure know how to talk. Damian beckons, and you still foolishly run to serve him!"
Ashley bit her lip and didn't retort. Angering Paula now wouldn't help.
Adam was more rational. "Given the situation, all we can do is fight for bail to keep Fred from suffering in prison. He's been stressed for years, and his heart isn't in great shape."
Ashley nodded. "Yes, I know."
Paula coldly mocked, "Are you done talking? If so, leave. We don't need more trouble."
