Revenge Forged in Prison

Chapter 165: Stay By His Side

From down the hallway, Chelsea could still hear Yelena’s screams. “Let go of me! I have to see my brother! Don’t stop me!”

It was chaos. Chelsea rubbed her temple, exhausted. If only they’d treated Caleb right from the start, none of this would have happened. Had he not had a few people still willing to help him, he’d have been dead ten times over. And then what? Who would they be crying for? It’s just hypocrisy masked as love.

Chelsea waited outside the emergency room until the doctor came out. He finally gave her a small smile. “Ms. Yardley, he’s stable now. You’ve been working so hard. You haven’t even rested. Why not let us take it from here? We’ll make sure Mr. Jenkins is cared for.”

But Chelsea shook her head. “No, I’ll stay by his side. I’ll be here when he wakes up.”

The doctor looked like he wanted to say something, then held back. She noticed. “You’re wondering why I care about him so much, aren’t you? Honestly, I don’t even know. I just do.”

He gave her a look of understanding. To him, it probably seemed like she’d fallen for Caleb. But the truth was far more complicated.

She followed as the nurses wheeled Caleb into a private room. Sitting beside him, she stared at his pale face. Her thoughts drifted to a night fifteen years ago.

Back then, she wasn’t Chelsea Yardley. She had a different name—Chelsea Yanner. Miriam wasn’t her mother; she had a real one. But one night changed everything.

She and her childhood friend, Fabian Quincy, had been playing near their house. Out of nowhere, a stranger grabbed them and tossed them into a sack. They were just kids—certainly no match for an adult.

Trapped in the dark, they thrashed and screamed, hoping someone would hear. But the street was quiet, and the human trafficker took a shortcut. They were dragged into a dark basement, where a chubby woman waited.

“Heh… Not bad-looking. You’ll keep me company for a while.”

The woman’s hand reached out, greasy and cold, stroking their faces with a wicked grin. Despite her fear, Chelsea stepped protectively in front of Fabian. “Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

The woman didn’t answer. She just smiled wider as she turned to the man. “You did well. The money’s been sent.”

“Thank you, Mdm. Yardley!”

The man left, leaving Chelsea and Fabian alone with the woman. Chelsea’s voice shook, but she tried again. “Who are you? Why did you take us?”

The woman spread her arms and slowly approached the two of them. “Of course, it’s because of love.”

“Love?” Chelsea looked bewildered. At her age, she didn’t even understand what love meant.

The woman nodded, wrapping both children in a tight embrace. “From now on, you’re my children, and I’m your mother. Got it?”

Chelsea’s expression changed instantly. She began struggling with all her strength. “No! I don’t want you as my mother. I already have one!”