His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 3

After the man left, Virginia slipped into her sedan.

Feeling her arms trembling slightly and her breathing tightening, she immediately turned on some light instrumental music, leaned back against the seat, and closed her eyes to calm her racing heart.-

It was a somatic symptom of her psychological trauma.

Virginia didn't want to admit it, but seeing Archer and Chloe again brought the memories of being constantly cast aside and abandoned flooding back like a tidal wave.

She had grown up in the Sutton household.

Although the Suttons had struck it rich in business, they were deeply patriarchal and misogynistic. From a young age, her elders despised her. Even though they could easily afford maids, they forced her to do all the household chores, treating her like a worthless burden.

It wasn't until she was five, when her younger brother, Wesley Sutton, was born, that the family was overjoyed. They pampered him endlessly, while their treatment of her grew even colder and harsher.

Thankfully, Wesley had fiercely protected her since he was little.

Whenever the family bullied or insulted her, he would stand in front of her, hands on his hips, and yell defensively, "My sister isn't a burden! She's the best sister, and one day, none of you will even be worthy of her!"

In those agonizing, barren years, her brother became the only ray of light in her life.

Later, when she was eighteen and the family business faced bankruptcy, her adoptive parents ruthlessly locked her in the attic. They withdrew her from school, forbade her from taking the college entrance exams, and tried to force her to marry a sleazy, middle-aged businessman to pay off their debts. No matter how much she begged, they remained unmoved.

On the day of the exams, driven to absolute despair, she contemplated ending her life. But the young boy found her, covered in dirt and sweat, and dragged her out to escape.

She managed to take the exams and became the top scorer in the state. However, while waiting outside the testing center, Wesley had tried to stop their pursuing parents. He dashed across the street toward a security booth for help, only to be struck head-on by a truck, leaving him in a vegetative state.

At the hospital, her adoptive parents blamed everything on her, beating and cursing her in public to vent their rage.

They even wanted to pull the plug on Wesley, claiming there was no hope of him waking up.

She refused. She broke down in public, begging and threatening them until she finally saved his life.

The day the exam results were announced, her status as the top scorer brought enough glory to the Suttons that her adoptive father threw a massive celebration. He then enrolled her in a business program, hoping to use her success for his own profit. She didn't bother arguing. Instead, while looking through her brother's backpack, she found a diary.

That was when she realized the seemingly cheerful boy had been suffering from severe depression for years. He had silently borne the twisted pressures of their family, giving everything he had just to save her from that hell.

A sudden, shrill ringtone shattered Virginia's thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID and slowly answered.

"Mother."

"Virginia, are you coming home today?"

Virginia's eyes darkened.

Today was New Year's Eve. In past years, as a dutiful daughter, she never needed to be asked; no matter how busy she was, she always went home on time.

This was a probing question, but the answer Madeline wanted was obvious.

So, she replied, "No, the clinic is busy. Enjoy the holiday with the family."

There was a long, dead silence on the other end of the line. Finally, a faint sigh echoed through the speaker.