Dumped the Jerk, Let Him Regret It

Chapter 3

The deep autumn night wind cut across my face like blades. Dragging my injured leg behind me, I searched every nearby hotel.

"Sorry, ma'am. Your ID has been reported as lost."

"Your bank card has been frozen."

"The system has flagged you as a high-risk customer. We cannot process your check-in."

I sat down on a bench by the roadside, staring at the invalid documents in my hands as a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Damien Prescott always handled things flawlessly.

He did not need to break my legs himself. All he had to do was cut off my financial resources and erase my social identity. Then I would have no choice but to crawl back to him like a stray dog begging for mercy.

A black Bentley stopped in front of me.

The window rolled down, revealing Damien's handsome yet utterly repulsive face.

"Get in."

I did not move.

Without another word, he shoved me into the passenger seat and locked the doors. The car drove into an upscale, secluded apartment complex.

After entering the apartment, he poured a cup of hot water and placed it in front of me, his tone softening slightly.

"Helena, as long as you stay away from Alice, this place will be your home. I'll transfer money to you every year. It'll be more than enough for you to live comfortably." He reached out as if to caress my face, as though reminiscing about the past. "Helena, we did love each other once. Aside from a title, I can give you anything."

The nausea in my stomach surged violently upward.

I grabbed his hand and bit down hard enough to taste blood. Damien groaned in pain and violently flung me away.

I slammed against the coffee table, splitting the corner of my forehead open.

"Damien, you make me sick! Don't forget, those things—"

Damien covered the bleeding wound on the back of his hand, his expression instantly darkening.

"Helena, are you threatening me?"

The moment he turned around to deal with his injury, I grabbed my bag and rushed out. I ran into the nearest internet café and opened my email with trembling hands. The screen suddenly went black.

My phone vibrated with a text message from Damien.

Damien: Don't waste your effort.

Despair seeped into every corner of my body, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

Before I could react, several police officers walked into the café.

"Helena Prescott, you are suspected of embezzling five million dollars in company funds. You need to come with us."

Inside the interrogation room, the harsh white lights were blinding.

Stacks of transfer records were laid out before me, every single one bearing my forged signature.

The lawyer closed his folder expressionlessly. "Miss Prescott, unless the corporation issues a letter of forgiveness, you are facing a minimum sentence of ten years."

Inside the detention center's visitation room, Damien sat behind the glass partition, calm and indifferent.

"Alice has recently been negotiating a major project. It's crucial to secure her position. At a time like this, the company cannot afford any scandal. Helena, plead guilty. As long as you admit this was your personal misconduct and unrelated to the company, I'll make sure you don't go to prison."

Gripping the receiver tightly, I broke down in tears.

"For that project? For her reputation? You're going to destroy my entire life? Damien, does my life really mean nothing to you?"

Damien avoided my gaze and lowered his eyes to the cufflink I had once given him, his expression complicated.

"Helena, Alice has always been frail. She can't handle a shock like that. You've always been strong since childhood. You can survive this setback."

I was strong, so I deserved to suffer?

She was delicate, so she could climb to the top by stepping on my flesh and blood?

I stared at him so fiercely that I nearly bit my lips bloody.

"Damien, I will never confess to something I didn't do!"

Damien pulled out a photograph from his pocket and pressed it against the glass.