Chapter 555 Nathaniel Regrets
"Get lost." Aurelie's eyes reddened as she shoved Barbara, who was tearing at her clothes. Clutching her collar tightly, she stubbornly stared at Barbara, "I've paid off countless debts for him over the past eight years. I owe him nothing. Why should I keep paying his debts?
She added, "If you want to pay for him, then you do it. Even if I die, I won't pay another cent for him."
Aurelie's words ignited a furious rage in Barbara.
Over the years, they had grown accustomed to Aurelie bailing Joshua out of trouble, never once questioning it. After all, if Joshua lost, Aurelie paid the price, but if he hit it big, they reaped the rewards.
Two hundred million dollars was an insurmountable debt, and if they couldn't repay it, Joshua would end up behind bars, dragging his children, Nicole and John, down with him. This forced them to pressure Aurelie into repaying the debt once again.
Barbara shoved harder, and Aurelie struggled to maintain her balance, but she was no match for Barbara's strength. One moment of instability sent her crashing to the ground, and Barbara grasped her collar tightly, barking at her, "I'll ask you again—are you willing to pay off the debt? If you refuse, I swear I'll strip you bare and show everyone just how heartless you are, abandoning your own father!"
Aurelie clenched her jaw, her eyes blazing with defiance. "In your dreams. Even if you kill me, I won't help him pay off that debt."
Barbara spat venomous curses and slapped Aurelie across the face, fury etched on her features. "I'll put an end to you right here, so you can see what happens to those who disobey. Nicole, hold her down and get her clothes off!"
It was as if Barbara and Nicole forgot they were women, resorting to the most brutal and dehumanizing tactics to subdue Aurelie.
The commotion drew a crowd, most of them assuming it was a scandal involving a wife confronting a mistress. They surrounded the scene, eager for a spectacle.
Aurelie clung desperately to her clothes, her strength waning as she fought to protect her modesty and her belly. No matter how hard she tried, Barbara continued tearing her clothes piece by piece.
The noise around her blurred into a distorted hum, faces spinning in front of her—each one filled with mockery, excitement, disdain, and hostility.
Tears welled up in Aurelie's eyes as her gaze inadvertently drifted through the throng and caught sight of a familiar car. Inside sat a man she knew all too well.
It was Nathaniel.
The man who had forced her to endure intimacy the night before, the one who had held her close after.
Nathaniel sat there, eyes icy and dispassionate, cigarette in hand. His gaze was laced with contempt as he observed her humiliation.
He could see her, too, and Aurelie's eyes locked onto his. He was waiting, expecting her to cry out for help.
All she had to do was ask, and he would make sure those wretched bastards paid dearly for their actions.
But there was nothing left in Aurelie's eyes—just a hollow emptiness, as if all the light had been swallowed by some unseen force. She turned away with a bitter, desperate smile.
Nathaniel felt a jolt of confusion.
He thought, 'Why isn't she reaching out for help? Does she think she could handle this alone?'
Suddenly, a piercing scream sliced through the air, sending a shockwave of pain through his ears.
Nathaniel's face tightened, muscles quivering with tension. The cigarette he had been holding was now crushed in his palm. Just as he was about to rush in, chaos erupted around him.
In the midst of the turmoil, someone yanked Barbara's hair, delivering a slap that sent her reeling.
Nicole looked up, her gaze locking onto Cecily's furious face, a look that could kill. Gary, standing beside Cecily, kicked Nicole away with a swift motion.
Cecily's hands trembled as she quickly shed her coat, wrapping it around Aurelie.
"Aurelie?"
Aurelie was shaking uncontrollably. When her vacant eyes met Cecily's, the dam broke, and tears streamed down her face.
Cecily's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she pulled Aurelie into her embrace, gently stroking her hair. "Don't be afraid. It's okay now. I'm here. You're safe."
"How dare you hit me?" Barbara shrieked, clutching her face, her expression twisted in rage.
Cecily gritted her teeth, her gaze icy as it swept over the group.
"Gary, let's strip her down to size."
"On it," Gary replied, stepping forward.
He grabbed Barbara and yanked her closer. "You think you're something special? You're just a pig in a dress."
Barbara's eyes widened in panic. "You wouldn't dare touch me! You can't!"
Gary smirked, ripping at Barbara's clothes with a swift motion. He kicked her away, and she stumbled, feeling the chill of exposure as her outfit fell away, leaving her in nothing but her underwear.
She screamed, wrapping her arms around herself in a futile attempt to cover up, but it was too late—she was completely exposed.
"Mom!" Nicole cried out, her voice filled with horror.
Gary, who had closed his eyes the moment he stripped Barbara, heard Nicole's frantic shout.
