Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer's Begs (Scarlett) novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37 The Bruised Friend

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Claire’s face was a mess of bruises, one eye swollen completely shut. When she removed her hat, clotted blood and patches of missing hair were visible across her scalp.

Scarlett marched over, her voice tight with anger. “Was that bastard Elias again?”

Claire didn’t cry. She simply nodded. “Yes.”

She had been let down countless times, yet she still couldn’t bring herself to leave. Staying by the devil’s side, keeping her life intact was already a stroke of luck.

Scarlett frowned and reached for her phone. “I’m calling the police.”

But Claire caught her hand. “Could you just help me clean these wounds first?”

With a frustrated sigh, Scarlett reluctantly agreed.

After treating the injuries on Claire’s face, Scarlett was about to remove her gloves when Claire rolled up her sleeve. Her pale arm was covered in bruises and bloody marks-a shocking sight.

Struggling to control her anger, Scarlett asked as she worked, “What did he even do to you? After all this, you still won’t leave him?”

Claire shook her head, offering a bitter smile. “We’ve been together eight years. I know he doesn’t mean it. He’ll come around someday.”

Scarlett pressed an alcohol-soaked cotton ball firmly against a wound. “What matters more-your life, or some man?”

Claire flinched but made no sound. “It won’t happen again,” she insisted.

Scarlett grew even more furious, tossing the tweezers into the tray with a clatter. “Next time, I’ll be identifying you in the morgue.”

“It won’t come to that,” Claire murmured, though her voice trembled.

Scarlett’s frustration mounted. “Claire, can you really not live without a man?”

Claire kept her head down, avoiding Scarlett’s gaze. “If I leave Elias, no one else will want me.”

Scarlett wanted to argue, but then she remembered how the Therons-and Claire herself-had tried to reason with her in the past.

She let it go. Sometimes, no amount of good advice can save someone determined to self-destruct.

With Claire’s personality, talking until she was blue in the face wouldn’t make a difference. Some lessons had to be learned through pain.

Scarlett stopped pressing and continued treating the wounds.

Perhaps sensing her disapproval, Claire said quietly, “Talk to Elias about this.”

Scarlett didn’t respond, only adding, “You know, with injuries like these, if you reported it now, the police would classify it as assault.”

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09:25 Wed, Jan 7 u

Chapter 37 The Bruised Friend

Claire fell silent.

Just then, her phone rang.

Scarlett glanced at the screen-it was Elias.

Claire’s face brightened as she showed Scarlett. “See? He still cares.”

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Scarlett kept her head down, offering only a noncommittal, “Mm.” It wasn’t that she didn’t care-she just knew Claire too well. Words were useless; she would have to learn the hard way.

Claire answered the call. “Where are you?” Elias asked.

“I’m at the hospital,” Claire replied.

Though her wounds throbbed, she hadn’t shed a tear until hearing his voice. Now her eyes welled up.

Elias sounded indifferent. “I want steamed fish and Texas Brisket for lunch.”

Hearing this, Claire’s tears finally fell. She agreed quickly, “Okay, I’ll go buy groceries and start cooking right away.”

To her, his request was an invitation to come home-proof he still wanted her.

Scarlett paused as she packed up the medical tray, struck by how easily Claire forgave him.

Looking at her friend, she saw a reflection of her former self-the version of her that had known Vincent only loved Sabrina, yet still hoped having another child would bind him to her. Looking back, she realized how foolish she had been.

After Claire left, Scarlett saw only three or four more patients.

Unable to shake her concern, she sent Claire a message, Remember to take your medicine. Keep your wounds clean.”

She didn’t mention anything about the relationship.

After her shift, Scarlett decided to grab lunch at a nearby diner. With an early afternoon shift ahead, she planned to take a short walk before returning.

But as she passed a steakhouse, she happened to glance hrough the glass-and there were Elias and a woman, seated across from each other.

The woman was dressed provocatively, her entire deme nor screaming trouble.

Elias speared a piece of steak and held it to her lips. Instead of taking it directly, she slowly ran her tongue over the meat before finally biting into it.

Under the table, her foot was brazenly rubbing against lias’ leg.

Elias, unable to resist, grabbed her slender ankle. She leaned forward, revealing far too much cleavage-the sight was practically blinding.

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09:25 Wed, Jan 7

Awakened Housewife: Ignore Betrayer’s Begs