Chapter 114
Esme let out a frustrated sigh, "I told you, no matter how much money this scholarship offers, it shouldn't come with so many part-time jobs. Her parents are just the worst." She pointed at the screen, her face twisted with anger.
It turned out that Ophelia was adopted. Her adoptive parents couldn't have kids at first, so they took her in. But then they had a son and wanted to get rid of Ophelia, even thinking about selling her. She was young but she remembered, so their plan flopped.
From then on, they treated her like dirt, not as a daughter but as a free maid, making her cook, clean, and look after her brother. And if that wasn't bad enough, after she graduated high school, they tried to marry her off to some rich family so they could live the high life and their son could have a bright future.
Ophelia refused, so her adoptive dad would beat her and force her to go to shady places to make money. They both knew exactly what that meant.
Esme suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Ophelia. "She's had it so rough. Not long ago, she was almost kidnapped by traffickers. Now she's juggling part-time jobs while studying and still has to send money to her adoptive parents. If she doesn't, they'll force her to drop out or do those awful things."
"Ophelia is like a living ATM," Esme concluded.
Alice handed the phone back to Esme. "This is her private business. We shouldn't interfere."
If this got out, Ophelia would only suffer more. Sure, some people might help, but mostly it would just bring her shame.
"Alright." Esme nodded, deciding to look out for Ophelia more in the future.
A few days later, one afternoon, Alice was gaming in her room when she got a call from Esme. "Alice! Bad news! Ophelia is missing!"
An hour later, Alice, Esme, and Simon met up at the arcade. "Missing?" Alice couldn't believe it, "Are you sure?"
"How could it be wrong?" Esme rolled her eyes, "Today, I was delivering something and saw a police car near the school. I went over and found out that Ophelia didn't show up for her exam. Her phone's off and unreachable! If she's not missing, then what is she?"
Alice bit her lip, hesitant to speak, "You don't think her parents did it, do you?"
"They're capable of anything!" Esme fumed.
"Then why did you call us here?" Simon asked, confused. "The police are already on it. What can we do?"
"Help find her!" Esme shot back.
"How?" Simon asked, still puzzled.
"Let's start by checking with the manager at Starry Sky Restaurant," Esme suggested.
The three of them headed to Starry Sky Restaurant and found the manager. He was surprised to hear that Ophelia missed her exam. "She asked for leave, saying she had an exam today, so I approved it. Are you saying she's missing?"
Esme nodded. "Her phone's unreachable, and then it was turned off. Has anyone strange come looking for her recently?"
The manager shook his head. "The restaurant's been busy, so I didn't notice." At that point, a nearby waiter chimed in, "A fierce-looking guy came looking for her and even took her purse."
Hearing this, Alice and Esme exchanged a glance. Then, Alice sighed, "Let's call the police."
The police retrieved surveillance footage from the restaurant entrance, confirming that a man had an altercation with Ophelia. The video showed the man yelling at Ophelia and even hitting her.
"That's Ophelia's adoptive father!" Esme pointed at the man on the screen, "He's tried to sell her several times!"
Upon hearing this, several police officers immediately began investigating. Esme secretly sent a message to a friend, asking for help to check if there was anything unusual at Ophelia's home.
Ophelia's adoptive father only wanted to spend the family's money on his biological son and even once considered stopping Ophelia from continuing her education to save money.
"Since the police are on it, let's go," Alice said, pulling Esme to leave.
"No." Esme looked at Alice, puzzled, "We haven't found her yet. I want to wait for news."
Alice sighed, not knowing how to explain, and irritably scratched her head.
"Alice?" Esme frowned, "Aren't you usually the one who loves helping others the most? You've helped Ophelia before. Why are you so indifferent to such a big issue this time? Aren't you worried about her?"
"In what capacity?" Alice asked with a hint of helplessness in her tone.
Esme was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Alice said flatly, "I mean, in what capacity should I worry about her? As a college classmate? I've already come here with you, waited for the police, and confirmed the person in the surveillance. What else can we do?"
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