Chapter 666 Cornered by the Past
Watching the flood of comments pour in, Taylor smiled confidently. Whether or not she could divorce Paul smoothly was another matter—for now, she had seized the high ground in public opinion. Everything she did today would become the foundation for her future business endeavors.
Medical University.
At the end of class, the lecturer, Laurie, walked past Yunice’s desk and tapped on it twice with her finger. A signal.
As students flooded out of the classroom like a tide, Yunice headed in the direction of the academic affairs office.
“Well, well. You’re bold enough to slack off in my class now?” Laurie crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, blocking Yunice’s path with one leg.
Yunice apologized. “That was the best chance to strike back at Paul…”
There was no way she would let a chance like that slip by.
Laurie wasn’t angry—college students zoning out during lectures was nothing new. She had stopped Yunice mainly to ask if she’d listened to the recording. What did she think?
Yunice asked, “Think about what?”
Laurie clicked her tongue. “Don’t play dumb with me. After hearing Wyatt’s explanation, didn’t you feel even the slightest urge to get back together with him?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
But Yunice smiled calmly. “Not at all.”
Walking side by side, Yunice continued in a serene voice, “There’s no rule in the world that says someone must be good to someone else. Back then, we both had our difficulties, so neither of us stepped in when the other needed help.”
“Both of you?”
Yunice nodded. “I wasn’t blameless either. When I was little, I grew up in a happy home, surrounded by the love of my father and brother. Back then, I thought being loved was the norm. Wyatt wasn’t like us kids who were surrounded by love. Paul said his mom was a gold-digger who secretly had Wyatt just to get her hands on money. Kids tend to hate anyone they think is breaking up their families, and we were a tight-knit group around Paul, so we naturally believed what he said. Because if Wyatt was a good kid, why didn’t his dad love him? Paul used to lead us to the Powell family’s little courtyard to bully Wyatt. The boys were rough—no trick too dirty—and the girls just stood at the back, silent accomplices. Later, I thought it had gone too far, but I kept second-guessing myself. Was I being overly sympathetic, like they said? How could I feel sorry for a kid who ruined someone else’s family? So I asked my dad if Wyatt had really done something wrong. My dad just patted my head and told me not to worry about what others did; Nuonuo should never do bad things. Later, my dad said he needed to go abroad for a while and wanted to take me with him. But the Powell family refused. They used the engagement between me and Paul as an excuse to make me stay, saying they’d take care of me. I don’t know what kind of pressure the Powell family put on my dad, but in the end, he didn’t leave, and neither did I.”
Laurie’s face darkened. She was a mother too, and she could understand what that must have been like. “Your dad must’ve sensed how ugly the Powell Corporation was under the surface. He knew that engagement would hurt you, and he was trying to fix it.”
Yunice’s voice was soft. “But he was just a doctor. No matter how skilled he was, he was still just a doctor. He had a family to support and three underage kids to care for. He couldn’t afford any risks. He used to tell me he was sorry. Later, I found out that even the engagement between me and Paul was something the Powell family forced him to agree to. It was their way of roping him in. The Powell family tried to dress it up like they were just showing gratitude. They were so fake. I only saw their true face after my dad passed away. But by then, I had already gone along with Paul and done a lot of things that hurt Wyatt. Even if I never laid a hand on him, I still stood on the other side. Wyatt thought I didn’t dare ask him for help because we were on opposite sides. But that wasn’t it. I just couldn’t empathize with who I used to be. Every time I saw him, I remembered how I’d helped Paul hurt him and his mom. It made me feel ashamed. So deeply ashamed.”
Laurie snapped, “It’s not your fault, and it’s not Wyatt’s either. It’s Paul’s!”
“You feel guilty for bullying him as a kid, and he feels guilty for not protecting you. Then why don’t you two just talk it out and make peace already?”
Yunice chuckled. “Love isn’t math. You can’t just add and subtract to figure it out…”
Laurie opened her mouth to say more, but her phone started ringing.
She glanced at the screen. It was Wyatt.
She quickly shushed Yunice and answered. “Hello? Mr. Cooper, what can I do for you?”
Wyatt’s irritated voice came through. “Did you or did you not remind Yunice about the recorder? Why hasn’t she done anything about it yet?”