There was still one more to deal with.
He strode over to Nicole, who instinctively backed away, fear etched on her face. "What do you want? What are you going to do?" she stammered, panic rising in her chest.
"Well, what do you think?"
The heat was unbearable, and Nicole was dressed even more scantily than Barbara. Her clothes, barely hanging on, were ripped away effortlessly, leaving her completely exposed to the crowd.
Nicole's face flushed crimson as she crouched down, her eyes welling up with tears from the sheer terror.
John, who had been recording the scene, initially wanted to step in and help, but the sight of Gary's intimidating presence made him hesitate.
Cecily, observing Barbara and Nicole's mortification with cold indifference, felt no sympathy.
"So, you're afraid of embarrassment too, huh?"
They had stripped Aurelie in front of everyone, and Cecily had thought they were oblivious to how it might destroy someone. It seemed they understood all too well.
"You! Cecily! We're going to sue you. Just wait!" Barbara growled, her voice filled with venom.
Cecily, a rare good friend of Aurelie, was known to them, and they were aware of her background. Their threats rang hollow.
Cecily stood up, pointing at a security camera directly facing them. "Sue me if you want. I'm waiting for your lawyer's letter. You'd better win if you want to take me down. If you don't, I'll make sure you pay for this."
With that, Cecily turned and helped Aurelie to her feet, guiding her towards the exit.
In the chaos, someone had kicked Aurelie on the forehead, leaving a bloody streak running down her face. She seemed numb to the pain, her head bowed, until someone blocked their path. Both she and Cecily stopped in their tracks.
Cecily's gaze fixed on Nathaniel ahead.
When Cecily arrived, Nathaniel was already there, watching Aurelie's suffering without a hint of intervention.
Aurelie was carrying his child. Even if he had no regard for her, as a father, he should have cared for the unborn child. Yet he stood by, doing nothing to stop the frenzy, merely watching as the mob humiliated Aurelie.
"Let's go." Aurelie's voice rasped, barely above a whisper.
She couldn't bring herself to glance at Nathaniel.
"Alright," Cecily replied softly.
Without a word, Cecily moved to usher Aurelie into the car, ready to leave.
But Nathaniel's hand shot out, gripping Aurelie's arm and stopping her in her tracks. His voice was low and strained. "Where do you think you're going?"
Aurelie's lashes fluttered as a drop of blood trickled down her face, splattering onto the ground—a bright, shocking red. She lifted her gaze to meet Nathaniel's. "To die. Is that what you want to hear?"
The brightness in her once-vibrant eyes had faded, leaving behind a hollow shell, as if her spirit had been drained away.
Nathaniel's grip tightened momentarily before she broke free, her gaze fixed ahead as she brushed past him.
He opened his mouth, but the words got stuck in his throat like cotton wool clogging his voice. Nothing came out.
Once inside the car, Cecily wrapped Aurelie in a blanket, but even that couldn't chase away the chill that enveloped her. She trembled uncontrollably, as if her body had given up on ever feeling warmth again.
"Aurelie?" Cecily gently tapped her shoulder.
Aurelie seemed lost in her own world, head hung low, her eyes staring blankly at nothing, completely motionless.
Cecily pressed her lips together, dabbing a cotton swab on Aurelie's bleeding forehead as she instructed Gary to drive to the hospital.
"No hospital," Aurelie croaked, shaking her head vigorously. "I don't want to go."
"Okay, no hospital. Let's just go home. Stay calm; I'll take you home," Cecily soothed, trying to keep Aurelie steady.
When they finally got home, Vivienne rushed out, worry etched on her face.
"Mom."
"What on earth happened? Get inside!"
Cecily could tell Vivienne was already aware something was wrong. After a few questions, she learned that a passerby had filmed the incident and posted it online, and it was already trending.
The headline read: [Legitimate Wife Confronts Mistress with Children in Tow; Mistress Humiliated in Public—Disturbing Footage.]
Although the uploader had blurred the faces, it was clear enough to see who was involved in the video.
Cecily's face paled as she scrambled to figure out how to have the videos taken down. Just then, she noticed that all the videos had mysteriously vanished.
Someone had beaten her to it.
With a sinking feeling, Cecily tucked her phone away and knocked on the bathroom door. There was no response from Aurelie, only the sound of running water. Anxiety gnawed at her, and she knocked again.
"Aurelie?"
There was only silence.
Cecily twisted the doorknob, but it was locked.
Panic surged as she scanned the room, her gaze landing on the fruit knife that had been on the table—it was gone.
Her heart raced, and she rushed to the door, pounding on it with urgency. "Aurelie! What are you doing in there? Open the door! Please, Aurelie!"
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