Chapter 328: A Nasty Reunion

“No, Mindy is more than just my best friend. She’s my lifesaver, so I must save her. Mom, Dad, I promise you that I’m only saving her one last time. I absolutely won’t help her out anymore if she gets herself into trouble again,” Waverly said.

Harriet still declined her request. “Wavy, why are you doing this? It’s commendable to be loyal and righteous, but we also have to consider if the other party is worth it.”

“I know she isn’t worth it, but I’ve also made it clear that this is the last time I’m asking for help. I beg you, considering how I managed to persuade Casimir to assist the Goodridge family, please do me this favor!”

Seeing her relentless determination, Alaric could only reluctantly agree. “All right, I’ll save her. But you have to promise me something in return as well. Once your reckless friend is out of the picture, you need to stay far, far away from her. You can’t associate yourself with her anymore! Do you understand?”

Waverly was brimming with excitement. “Thank you, Dad!”

Since Tiffany was expelled from the country, without the interference of the Lorimer family, rescuing Mindy became quite straightforward. Alaric had someone draw up a mental illness diagnosis. Then, through a couple of connections and a bit of money, he managed to get Mindy out. The entire process took less than a day. Without the hindrance of larger forces, Alaric’s name and reputation still held significant sway.

When Waverly arrived at Mindy’s rented apartment and saw her current state, she let out a startled scream. “Ah! A ghost!”

Mindy flicked back her dirty, disheveled, and foul-smelling hair, revealing a face so thin it resembled a skeleton. She glared at Waverly and exclaimed, “Isn’t it all thanks to you that I am in this miserable state today?”

Waverly could hardly believe her eyes. It had only been a little over a week since she last saw Mindy, and she had become shockingly thin. Her face was surprisingly unscathed, but she looked like a homeless man with her unkempt hair and dirty appearance. The dark circles under her eyes were far worse than a panda’s, and her overall condition was extremely poor. She closely resembled a person in the late stages of cancer.

“I’ve had a tough time myself these past few days. My family paid a high price to get me out of trouble, so I’m no better off than you.” Waverly pointed to the bandages wrapped around her forehead as she continued, “You see this? I almost lost my life trying to get away from Tiffany. Fortunately, she was finally sent abroad by her father. I was only able to rescue you smoothly without her being a constant threat.”

However, Mindy was utterly unmoved even after hearing Waverly’s plea for sympathy. “Oh, give me a break! Do you think I don’t know you well enough? The day I ran away, you were in cahoots with the police to set me up! You probably wish I had died in there! That way, no one would have exposed your past scandals!”

Waverly wore an expression of innocence as she exclaimed, “How could you think of me that way? We’re close friends! How could I possibly wish for your demise? Also, I wasn’t the one who called the police on the day you ran away. Think about it; if I really wanted you to get caught, why would I have exchanged jewelry for cash to give to you? After the incident, I was arrested for harboring a fugitive, which clearly proves that I wasn’t in cahoots with the police.”

“Who else could have called the police, if not you? In the detention center, all I did was leak a bit of information to Ms. Tiffany and let out some tidbits, and you couldn’t wait to come to my rescue. Coincidence? I don’t think so! Were you disappointed to see that I didn’t die in jail? Hahaha! Waverly, let me tell you, it’s not that easy to get rid of me! Even if I were to die… I’d make sure that you go down with me!” Mindy scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I found a possible way to rescue you. I may be the lady of the Goodridge family, but my abilities are still quite limited. Anyway, it’s all over now, so let’s forget about the past. How are you feeling now? Do you need to go to the hospital? It doesn’t seem like you’ve been abused, so why have you lost so much weight?”

At this point, Mindy was so infuriated that she gritted her teeth in resentment. She wasn’t subjected to traditional tortures. Instead, what she endured were all covert and traceless ones. Under Tiffany’s orders, those people deprived her of sleep for over a week, tormenting her as if it were an endurance test. They interrogated her, then restrained her under the table, forcing her into a position where she could neither stand upright nor sit down. They even placed a thick book over her body and proceeded to strike her with heavy punches. She felt as if her entire body was shattered with discomfort. Yet, there wasn’t a single trace of injury on her. During her days in the detention center, she felt as though she was suffering a fate worse than death. She couldn’t bear to imagine how she would survive if she were truly sentenced.

Mindy gritted her teeth, the sound audible as she said, “Waverly, I suffered so much in the detention center, you owe me compensation! I want ten million transferred into my account within a week!”