Beyond the Divorce

I was shocked, and completely forgot any embarrassment. "That's outrageous. No wonder no one wants to talk about it."

Now that I understood the true nature of the incident, it was clear why no one wanted to speak about it. That was truly a dark chapter in Foswood's history.

I looked at Arnold in disbelief, feeling awkward as I asked, "Were... were all the participants voluntary?"

"How could that be? There's no way that all of them volunteered. Even if they had, it wouldn't change the fact that they were manipulated. If we hadn't left in time, we would have been victims too," Arnold said without confirming or denying anything.

"You mean... you mean they used some special methods?" I guessed, trying to understand the situation.

"Yes. They initially used those methods on girls with no status or family background. But the more they indulged, the bolder they became," Arnold elaborated.

As I pieced together the incident with what Arnold was telling me, I thought about Melvern's demeanor when discussing the matter. What kind of person was he?

I shuddered as I thought about those penetrating eyes. He was truly despicable.

"Some of them felt invincible at the time. When they were afraid that the news might leak, they decided to embrace the situation, thinking, 'Why be afraid when everyone's in it together?""

"And no one knew about this?" I felt both unsettled and angry.

was well-hidden, and not just anyone could

shook my head helplessly. It

involved, so even if something happened, they would all be in the same boat. It

could vividly imagine

my head again,

fantasized about life in high society, but in the end, they

truly a

she was found

shuddered at the thought. This was

Melvern was the instigator behind this?" I

but he advocated for it to grow bigger. They say that he also brought

that lurked within

of Foswood's socialites were implicated in this? Were they part of the

"Not necessarily. Some were

and