Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 9

9 Matthew Sends Adriana to Jail?

Adriana’s eyes turned red. She felt powerless. The advisor had said it–she was the top student in the class, the most qualified to get that spot. But if Matthew went to the school, that spot would never be hers.

“I’ll show up for work tomorrow,” Adriana said through gritted teeth.

Matthew nodded, satisfied. He’d planned to stay the night, but after a call from Natasha, he left in a hurry.

Adriana stood alone in the living room and smashed every glass on the table.

She had to run. She had to get out.

Out of the cage Matthew built. Out of this world’s twisted rules.

She wouldn’t lose. Not a chance!

At the Langford Group.

When Adriana got to work the next day, Natasha was already there.

“Anna,” Natasha greeted her gently, her voice full of concern.

Adriana looked pale. She’d burned with fever all night.

“Good morning, Ms. Jones,” Adriana answered politely, trying to head to her desk.

“Sorry…” Natasha started, her voice soft with guilt. “I brought them here to apologize. I didn’t know they were the ones who pushed you into the water. Matthew pulled the security footage last night…”

Adriana froze, her body tense as she stared at the three people by her desk.

Mia, Rufus, and Camelia.

Mia sat in her chair, smirking coldly.

Adriana turned to Natasha.

Is this their way of apologizing?

“Natasha told us to apologize,” Rufus said loudly, making sure the entire office heard him.

The coworkers glanced over, curious about the drama.

“Sure, you’re just an intern assistant and trying to seduce my brother–in–law way out of your league. But fine, I’m sorry for pushing you into the water yesterday,” Rufus said, grinning.

Gasps rippled through the office. “She tried to hook up with Mr. Langford? Seriously?”

“Adriana? Trying to seduce Mr. Langford? She should know her place.”

1/7

“Girls like her think being pretty means they can do anything”

The whispers flew.

Adriana swallowed the burn rising in her eyes and walked straight toward Mia. “Leave. Now.”

Mia stood up slowly, sneering. “Matthew just proposed to Natasha. They’ll be engaged soon. If you don’t want to live in shame forever, stay away from him.”

Camelia giggled, pulling out her phone. “We still have plenty of your photos, you know. Want us to share them with everyone?” She flashed a photo at the surrounding coworkers.

The photo was from freshman year–back when they used to bully Adriana.

In it, they had cornered her in a public toilet. Her clothes were torn, her face bruised, and her hair soaked…

The coworkers stared at the photo and then glanced at Adriana, their expressions revealing a mix of emotions.

She was shaking so intensely that she was unable to speak.

Natasha hadn’t brought them here to apologize.

She’d brought them to threaten her.

To warn her to stay away from Matthew.

“I’ve got plenty more photos and videos. Want to see?” Camelia giggled, teasing the crowd.

Someone called out, “Send them to the group chat!”

The others laughed, joining in.

They were treating her pain like some cheap office gossip…

“Here, let me send them to you,” Rufus jeered, reaching for his phone to add them.

Adriana felt dizzy. Her ears rang. Her fingers were ice cold and numb.

Kill them …

God, I want to kill them.

She grabbed the flower vase next to her and smashed it straight into Rufus’s head.

The entire office froze. Everyone stared.

Adriana stood there, panting. Blood trickled from her nose, dripping down her lips.

She wiped it with the back of her hand, staring blankly at her shaking hands…

Rufus straightened up, touched the back of his head, and pulled his hand away–covered in blood. He stared at her, stunned.

He never thought she’d actually hit him.

2/7

And she didn’t hold back.

“Rufus!” Natasha shrieked, rushing over. “Call 911!” she shouted at Mia and the others.

The office erupted into chaos. The noise dragged Matthew out.

“Call the cops! She attacked him! This is assault!” Camelia screamed, desperate to send Adriana to prison.

“What the hell’s going on?” Matthew stormed in, his face dark, eyes scanning Rufus’s injury.

Natasha’s eyes welled with tears. She looked at Matthew and said, “He was just here to apologize. She attacked him. Camelia wants to call the police.”

“You did this?” Matthew stared down Adriana.

Adriana looked up at him, dazed, her nose still bleeding. She looked a mess, broken, and powerless. “Yeah….

