Chapter 18

Emily stood her ground in front of the door, blocking Patrick's way.

Patrick sneered, "What's the deal, Emily? Got another guy?"

Emily's eyes blazed with anger. "That should be you! Ever since Shirley showed up, you've been a mess!"

Patrick frowned. "My business is none of your concern!"

Emily shot back, "Fine, then why are you still defending Shirley when you know what she did?"

Patrick said, "Emily, I'm telling you to let it go for your own good!Besides, Lisa is still in rehab..."

Any gratitude Emily had felt instantly vanished. So, he paid for Lisa's rehab just to control her, to use it as leverage. She had foolishly believed he genuinely wanted to help.

"Get out. I don't want to see you!" Emily pushed Patrick out the door.

Seeing Emily's resolute expression, Patrick said, "Fine, but don't regret this!"

Patrick turned and left. As he sped away in his car, he saw a black sports carapproaching from the opposite direction. The driver's seat revealed Marlon's chiseled face.

What was going on? Wasn't Marlon just in the bedroom? Could it be Emily's brother?

In the living room, Marlon pulled out his laptop and played the surveillance footage frame by frame. The fully armed figure seemed oddly familiar to him.

Marlon asked, "Emily, does this person look familiar to you?"

Noticing Emily was distracted, Marlon reached out and touched her forehead.

Emily snapped back to reality, saying, "What did you say?"

Marlon shook his head in exasperation and patiently repeated himself.

Emily clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with anger.

She said firmly, "It's Shirley!"

Marlon was taken aback and reviewed the footage again.

How did he not see it before?

Marlon quickly took a screenshot from the video and enlarged it.

Marlon said, "Don't worry, Emily. I will make sure Gordon gets justice!"

Emily said with a smile, "This time, I won't let her get away with it!"

Marlon nodded. "Whatever you want to do, I'm with you."

"Thank you!" Emily felt deeply grateful to Marlon. She owed him so much already.

Marlon said, "It's late. Tomorrow, I'll go with you to find Shirley."

Emily nodded.

Marlon packed up his things and left.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, but Emily felt no warmth. Her heart was filled with anger and a thirst for revenge. She decided she couldn't be weak anymore; today, she would confront Shirley.

Marlon stood by her side, his gaze steady, ready to fight for her at any moment. He saw Emily's clenched fists and knew her anger had reached its peak. But he also understood that staying calm was crucial now; they couldn't let anger cloud their judgment.

They drove to Shirley's apartment. Emily took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

The door slowly opened, and Shirley peeked out. Seeing Emily and Marlon, a flicker of surprise crossed her face, but she quickly regained her composure, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"What do you want?" Shirley asked, feigning calm.

"I told you, you will pay for what you've done!" Emily said, her voice steady.

"What are you going to do?" Shirley tried to sound confident, but her voice trembled, sensing the impending storm.

Emily didn't say a word. She stepped forward and shoved Shirley out the door. Shirley stumbled, almost falling, but Emily didn't stop. She kept pushing Shirley until she was cornered against the wall.

Marlon stood by, his expression stern. He didn't intervene because he knew Emily needed to vent. He waited silently, letting her release her anger.

"What did you do to my brother?" Emily's voice shook, each word forced through gritted teeth. Her eyes blazed with fury, as if she could burn Shirley to ashes.

Shirley's eyes widened in fear. Emily's rage was palpable, and she realized she might have truly angered these two. She tried to lie,"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything." But her voice grew weaker, even she didn't believe her own words.

Emily's anger flared even more. She grabbed Shirley's hair and yanked it back.

Shirley screamed in pain, but Emily didn't let go. She watched Shirley's pained expression without a hint of pity.

"Why are you still lying? My brother told me himself that you lured him into the storage room! How could you be so cruel?" Emily shouted, slamming Shirley's head against the wall with each word.Each impact deepened Shirley's pain and slightly eased Emily's anger.

Marlon watched, knowing Emily needed to vent but also aware this could go too far. He stepped forward and gently touched Emily's shoulder. "Emily, that's enough."

Emily stopped. She looked into Marlon's steady eyes, feeling a wave of warmth. She knew Marlon was always there for her, supporting her. She took a deep breath and let go.

Shirley slumped to the floor, her eyes filled with fear and despair.She looked at Emily and Marlon, knowing she was in deep trouble.She tried to get up and run, but Marlon blocked her path.

"Wait for it. The police will be here soon. Everything you've done will be punished by the law," Marlon said coldly. His voice was calm but carried undeniable authority.

Emily looked at Shirley's disheveled state, feeling a mix of anger.resentment, and a bit of satisfaction. She knew what she did might not be right, but she couldn't stand what Shirley had done to Gordon.

Emily turned to Marlon. "Let's go."

They walked away from Shirley's apartment.

Watching them leave, Shirley sneered, "I think the ones who will be punished first are you two."

Emily and Marlon walked down the quiet street, neither speaking.Emily's emotions gradually calmed, and she began to think about her next steps. She knew this incident might change her life's path, but she also understood she had to face all challenges and difficulties bravely to protect herself and her loved ones.

"Thank you, Marlon," Emily suddenly said. She looked at Marlon's determined eyes, feeling deeply grateful. She knew she couldn't have gotten through this without his support and companionship.

Marlon smiled slightly and gently patted Emily's hand. "It's okay,Emily. I'll always be here."

Emily hesitated for a second, then pulled her hand back.

Marlon didn't mind, looking at Emily with nothing but compassion.

They continued walking, their shadows stretching in the sunlight.

hinting at the long and challenging road ahead.