Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54 Can’t Afford a Misstep

Mia was the only daughter in the entire Langford family–sp

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n birth and never taught

to face consequences. She acted without thinking because she knew, as long as she didn’t cross anyone from a powerful family, the Langfords would always clean up her mess.

But she hadn’t expected that provoking Adriana would come back to bite her–four years later, the old incident had resurfaced.

“Besides, I already punished her for what she did to you. I sent her overseas for four years. Isn’t that enough?” Matthew figured that was punishment enough.

Four years abroad. To him, that had been enough repayment for what Mia owed Adriana.

“Mr. Langford, do you know what permanent hearing loss means?” Adriana pointed to her left ear, her voice trembling. “It means for the rest of my life … this ear will never hear a single sound again.”

Matthew’s throat tightened. He still didn’t understand what that campus assault had really done to her–what it had cost her.

“Do you know why I ever loved you?” Adriana asked softly, eyes glistening. A bitter smile trembled on her lips before tears welled up. “Because when I was about to break, when I wanted to kill every one of them and then kill myself … you appeared.”

Four years ago, she was tormented so viciously by Mia, Rufus, and the others that she had truly considered taking them down with her.

That was when Matthew appeared.

He had pulled her from the abyss, told her no one would ever hurt her again. He’d said he’d give her a home.

Adriana’s obsession with “home” ran deep.

Growing up an orphan, adopted and then “returned” over and over again, the word home had always carried fatal weight for her.

And Matthew–at her most fragile, when she was suffocating with nowhere to belong–had given her one.

“But now, Matthew, the one who’s given me a home isn’t you. It’s Curtis,” Adriana said, her tone cutting. She took a slow step back, sarcasm flickering in her eyes.

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Chapter 54 Can’t Afford a Misstep

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“So that’s it? You’ve stopped loving me–now you love him?” Matthe voice rose, almost desperate.

Adriana had said she didn’t love him anymore.

He was freaking out.

“Yeah.” Adriana nodded, and turned away.

Whether she would ever love Curtis, she didn’t know. But one thing was certain–she no longer loved Matthew.

“Adriana!” Matthew shouted after her, but she didn’t look back.

The girl who used to obey his every word no longer listened to him.

Matthew’s thoughts spun wildly; his chest felt tight with chaos.

At Nera Club.

After Adriana’s livestream controversy, the high–end club had been shut down for inspection. It had only just reopened when Matthew arrived and slumped wearily onto the sofa in a private room.

Darren had arranged the gathering, inviting Matthew and a few other privileged heirs from Haldoria’s elite families.

“I heard you’ve fallen out with Curtis?” one of them asked. Word traveled fast. Darren intended to gather mutual friends to smooth things over between them.

“Mr. Langford, what’s going on between you two?” The guys couldn’t figure it out.

The Langfords and Lincolns had never crossed paths before. Why start a feud now?

“Is it because of that girl–the college student you were keeping?” someone joked.

“For a fling? You’re really going head–to–head with Curtis over a girl? Come on, if he wants her, just hand her over. Everyone knows Curtis is insane.”

Everyone in their circle knew: of all people to offend, Curtis was the last.

The man didn’t just destroy reputations–he destroyed lives.

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Chapter 54 Can’t Afford a Misstep

“It wasn’t keeping …” Matthew muttered, rubbing his temples, his voice low.

He was denying it now, but it was far too late.

“Not keeping? You said it yourself to the reporters-”

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Darren shot the man a sharp look, silently warning him to shut up before making things

worse.

“Love,” Matthew said finally, letting out a bitter laugh. “We were in love.”

He had finally admitted it–those four years with Adriana had been a relationship.

But the admission came far too late.

“You…” His friends stared in shock.

Matthew… in love?

“Curtis just posted their marriage certificate on Facebook. Don’t tell me he married the girl you were living with for four years?” Darren asked, stunned.

Matthew said nothing–and that silence was as good as confirmation.

Darren shot to his feet, dumbstruck. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Curtis actually went through with it?”

He still remembered that night at the club when Curtis had first met Adriana–how his eyes never left her. Darren had joked at the time that she was exactly Curtis’s type.

He never expected that joke to come true.

Curtis, of all people, had really taken an interest in Adriana–and even married her. “Unbelievable … That man really is insane,” Darren muttered, half in awe, half in disbelief.

Getting hitched to an orphan on a whim? No one but Curtis would pull something like that.

“He’s just using her,” Matthew said, still fuming.

He was furious at Curtis for “using” Adriana-

conveniently forgetting how he himself had treated her for four years.

“Matthew, let it go. Are you really planning to go against Curtis? He’s reckless–he doesn’t care

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Chapter 54 Can’t Afford a Misstep

about consequences. You can’t afford that kind of fight.”

Darren knew Matthew too well. The Langford family was crow mistake, and someone else would be waiting to take his place as i

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Matthew couldn’t afford a misstep.