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Janet’s phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. The voice on the other end was tense. “Miss Campbell, Zayn has been arrested by the police.”
Her pulse quickened. “Find a way to bail him out.”
The voice hesitated before responding, “Well… I’m afraid that’s not possible. Young Master Harrison pulled some strings and requested that Zayn be kept in jail indefinitely. We can’t afford to provoke the Harrison family.”
Janet’s heart sank as the weight of the situation hit her. “Try to tell Zayn to shut his mouth for the sake of his family.”
“Alright,” the voice replied before the line went silent.
Catherine slowly regained consciousness, wincing at the sharp pain in her face. She opened her eyes to find herself in a sterile hospital room, a soft beeping sound accompanying her every breath. For a moment, she was disoriented, not knowing how she had ended up here. Then, a familiar face came into focus.
“You’ve woken up,” a low voice said.
Catherine turned her head and saw Shaun standing by her bed, rising from the couch. His expression was hard, reproachful, his eyes dark with frustration.
“As a married woman, you went to the pub alone for a drink? Catherine, you’re brainless.”
For a brief moment, she felt a glimmer of warmth—he was here, and that meant something. But as his words sank in, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. The sting of shame was immediate.
“You’re right. I almost forgot that I’m married,” Catherine replied quietly, her voice tinged with bitterness.
Shaun’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched. “You still haven’t learned your lesson, have you? If it weren’t for me showing up in time, you would’ve been ruined forever. I care about my dignity, even if you don’t.”
“Don’t worry. No one knows I’m married to you.” Her voice was low, defeated.
The sharpness of her words cut through Shaun, and his eyes flashed with offense. “So, it seems I acted superfluously. I shouldn’t have saved you, then?”
Catherine didn’t respond. She was too exhausted to argue, her body drained of energy. Her gaze dropped to the bed, and she pulled the blanket closer around her, curling up into herself. She looked fragile, as though she was trying to hide from the world, from him.
Shaun’s frustration grew as he watched her. Something inside him twisted. Earlier, he had been ready to kill Zayn for what he had done, but now that Catherine was awake, he couldn’t help but direct some of his anger at her for getting herself into such a situation.
The silence in the room stretched on, heavy and suffocating, until Chase burst in. “Zayn’s confessed everything… Eh, what happened between you two?” His eyes darted between Catherine, curled under the blanket, and Shaun, whose posture was rigid with tension. The atmosphere in the room was thick with unspoken words.
“What did he say?” Shaun demanded, his voice icy.
Chase took a breath before relaying Zayn’s confession. “He claims he’s your high school friend, Sister-in-law. He says he’s had feelings for you since then, but you never returned them because of his ugliness and poor background. He started holding a grudge against you and then saw you drinking alone in the pub. He heard about you being kicked out of the Jones family’s house, and that you had no one to rely on, so he made you unconscious to ruin you…”
Shaun’s brow furrowed as he absorbed the details. He turned to Catherine. “Is that true?”
Catherine nodded weakly, her face pale. “Yes. He’s had a bad reputation since school. He was always messing around with the girls and even spying on us in the restroom. I never liked him—not because of his money or appearance, but because of the kind of person he was. I had no idea things had gotten so twisted in his mind.”
Chase let out a heavy sigh. “This is what happens when someone’s just unlucky. You can’t avoid meeting crazy people. Don’t worry, he’ll stay in jail forever.”
Catherine moved her lips, trying to speak, but no sound came out. She felt numb, like everything had happened in a dream. The horror, the humiliation, everything. She wanted to say something, but the words felt stuck in her throat.
Shaun’s eyes softened as he glanced at her before turning back to Chase. “During the live video, were many people watching? Was her face visible?”
Chase nodded, looking guilty. “Yeah, but we’ve removed anything that should be taken down. The video won’t circulate online, but… a lot of people in Melbourne’s entertainment industry were watching. They probably already know.”
The weight of the situation hit Catherine again, the fear of the consequences hanging over her like a dark cloud. It wasn’t just Zayn’s actions—her reputation was at stake now, too.