Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Camila’s determined gaze swept
wept across the faces of the four members of the Jackson family, one by one.
Arthur, Belinda, and Agnes all avoided her eyes, too afraid to look directly at her.
Even Harry, fuming with anger, finally crumbled under the weight of her icy, piercing stare.
Camila said, “Not going to speak? Fine. I’ll speak for you.
“When Mr. Jackson received the gown, it was in perfect condition. The surveillance footage will show that I never touched it But when the gown reached Agnes’s hands, it was damaged. It’s obvious who’s responsible.
“So, you won’t check the footage, because once you do, you won’t be able to pin the blame on me anymore. I won’t be taking the fall for someone else, right?”
“Taking the fall for someone else. Those six words hit Arthur and Belinda like a sharp blow, dredging up memories of what happened five years ago.
Belinda was already in tears, her face a picture of helplessness. “Camila, it’s not like that. Please, listen to me. You and Agnes are both my daughters. How could I choose one over the other?”
If this had been the Camila from five years ago, desperate for Belinda’s love, she would have softened at Belinda’s tears, overwhelmed with compassion. But after five years of suffering, all she felt now was disgust.
“Say whatever you want. It doesn’t matter anymore. Camila’s words were cold as she turned away, not wanting to spare another glance at her family. She walked off without a second thought.
As she turned the corner, she unexpectedly bumped into Owen. He stood silently, clearly having witnessed everything that had just happened.
Camila’s heart tightened, but she didn’t break stride. She pretended not to notice him and continued walking, determined.
Each step felt like it was crushing her heart. She had no desire to engage with him; she just wanted to escape this suffocating place as fast as she could.
Just as she was about to pass him, Owen’s familiar yet distant voice reached her ear–gentle but firm. “Camila, I believe you didn’t do it.
Those words didn’t offer her any comfort. In fact, they only filled her with bitterness. The idea of him saying “I believe” was almost laughable. She paused for a second, then quickened her pace.
Her limp caused her steps to be hurried, almost as if she were running away from something–her back, as she limped away, a picture of quiet desperation.
Owen’s heart felt like it was being pierced by sharp needles, the pain spreading through his chest, leaving him breathless. He wanted to call out to her, but it felt like something was choking him, and no sound escaped.
Camila finally made her way to the storage room, her body dragging with exhaustion. She sank slowly onto the old folding bed, feeling completely drained, as if every ounce of energy had been sucked from her. Fatigue hit her like a wave.
Her eyes were hollow, and the disappointment she felt for this family was like an endless, bottomless pit, swallowing up the last shred of attachment she had left.
The three years spent in this house felt like walking on a razor’s edge, each moment filled with neglect, injustice, and pain. The wounds she’d suffered were li find herself caught in that nightmare again.
like nightmares, carved deep into her soul after just one experience. She never wanted to
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Chapter 71
Taking a deep breath, Camila forced herself to gather her strength and started packing her things. Looking around, she saw that her belongings were few and far between in the cramped room.
The only thing that belonged to her was the set of clothes she had just changed out of, which she casually shoved into a plastic bag.
It was time to go. She stood up and reached for the door, but before her pale, slender fingers could touch the doorknob, the door swung open from the outside. A woman in her late fifties stood there, gazing at her.
The woman froze for a moment when she saw Camila, and then her face broke into an unmistakable smile of joy. “Miss Jackson, you’re really back?”
Camila blinked in surprise. “Hazel?”
As she looked at Hazel Clark, a flood of emotions overwhelmed Camila. Of everyone in the Jackson family. Hazel was the only one who had ever treated her like the true heiress.
The other servants were always cold and distant, with Agnes being the only one regarded as the real heiress.
During the scorching summer, when she had been sweating in the stifling storage room, Hazel had bought Camila a fon with her own money.
In the freezing winter, when Camila had been shivering with the cold, Hazel had bought her an electric blanket to keep
warm.
As she thought back on this, Camila’s eyes welled up, though she couldn’t stop the tears from coming. After her initial joy, Hazel’s gaze fell to the plastic bag in Camila’s hand. “Miss Jackson, are you leaving Camila opened her mouth, unsure of how to answer, and just nodded silently.
Hazel’s heart ached as she looked at Camila. She wanted to say something to convince her to stay, but the words stuck in her throat
She knew better than anyone how difficult Camila’s life had been in the Jackson family–how every cold look, every slight, every moment of neglect had eaten away at her. She couldn’t bear to let Camila stay in this toxic household any longer.
With a heavy sigh, Hazel said, “Miss Jackson, if you need to leave, I won’t stop you. But at least let me help treat your injuries
first
Camila
la waved it off. “It’s just a small wound. I’ve gotten used to it.”
Hazel’s heart tightened. She wondered, ‘How much pain has Camila endured, to speak so indifferently about her own
wounds?!
Though Hazel was furious on Camila’s behalf, as a servant, she was powerless. She knew she couldn’t change anything in the Jackson family..
Forcing a gentle smile, Hazel said, “Miss Jackson, you’ve come all this way and haven’t eaten anything. Let me make you a plate of pasta before you leave.”
Camila rejected her again. “No need. Then, feeling a bit too harsh, she added, “It’s better to leave early and find somewhere
To stry
In truth, she simply didn’t want to eat anything from the Jackson family. She was poor now, her health was frail, and she had nothing left but her last bit of dignity.
Even if she had to beg on the streets, she would rather do that than stay in the Jackson family, enduring their cold stares. She could tolerate anyone’s mistreatment, but not the Jackson family’s. They owed her far too much, and they didn’t deserve
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Chapter 7
her.
“Hazel, I really have to go,” she said.
Hazel’s eyes filled with sorrow as she pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket and pressed it into Camila’s hand. “Miss Jackson, take this with you for the road. You’ll need it. Please, take care of yourself out there.”
Tears finally spilled from Hazel’s eyes as she spoke.
Camila hesitated, wanting to refuse, but Hazel’s resolve was unwavering. “You’re a girl on your own out there. You can’t survive without money. You can’t live under a bridge.
Camila bit her lip, tears silently slipping down her face. Strangers cared enough to be kind to her, but her own family–her parents and Harry–had never shown her any real compassion. She thought, ‘Why can’t they see how much I am suffering?
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