“Mr. Langford, are you really gonna defend her? You’ll break Ms. Jones’s heart,” Camelia added, fueling the fire.

Natasha stared straight at Matthew.

He froze, then looked away. “Call the cops.”

Adriana smiled faintly, wiped the blood off her hands, and stood there waiting for the police.

“You fucking hit me?” Rufus finally snapped and tried to lunge at her.

Matthew frowned and yanked him back. “Don’t move. You’ll bleed out.”

Rufus froze, terrified.

Camelia called the police. When they arrived, Adriana didn’t say a word in her defense.

“They’re young. Just fooling around, no need to blow this up.” Natasha suddenly stepped in, playing the good guy. “Matthew, have Anna apologize to my brother, and let’s drop it.”

Matthew glanced at Adriana. “Apologize to Rufus!”

He clearly didn’t want her going to jail, but he couldn’t defend her in front of Natasha.

Adriana lowered her head, wiped her still–bleeding nose, and smiled at Rufus. “I’m sorry… Next time, I’ll kill you.”

Rufus’s eyes widened in shock. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were ice cold.

Mia and Camelia exploded. “Matthew, look! She’s not even sorry!”

“If I ever stop wanting to live, I’ll make sure to take all three of you with me,” Adriana said, her voice shaking.

“Adriana!” Matthew snapped, furious. Furious that she wasn’t behaving.

She hadn’t been like this before.

Before, she was obedient. She was careful not to offend anyone. She was always swallowing her pride.

3/7

Chaptery Matthew senus Au

ང་་ ་་་་་

It should’ve been a criminal case. But the Langfords buried it. The university never called the police. Only after the media exposed it were the cops forced to step in–but even then, Adriana refused to press charges.

The case was dropped.

But he remembered. A group of rich brats ganging up on an orphan.

Adriana had only been 19. The teachers sided with the Langfords and the Joneses, threatening her: if she dared to report it, if she stirred up trouble, they’d make sure she never graduated–even after leaving the hospital.

The weak can’t fight the powerful. If Adriana wanted to graduate peacefully, she had to play along, keep the scandal quiet, and protect the school’s reputation.

She had no one. Everybody knew she was an orphan, easy prey.

Everyone chose to crush the weak to protect the powerful.

“Rufus was one of them, wasn’t he?” The officer, Joe Richardson, looked at Adriana.

She stiffened in her chair, staring at him, stunned.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

That year had been her darkest.

Not just because of the beatings, but because society itself trampled her into the dirt.

Her original sin was being an orphan, poor, and powerless.

“The hospital called. Rufus is fine. But he insists on pressing charges. You struck first … Even if what happened back then triggered this, it doesn’t justify assault. Understand?” Joe’s voice was gentle. After recognizing her, he understood why she fought back.

But the law couldn’t protect her. Especially with the other side refusing to back down.

“Thank you… ” Adriana whispered.

“Why not leave Haldoria? Get away from the Langfords and the Joneses?” Joe asked.

“I can’t… ” Adriana gave a bitter smile.

Four years ago, when she was suffocating under the weight of the school and the Joneses’s power, it was Matthew who stepped in front of her. “Don’t be scared,” he said. “I’ll protect you. No one’s gonna hurt you again.”

Right in front of her, Matthew slapped Mia and sent both Mia and Rufus overseas. After that, no one at school dared to lay a finger on her.

In the years she craved love the most, Adriana, weak and helpless, fell for Matthew.

She tried to leave. Many times.

But she couldn’t.

Matthew didn’t love her. But he wouldn’t let her go either.

“If you’re being threatened, you can call the cops…” Joe frowned. Even as he said it, he didn’t sound convinced. Some things, law just can’t fix.

There’s no real fairness in this world. They say everyone’s equal–but we all know better.

“Got any friends who can bail you out? If someone steps up, you can leave tonight.” Matthew’s secretary wanted Adriana punished, so 24–hour detention was pretty much locked in.

The case wasn’t serious. With bail, she could go.

But Adriana shook her head.

Matthew was too controlling. She trusted no one. She had no friends at all.

She didn’t want to bother Lydia Macy at the orphanage either. Getting arrested wasn’t something she wanted the director to worry

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