Chapter 753

Tyler was about to ask Anne about her injuries, but she walked past him and moved toward Rachel. Tyler subconsciously reached for Anne’s wrist and frowned.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Anne noticed how nervous and worried Tyler looked. This was something she had never seen before, despite having worked together for so many years.

Suddenly, she realized how important Rachel was to him.

She snorted. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt Ms. Lloyd. Don’t be so nervous.”

Rachel also realized how Tyler might have overreacted. “Ms. Charlton just wants to speak with me. Have a smoke with Jerry outside.”

Tyler stared at Rachel before nodding. He and Jerry then walked out of the ward.

Anne and Rachel were the only two left in the ward. Rachel remained calm. “Are you alright?”

Anne shook her head. “It’s just scratches. No big deal.”

“That’s good to hear. Otherwise, all my effort would’ve been for nothing.” Rachel let out a long sigh of relief.

Anne kept staring at her, watching every detail of her expression, not letting the slightest change slip by. “Thank you, Ms. Lloyd. I really mean it. I can’t even imagine what would have happened to me tonight if it weren’t for you.”

While talking about this, Anne got all choked up again. What she had experienced tonight felt nothing short of devastating. Rachel noticed Anne’s shoulders trembling and tears falling down her cheeks. At a glance, Rachel could tell how serious tonight’s events had been for Anne. She carefully reached out to Anne and asked, “Anne, can I ask you something a little personal?”

Anne lifted her head and took in a deep breath. “Go ahead.”

“Have you ever gone through something similar before? I don’t mean an actual assault, but things like harassment or intimidation.”

Anne instantly fell silent. Rachel, seeing her reaction, could almost guess that Anne must have experienced something similar in the past. She didn’t press further, only patted Anne’s shoulder quietly.

After a while, Anne finally began to speak slowly. “When I was little, my parents left me in the care of my uncle. I was too young to understand at the time, but for a long time, my uncle would molest me.

“It wasn’t until I heard about it from a neighbor’s friend that I realized this was called molestation. Later, I told my parents. Fortunately, they believed me and took me back soon after.

“Luckily, my uncle was cowardly enough that he never went further than that. I guess that’s the only thing I can call myself fortunate for.”

Rachel hadn’t asked to hurt her. She only wanted to be fair and truthful. “But your uncle’s actions were already too much. They were vile, disgusting, and less than human.”

Anne began to sob.

“I know, but I can only try to think of it positively. Honestly, since becoming an adult, I’ve never been in a relationship. The only person I’ve ever liked is Tyler. He’s the only one who ever made me feel safe. He’s someone I could imagine entrusting my whole life to.”