Chapter 332
Elise didn’t want to meet Pearl’s eyes and curled up, making herself smaller. “I really didn’t…’
Pearl noticed the girl’s discomfort and continued gently, “This room has a strong scent. Most people wouldn’t notice, but I can tell it’s from an ointment used to reduce bruising.”
The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place for Pearl. She understood that something was amiss here.
‘Why would someone who rarely leaves home have bruises?’ she thought. She knew the answer was right there, waiting to be revealed.
“Miss Elise, I can be trusted with your secret. I won’t tell anyone,” Pearl assured her. She moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed, and softened her tone. “Ellie, can you trust me?”
Elise’s eyes welled up with tears. She was already fragile, but now she looked even more vulnerable.
“Don’t cry. Share your story with me, and I’ll do my best to help you,” Pearl comforted her.
Elise took a deep breath to steady herself and began to speak. “My mom divorced my dad, and a few years later, she married Zachary Zimmer when I was four.”
Pearl listened intently, piecing together the story in her mind.
“But after a few years, Zachary revealed his true colors and started abusing me. He would hurt me when my mom wasn’t around. My mom loves him so much that she turned a blind eye to it. I had to endure it all and never told Glenn.”
Tears streamed down Elise’s face. She had kept these emotions locked inside for years, and they were finally pouring out.
“The photophobia…”
“I don’t really have that condition. I just didn’t want to see anyone. My b*dy was covered in bruises, and I was too ashamed for anyone to see. So, I pretended to be sick and avoided people,” Elise explained, her voice filled with pain. Only Glenn, her childhood friend, continued to visit her despite her isolation.
“Why didn’t you fight back?” Pearl didn’t understand. Was she really willing to live the rest of her life being abused?
“I confided in you because your eyes seem both gentle and strong. I felt a connection with you, even though you’re just a lady. Treating my supposed illness would be easy for you, but freeing me from this pain would be much harder.”
Elise knew how deeply her mother loved Zachary, and she didn’t want to shatter her mother’s dreams. “My mom loves him too much. I don’t want to disappoint her.”
Pearl gently lifted Elise’s shirt to reveal a wound. Her eyes filled with determination as she spoke, “How can a mother not feel devastated when her daughter sacrifices her own well- being for her happiness? Do you truly believe she sees this as a positive thing?”
Elise tried to form a response, but she couldn’t find the words.
“You should talk to her. Maybe the happiness you’re seeing is nothing more than a facade.”
Seeing Elise’s hesitation, Pearl walked towards the door. She spotted Glenn allu outside and said to Jenna, “Could you please come in?”
She then turned to Glenn. “You too.”
Glenn nodded and walked in.
Pearl didn’t waste any time. “Elise isn’t sick, Missus Jenna.”
“What?” Jenna couldn’t believe it.
“You’ll understand when you see the wounds on her b*dy,” Pearl said, urging Elise to trust her.
Jenna carefully approached and gently lifted Elise’s sleeves and pant legs, revealing a
horrifying sight of bruises, cuts, whip marks, and pinch marks.
The severity of Elise’s injuries left Jenna in shock, and she started bawling.
