Chapter 7

It was already dark out when Celeste regained her consciousness. She supported her weak body as she got out of bed, preparing to leave the hospital. As she passed by a hospital ward, she heard Ophelia's sweet voice coming from inside. "Dad, Mom, this is Damien, my boyfriend." Celeste stopped in her tracks. Through the half-open door, she saw Damien with his arm around Ophelia's waist, saying in a gentle tone, "Mr. and Mrs. Hart, please don't worry. I won't let Lia suffer any grievances in the future." Margaret beamed with joy. "Good, good. Lia is so fortunate to find a boyfriend like you..." Standing outside the door, Celeste suddenly remembered that Damien had done the same thing many years ago. He held her waist and solemnly told her parents, "Mr. and Mrs. Wilde, please don't worry. I will never let Celeste suffer any grievances." The exact same words were now spoken to someone else. So, this was how much his promises were worth. Celeste bit down on her lip until she tasted blood, then she turned and left. After leaving, Celeste checked the time. The identity erasure procedures would be complete in three days. Soon, she and her parents could leave this place entirely. No matter how hard Damien searched afterward, he would find no trace of her. When she got home, she hurriedly packed what little she wanted to take—just a few changes of clothes, her ID, and her passport. She didn't want to take anything else. The door burst open just as she was tucking her passport into her bag. Damien stood in the doorway with Ophelia behind him, tears still streaming down her face. "Dad's out of danger now, but at his age, this really took a toll on him..." Ophelia's voice broke as she spoke, wiping at her eyes. Damien gently brushed away her tears. "Stop crying. I'm here to make this right for you." He paused, "How do you want her to apologize? I'll agree to it as long as it's not too excessive." Ophelia glanced timidly at Celeste and said quietly, "I... I want Celeste to spend a few days in jail." Damien immediately frowned. "Lia, that's going a bit too far." "I know you can't bear to do it." Ophelia tugged at his sleeve, and her eyes were bloodshot. "But my dad was hurt so badly. If we don't teach her a lesson, she'll keep bullying us..." She bit her lip, her voice dropping even lower. "It's only a few days. Just to make sure she never dares do this again… "Damien, I know Mrs. Ashford is your true love, and I'm just a distraction. If you really can't bear to do this, then... maybe we should just end things." Damien was silent for several seconds, then he finally pulled her into his arms helplessly. "Don't talk about ending things. I'll do whatever you want." Just like that, Celeste was sent to the county jail. Before Damien left, he didn't even spare her a glance. After confirming he was gone, Ophelia turned back to give Celeste a cold, sinister smile. She whispered something to the officer nearby and slipped him a wad of money.