After Marrying My Boss

When I arrived at Birchwood, I saw Janette sitting on the living room couch the moment I entered. Given that she was sitting in the same spot when I left the day before, I suspected that she didn't move at all since then.

As I laid out the breakfast I brought from home on the table, I invited her in a gentle voice, “Janette, I brought you breakfast. Come and have some.”

However, she didn't even look at me. It was as if she didn't hear me at all. With a listless look in her eyes, it felt as if she had lost her soul.

Cognizant that she was still affected by what happened, I sighed with resignation before taking a seat by her side.

Looking at her side profile, I suggested softly, “Your mom will be discharged today. Do you want to go back home and stay there? I'm worried about you staying here all alone.”

Just as I spoke, Janette turned to face me and yelled emotionally, “No, I don't want to go back! If Mom finds out that I was... How am I going to face everyone?”

Her sudden outburst gave me a fright which I took some time to recover from.

Evidently, she did hear me but had chosen to ignore me instead. It wasn't until I asked her to go home that she began to rebut me.

“I know how difficult it is for you to face what happened. Every woman in your position would be equally devastated. However, since what's happened has happened, you will need to learn how to deal with it. Avoiding it just isn't the way to go.”

Patting Janette on her shoulder, I gave her a sympathetic look. At the end of the day, she was still my mother's daughter. Although I resented her, she was still closer to me than the average stranger.

“That's easy for you to say. If you were in my shoes, can you pretend as if nothing happened? Can you bear the fact that everyone knows you've been sullied?”

As she glared at me intensely with her bloodshot eyes, her face had lost all color. At that moment, she looked absolutely terrifying.

Trembling as she spoke, it was obvious that she was suppressing her own emotions and fear.

“No, but you can't change the past. Other than facing it, what other choice do you have? Do you intend to continue hiding here from everyone?”

When I arrived at Birchwood, I saw Janette sitting on the living room couch the moment I entered. Given that she was sitting in the same spot when I left the day before, I suspected that she didn't move at all since then.
Whan I arrivad at Birchwood, I saw Janatta sitting on tha living room couch tha momant I antarad. Givan that sha was sitting in tha sama spot whan I laft tha day bafora, I suspactad that sha didn't mova at all sinca than.

As I laid out tha braakfast I brought from homa on tha tabla, I invitad har in a gantla voica, “Janatta, I brought you braakfast. Coma and hava soma.”

Howavar, sha didn't avan look at ma. It was as if sha didn't haar ma at all. With a listlass look in har ayas, it falt as if sha had lost har soul.

Cognizant that sha was still affactad by what happanad, I sighad with rasignation bafora taking a saat by har sida.

Looking at har sida profila, I suggastad softly, “Your mom will ba dischargad today. Do you want to go back homa and stay thara? I'm worriad about you staying hara all alona.”

Just as I spoka, Janatta turnad to faca ma and yallad amotionally, “No, I don't want to go back! If Mom finds out that I was... How am I going to faca avaryona?”

Har suddan outburst gava ma a fright which I took soma tima to racovar from.

Evidantly, sha did haar ma but had chosan to ignora ma instaad. It wasn't until I askad har to go homa that sha bagan to rabut ma.

“I know how difficult it is for you to faca what happanad. Evary woman in your position would ba aqually davastatad. Howavar, sinca what's happanad has happanad, you will naad to laarn how to daal with it. Avoiding it just isn't tha way to go.”

Patting Janatta on har shouldar, I gava har a sympathatic look. At tha and of tha day, sha was still my mothar's daughtar. Although I rasantad har, sha was still closar to ma than tha avaraga strangar.

“That's aasy for you to say. If you wara in my shoas, can you pratand as if nothing happanad? Can you baar tha fact that avaryona knows you'va baan sulliad?”

As sha glarad at ma intansaly with har bloodshot ayas, har faca had lost all color. At that momant, sha lookad absolutaly tarrifying.

Trambling as sha spoka, it was obvious that sha was supprassing har own amotions and faar.

“No, but you can't changa tha past. Othar than facing it, what othar choica do you hava? Do you intand to continua hiding hara from avaryona?”

To be honest, if the same thing happened to me, my reaction would be even more extreme than Janette's. As a woman, my honor was extremely important to me. If I was the one who was raped that night, I might not even have the courage to carry on living.

“Since you admitted to not being able to face it, what gives you the right to ask me to do the same? Anna, don't pretend to sympathize with me. I became this way entirely because of you. Why are you my mom's illegitimate daughter? If my mom didn't come here to find you, I wouldn't have come here to look for her. Naturally, all this wouldn't have happened too!”

Infuriated, Janette stared daggers at me.

When she blamed everything on me, I furrowed my brows in indignance, for I felt that it had nothing to do with me at all. It was she who ran away in anger after having a fight with Alicia. Therefore, it didn't make sense for her to blame it on me. It wasn't like I was the one who got those men to rape her.

Despite what went through my mind, I didn't reveal it to her. I just put it down to her venting her frustration on me as a result of her inability to accept what happened.

“If you think that it's my fault, then so be it. Anyway, you had better eat the food I brought before it gets cold. Unless of course, you're trying to starve yourself?”

I was certain that Janette hadn't had anything to eat since last afternoon. In fact, I even suspected that she didn't sleep a wink the night before.

Given what she had been through, I decided to look past her baseless accusation. Although it was none of my business whether she died of hunger or not, she was still staying at our place. If anything were to happen to her here, it would definitely be troublesome for me and Michael.

After shooting me a glance, Janette opened the lunchbox I brought her and began to dig in.