Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 6

Matthew deliberately avoided meeting Adriana’s gaze, his eyes cold and distant. He cast a sharp, warning look at Mia before slipping silently into the study, shutting the door behind him without a word.

No matter how much Adriana pleaded or struggled, her voice trembling with desperation, he refused to acknowledge her. It was clear he was punishing her, convinced that the cookies she had brought were meant to provoke Natasha.

Mia’s lips curled into a cruel smirk. The three of them—Mia, Camelia, and Rufus—burst into harsh, biting laughter, their voices sharp and merciless, almost demonic in their cruelty.

“Come sit, Anna,” Natasha called out sweetly, her smile deceptively warm as she gestured for Adriana to join them.

But Adriana was rooted to the spot, unable to move. Her legs felt as heavy as lead, and her mind was engulfed in a flood of painful memories—memories of everything those three had done to her.

“Natasha, isn’t this Adriana? Our campus queen…” Rufus sneered, his words dripping with biting sarcasm.

Natasha’s face brightened with interest. “Oh? You’re classmates? Wonderful, then get along,” she said, her tone light but dismissive.

Adriana stood frozen, a single thought screaming in her mind: Run.

“Natasha…” Her voice was barely a whisper, trembling with fear and hesitation. “I just remembered something at home. I need to leave. I’m sorry…”

Without waiting for a response, she spun around and bolted toward the door, as if her very life depended on escaping. But after only a few steps, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed heavily onto the floor.

“Let’s walk our classmate out,” Mia said, stepping forward with a predatory grin, closing the distance between them with every word.

Adriana’s heart pounded fiercely in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to run away, to disappear. But her body betrayed her—frozen, locked up from the inside out, as if paralyzed by fear.

It wasn’t just the three of them she dreaded—it was the entire nightmare she had lived through.

“What’s wrong? Can’t get up?” Rufus taunted, grabbing the back of her collar and yanking her roughly to her feet like a rag doll. “Our campus queen isn’t going to piss herself again, is she?”

Adriana lowered her head, her deaf left ear ringing painfully. Her face tightened, her skin burning with shame and hurt. She struggled to break free, but she couldn’t.

“Matthew is getting married. To my sister. Now tell me—how should we deal with you trying to hook up with my brother-in-law?” Rufus sneered, slinging his arm over her shoulder and dragging her toward the door.

Adriana knew Rufus well. He never needed an excuse to torment her.

It began on the first day of freshman orientation, when she unwittingly caught the attention of a monster. She had rejected him publicly, and that rejection marked the start of her nightmare.

From that moment on, Rufus used every opportunity to humiliate her—stripping her, taking naked photos, burning her with cigarettes. Mia and Camelia joined in the abuse, beating her relentlessly.

They locked her inside a wooden crate, forced her to sleep in filthy public restrooms. Whenever she resisted, they found new ways to break her spirit, to threaten the orphanage kids she cared for.

She was the only child from the orphanage to make it to college. She was their hope.

She couldn’t afford to be expelled. No matter what they did to her, she had to endure it.

Even if it meant swallowing nails, she would choke them down.

“Say something!” Camelia kicked Adriana hard, irritation flashing in her eyes. “What’s with the silent act? Matthew doesn’t want you anymore, got it? And if you don’t behave, we can shut down that crappy orphanage of yours anytime!”

Adriana lay on the cold grass, brushing dirt off her sleeves. She still had to wear this outfit tonight when she was supposed to meet Curtis. She wanted to make a good impression—something she feared was now impossible.

“What, deaf and mute now too?” Camelia slapped her across the face with a harsh crack.

A housemaid passed by, witnessing everything but pretending not to see. Everyone here had silently agreed that these privileged children could do whatever they wished to Adriana.

Still, Adriana remained silent. She never begged. She simply sat there, stubbornly enduring the abuse.

Once, Rufus had asked her, “What do you think about while you’re sitting there getting beaten?”

Adriana never answered.

The truth was, every time she was hurt, she thought, Maybe I should just die. Take these three down with me. Kill them all. It wouldn’t even be that hard.

But each time, she stopped herself. Because if she died, what would happen to the orphanage kids?

The director had scraped together everything to send her to school. She couldn’t die before repaying them.

Over the years, Matthew had given her little. Just a supplementary card to cover whatever she needed. But what could she buy? The $40,000 bag she splurged on once was the most reckless thing she’d ever done.

During school, she still worked three part-time jobs every day. Every penny went back to the orphanage.

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