The Marriage That Never Existed novel Chapter 45

Chapter 8

Ryan suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer, only to be shocked to find nothing but disgust in my eyes.

I had originally been too lazy to explain, but Ryan refused to give up. “Emily, as long as you stop seeing that man, I can-I

can pretend nothing ever happened.”

No anger, no tears.

I simply stated calmly, “That night at the pool hall, you thought I was completely unconscious. But I was only physically paralyzed-my consciousness was clear the entire time… Ryan Mitchell, I won’t be returning to the school. From now on. if we meet again, let’s just pretend we don’t know each other.”

With that, I got up and went to the counter to order a full-sugar iced coffee to go.

I hailed a taxi and left.

As I got in the car, I heard a splash behind me, followed by commotion on the riverbank.

I didn’t ask the driver to turn back, letting the crowd in the rearview mirror grow smaller and smaller.

At the San Francisco International Conference Center, I packed up my simultaneous interpretation equipment and

pressed my throbbing temples.

The three-day Economic Forum was finally over, and my first independent simultaneous interpretation assignment had

been completed successfully.

“You did great.” David handed me a cup of hot cocoa, his eyes sparkling with a smile. “The organizers praised your

accurate translation.”

I smiled slightly, but caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye.

Six months later, Jessica had become skeletal, staring at me with deadly intensity.

“Emily Carter!” Her shrill voice drew stares from passersby, and David instinctively stepped in front of me. “It’s all your

fault! Ryan only sent me to prison because of you!”

She trembled, then suddenly laughed maniacally. “But it doesn’t matter. As long as I get your forgiveness letter, I can get

a reduced sentence.”

I turned away coldly, but she suddenly grabbed my bag strap and knelt on the ground, sobbing. “Do you know how terrifying prison is? They wouldn’t even give me water to drink. To survive, I had to drink my own urine.”

I felt no sympathy for her whatsoever.

Her expression instantly twisted, and she pulled out a stack of photos from her bag and threw them in my face. “What about these? If I send your intimate photos to your current colleagues, what do you think will happen?”

Photos scattered like snowflakes.

Chapter 8

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“Distributing intimate photos and threatening others-for serious cases, the sentence is three years or more in prison.” David immediately pulled out his phone to call the police.

Jessica’s face went pale, but she forced a cold laugh. “Emily Carter, do you think David really likes you? He just pities you! A used piece of trash, someone whose belly has had a dead baby in it…”

“Enough! A cold, stern voice interrupted her.

Ryan appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Jessica’s wrist. ‘Give me the photos.”

She leaned toward him with tears streaming down her face. “Ryan, I was trying to help you…”

Ryan shook her off and tore the photos to shreds, his tone ice-cold. “I warned you never to appear in front of her again.

Were the thirty men I sent to deal with you and Steve not enough of a lesson?”

Jessica was thunderstruck, staggering back two steps. “Steve is disabled-he’ll have to wear a colostomy bag for the rest of

his life. And I can never have children… So it was you who orchestrated all of it!”

Suddenly, she laughed hysterically and pulled out a knife from her bag. “Emily Carter! Go to hell!”

Everything happened too fast-Ryan threw himself in front of me, and the blade plunged into his chest with a sickening

sound.

Blood poured through his fingers, but he collapsed to his knees and still looked at me.

As the ambulance sirens wailed and he was carried away, his pale lips trembled slightly, as if trying to say something.

I turned my face away and gripped David’s sleeve tightly.

“Don’t be afraid.” His warm hand covered mine. “I’m here.”

Three weeks later, the hospital called.

Ryan had contracted pneumonia six months ago when he jumped into the river to retrieve the ring, and this time the

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