Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18: I Never Want to See You Again

At this moment, Matthew’s mind was consumed by a single, desperate urge: to find Adriana, pull her back to him, hold her down until she broke down in tears and finally listened to what he had to say. The thought of her defiance gnawed at him relentlessly.

But then, a sharp pang of guilt washed over him as he thought of Natasha. *We’re going to get married eventually,* he reminded himself, trying to quell the storm of emotions swirling inside. *Whatever I have with Adriana isn’t going to last much longer.*

Just as these conflicting feelings battled within him, his phone buzzed. It was his assistant. “Mr. Langford, a bunch of posts have just gone viral, attacking Adriana. It looks like some of her classmates started it, and now others are piling on, trashing her all over social media. Should I do something about it?”

Since Adriana had once been involved with Matthew, the assistant thought it best to check with him first before taking any action.

Matthew furrowed his brows, grabbed his tablet, and began scrolling through the flood of posts. His face hardened with each hateful comment. The accusations were vicious—claims that Adriana was involved in questionable relationships with older men, rumors about her chaotic private life. None of it was true, but the damage was already spreading.

“Find whoever started this and shut it down immediately,” Matthew ordered sharply, rising from his chair as a sense of urgency gripped him. He quickly threw on his jacket, ready to leave. The online attacks were brutal, and he feared the stress might break Adriana or push her too far.

*I promised to protect her, to give her everything she wanted,* he thought bitterly. *But she never listened. She always had to go her own way. And now, she’s the one suffering.*

As he was about to step out, his assistant’s voice came through again, shaky with nervousness. “Mr. Langford, I found out Cheryl paid some of Adriana’s classmates to post those things.”

Matthew’s expression darkened further. Cheryl’s boldness was only possible because she had Natasha’s support behind her.

“Warn everyone involved. Do whatever it takes to remove those posts,” Matthew instructed firmly. “Also, contact the orphanage director. Tell her to talk some sense into Adriana. There will be more opportunities to study abroad. This one isn’t worth destroying everything over.”

There was a pause on the other end. “But… didn’t you tell me earlier to report the orphanage to the authorities for an inspection? You wanted me to push for their relocation or rebuilding.”

Matthew froze, confusion and shock washing over him. “What? I never said that.”

That orphanage was Adriana’s last refuge, her final source of security. He wanted the director to help reason with her, not to tear the place apart.

“It was Ms. Jones. She said she was acting on your behalf,” the assistant stammered.

Matthew stood silently, stunned. So it was Natasha behind this after all.

“Understood,” he said quietly, rubbing his temples as he ended the call.

*Natasha did this. But I can’t be angry at her—not when I was the one who hurt her first. And honestly, I have no right to be mad. My relationship with Adriana has always been tangled and messy. Natasha’s anger is justified. Adriana isn’t completely innocent either.*

—

Meanwhile, in her cramped motel room, Adriana sat upright in bed, wide awake. The weight of Natasha’s threat against the orphanage pressed heavily on her mind. That meant she had no choice but to face Natasha at the Nera Club the next day.

*What is Natasha planning now? More threats? Another beating from Rufus and his gang?* The uncertainty made her stomach churn.

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