Chapter 564

Aubree told Bowen to drag Samuel into the living room so that Josephine could have some privacy to compose herself.

Josephine settled her son in the room, changed into a set of long-sleeved clothes and pants, then slowly walked out. “Thank you,” she said softly with her head bowed.

Aubree looked at her, feeling an ache in her heart. After spending these days in Ridgehaven Town, Aubree had realized just how little women were valued here. If they were lucky enough to have a decent husband, maybe they could live out their lives in peace, like Jillian. But most women here were like Josephine.

Even if someone broke into a woman’s home and assaulted her in broad daylight, no one would step in. If word got out, the perpetrator wouldn’t suffer any consequences; instead, it would be the victim who would be shamed and blamed by everyone around her.

Just hearing the things the villagers said these past few days was enough to make Aubree’s stomach turn. She honestly couldn’t imagine how Josephine had managed to endure all these years.

“If it weren’t for you, I probably would’ve been hurt by that animal today… I know you’ve heard the rumors about me in the village, but none of them are true. They’re all lies,” Josephine said in a shaking voice.

“I haven’t done anything wrong. Those men are all after something. I live at the edge of the village and barely go out, but somehow I’m still the one getting blamed. Why is it always my fault?” Josephine broke down, sobbing and cursing as she poured out all her pain and anger.

At the age of thirty, Josephine looked as if she were in her twenties. She was attractive and slender, with only her young son by her side and no man in the house to support her. It was no surprise that someone like Samuel felt emboldened enough to break in.

Aubree didn’t know what to say. She wondered, This was, of course, not Josephine’s fault. But in a place like this, who could say that being in the wrong would ever actually be seen as wrong?

‘Back when I was with the Wilson family, I had suffered all kinds of abuse. But even if those things had come to light, people would only blame me for being ungrateful. As for the Wilson family? What wrong had they done? They’d taken in an orphan, given her a life of luxury, and wasn’t that already a tremendous act of kindness?

‘It was something I was supposed to be grateful for my entire life.

‘As for all the insults, beatings, and punishments–those were seen as “lessons” meant to teach me a thing or two.

‘After all, I was just a girl from an orphanage, someone who had a bad reputation that needed to be disciplined.‘

But now that Aubree was on equal footing with the Wilson family, people would say that it was the Wilson family who were in the wrong when they discussed matters from the past.

Everyone would mock them for mistaking a fake for the real thing. After all, those who had the power got to decide what was right.

Aubree shot Bowen a look, and he immediately kicked Samuel, who was sprawled on the ground. He chided, “Wow, what an eye-opener. So, the village chief calls all the shots in Ridgehaven Town and decides what is right and wrong. And just because you’re the chief’s son, you get to act all high and mighty."

“Let’s drag him outside and let the whole village see what kind of trash he is. Mr. Molina’s daughter is still engaged to a scum like him. What a shame. Mr. Molina is such a good man, and he ended up with this kind of trash for a future son-in-law,” Aubree chimed in.