They Are Bullying Me, Sweetie

Chapter 5 Are You Afraid of Me?

Harriet's heart was in turmoil, her hand trembling violently as she supported Yarden.

His silence was like an invisible blade, mercilessly tormenting her.

"Mr. Finch..."

As they left the main hall, Harriet called out in an attempt to please him.

Before she could finish, she was suddenly grabbed by the throat and slammed against the wall!

"Ah!"

Harriet let out a stifled yelp, her throat burning with pain, her oxygen-deprived lungs surging with a sense of suffocation.

Instinctively, she tried to pry off the hand controlling her, but it was like trying to move a mountain.

Tears streaming from her eyes, she squeezed out a few words with all her might. "No, please, Mr. Finch... let go!"

Yarden leaned in close to Harriet, his voice laced with coldness, "Why did you touch my cane? Tell me, were you sent by someone else, plotting to do something to me?"

Harriet's body shook violently, a wave of mortal terror washing over her.

"I... I didn't mean to."

Her face turned deathly pale, not daring to confess that she had deliberately come up with this plan to prevent him from signing the share transfer agreement.

Firstly, Yarden was blind and hadn't seen it himself, so he might not believe her; secondly, she didn't want to offend Joe.

"You take me for a fool?"

Yarden increased the pressure of his hand, his dark, cold eyes fixed on her agonized face.

"I really don't know..."

Harriet shook her head frantically, her vision flooded with white as it gradually blurred.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness, the pressure on her neck suddenly released.

A rush of fresh air flooded into Harriet's lungs, the fear of near-death urging her to get away from Yarden.

Her leg muscles contracted violently, and she collapsed, her palms on the ground as she coughed violently. Her feet kicked frantically against the floor, her urge to flee peaking!

Yarden sensed her intention and slowly crouched down.

However, when he spoke again, all the previous menace and brutality had vanished, replaced by concern and remorse, "Are you alright?"

Harriet, still processing what had happened, breathed rapidly to suppress her urge to scream, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Yarden sincerely extended his hand. "Did you get hurt? I held back my strength."

These simple words plunged Harriet back into a sea of confusion.

'What did he mean by this?'

Yarden folded his hands, exuding a gentlemanly air.

For a moment, she forgot to run away, but also didn't dare to get close.

Seeing her not responding, Yarden's tone also gained a hint of panic, "Did I scare you?"

Harriet took a while to recover, her voice hoarse, at a loss for words, "You..."

The scene that had just unfolded was too real.

She even felt that, for a moment, Yarden truly wanted to kill her.

Yarden gently placed his hand on Harriet's vulnerable neck again.

"I'm sorry, but I had to do it."

A chill instantly ran through Harriet's body.

But this time he only caressed soothingly, with no further action.

Yarden lowered his voice, his words incredibly persuasive. "You damaged the cane to help me earlier, right?"

"That document has some problem, wasn't it?"

Harriet's understanding of the situation was crumbling.

Tears of shock welled up in her eyes. "You knew?"

Yarden smiled sadly, "This isn't the first time."

"They want my shares, often tricking me into signing."

This aligned with the information Zinnia had provided her.

But why did he just now...

Seeing through her thoughts, Yarden explained, "You helped me, they won't let you off easily,"

"If I'm not mistaken, there should be people watching us nearby."

His words were ice-cold, chilling Harriet to the bone.

She stiffly turned her gaze, and indeed caught a fleeting shadow in the left corner.

"If I didn't make it convincing enough, they would definitely come after you."

He was protecting her.

Harriet's terror-stricken mind slowly reached this conclusion.

If Yarden hadn't used the excuse of the damaged cane to bring her out, perhaps she would already be dead by now.

Harriet understood the cause and effect, but still couldn't immediately sort out her emotions.

She pushed away his hand and slowly got up by herself.

After a moment of silence, Harriet mumbled a 'thanks'.

Yarden also stood up. "Are you afraid of me now?"

Claiming she wasn't afraid would be too obvious a lie.

Harriet touched her heart, which was still beating rapidly due to lingering fear.

Yarden's expression darkened. "Do you think I'm a demon now?"

Perhaps his dejection was too obvious, stirring a surge of sympathy in Harriet's heart.

What had Yarden done wrong?

He was just trying his best to protect others and himself.

Harriet took a deep breath and gingerly said, "In the future, could you discuss with me first before doing these things?"

With her pale and obedient face, she looked like a snail that had been frightened back into its shell, cautiously peeking out.

One wrong move, and it would retreat again.

She looked pitiful yet adorable.

Yarden contemplated.

Today at Finch Manor, his wife didn't seem to be working for Joe.

But... it could also be an act she and Joe were putting on together, intending to deceive him and gain his trust.

Yarden decided to keep her by his side and observe her more.

He said, "I promise you, but if there are emergencies, I hope you'll understand."

Harriet's heart gradually calmed down a bit due to his mature and gentlemanly demeanor.

She asked, "Shall we go back?"

Yarden, having gotten his result, had no desire to stay longer. "Let's go."

The Finch Manor was an estate composed of dozens of villas, connected by outdoor wisteria-covered corridors.

Harriet, limping while supporting the blind Yarden, had only taken a few steps when a male voice came from behind.

"Yarden."

Yarden half-turned, greeting softly, "Uncle."

Harriet, who initially didn't know who this person was, froze in place upon hearing this address.

Yarden's another uncle was none other than Arlo—Zinnia's ex-boyfriend!

Her heart, which had just settled down, was once again set on edge.

If there was anyone she feared meeting most in the Finch family, it would undoubtedly be Arlo.

Harriet was not only afraid of this hidden relationship being exposed, inviting moral criticism.

More importantly, she was now assuming Zinnia's identity, but her personality was vastly different from hers.

Someone who knows Zinnia so much like Arlo Finch would surely see through Harriet the moment she comes into contact with him.

The consequences awaiting her after that... she dared not imagine.

Harriet closed her eyes, not daring to imagine that horrifying scene.

She instinctively hid behind Yarden, trying to avoid contact with Arlo.

But Arlo seemed not to notice her avoidance and instead initiated conversation, "Is this your wife?"

Yarden had sensed something unusual the moment Harriet gripped him tightly.

Amusement rose in his eyes, though his surface remained exceptionally calm. "Yes, indeed."

Then, Yarden, stirring the pot, reminded her: "Zinnia, don't hide anymore. Say hello to Arlo."

Harriet felt a shiver run down her spine, realizing there was no escape now.

Hesitantly emerging from behind Yarden, she stood with tense shoulders as she met Arlo's scrutinizing gaze.

His eyes were too sharp, as if they could pierce through her exterior and see into her soul.

The greetings Harriet had prepared were all stuck in her throat. She could only stiffly spit out the words, "Hello, Arlo"

"Mm." Arlo nodded, "Congratulations on your marriage."

The air froze solid as the congratulations landed.

It was Yarden who broke the deadlock with a smile, "Do you two know each other?"