Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 8

Matthew’s grip was firm as he pushed Adriana inside, her damp, soiled clothes slipping from her hands as she reached the threshold. Without a word, he pressed her against the cold wall, his expression shadowed by a storm of emotions.

His eyes, dark and intense, bore into her. “Who brought you back?” he demanded, his voice low and sharp.

The room was swallowed by darkness, yet his gaze seemed to cut through the shadows like a knife.

Adriana met his stare calmly, her voice steady. “You don’t know him.” She gently shoved him away and flicked on the light.

Under the harsh illumination, the bruises and scars on her legs—exposed by her shorts—were painfully visible. The injuries told a brutal story.

Most of Matthew’s fury drained away at the sight. He seized her wrist, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her from behind. “I’m sorry… about today,” he murmured, his voice thick with regret.

Adriana remained stiff, numb to his embrace, her mind distant.

Sorry.

That word echoed hollowly in her thoughts.

Her memory drifted back to freshman year, to the days when Mia’s relentless bullying had nearly broken her. Back then, Matthew had slapped Mia in front of everyone, forcing an apology from his sister. At the time, Adriana had seen him as her hero—a shining protector willing to go to any lengths, even striking his own sister, to defend her.

Now, looking back, that image felt pathetic. She felt pathetic.

“Sorry” was the cruelest word of all.

The wounds ran deeper than any apology could reach. The scars were permanent, etched into her very being.

Apologies were nothing more than empty words, a way for the guilty to trample over the hurt they caused.

Her voice was hoarse when she spoke, deliberately shifting the topic. “Mr. Langford… did your proposal go well?”

She had no interest in his hollow remorse.

It made her stomach turn.

Matthew’s arms tightened briefly before loosening slightly. “She just finalized her divorce. She’s not ready yet. So for now, you don’t have to worry about me leaving you.”

Natasha’s divorce was fresh, and she wasn’t prepared to move on, keeping Matthew in a state of limbo.

And Matthew? He was content to linger there.

But even as Natasha kept him tethered, he refused to release Adriana.

“I swear, I didn’t know Natasha invited her brother. Rufus has been studying abroad all these years. She never told me he was back…” Matthew’s voice was defensive, trying to explain.

He wanted her to believe it wasn’t deliberate. That he never intended for her to be humiliated like that.

“I sent you $100,000 through PayPal. Buy yourself something nice, okay?” His tone softened, almost coaxing, as he brushed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

“Thanks, Mr. Langford.” Adriana accepted the money without pride. He sent it; she kept it. Every penny counted toward her education.

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