Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 324

My eyes widened in shock. "Marlowe was involved in other cases too?"

Marlowe had us kidnapped, but she didn't dare to actually harm us.

Logically, she shouldn't be that ruthless. What other cases could she be involved in?

If one knew someone like that, wouldn't they always be on edge, wondering if they'd suddenly snap and do something crazy, like attacking someone with a knife?

Christopher asked, "Are you thinking she committed some crime?"

"Isn't that the case?"

Christopher wasn't defending Marlowe; he was just stating the facts. "She was the one being bullied!"

It was hard to imagine that someone so arrogant now was once the victim.

When Christopher mentioned Marlowe's case, he first brought up the name of a teacher, Ernest Torres.

"You mean Mr. Torres? I know him!"

I was familiar with him because Ernest was an old friend of my dad, Kyle. They had always been close.

When Ernest committed suicide in prison, Kyle was devastated and almost had a breakdown.

I heard that later, Ernest's wife and kids either went mad or disappeared.

Kyle had always blamed himself for not stopping Ernest from getting caught, which led to his suicide. He felt incredibly guilty.

He had planned to help with the funeral and take care of Ernest's family, but he was too late.

Because of that, Kyle was quite depressed for a long time.

I didn't know what Kyle had said to Ernest, but Christopher seemed to know.

"So, what does Marlowe's case have to do with Mr. Torres? I trust my dad's judgment; he wouldn't believe in someone who would bully Marlowe." I trusted the people Kyle trusted.

Christopher began to explain slowly, "There is a connection, but Mr. Torres wasn't the perpetrator. He was the only one who tried to help Marlowe."

Christopher then recounted the whole story.

"Marlowe was admitted to the high school Jason and I attended because of her excellent grades. Most of the students there were from wealthy families, so Marlowe didn't quite fit in."

"Most of the students didn't need to study hard because their families had already paved the way for them. They were relaxed, unlike Marlowe, who was always tense and spent most of her time studying."

"Rich students like to find amusement in bullying others, so Marlowe became their target. They were looking for thrills and fun, wanting to see Marlowe break down and beg. But Marlowe remained too calm, almost like an outsider, which made them look like fools. This only made them angrier and more vicious."

I could imagine how a fragile girl like her could withstand such humiliation and bullying.

She was just a teenager back then.

Even though I didn't like the current Marlowe, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her younger self.

He continued, "Jason was a righteous guy. He stepped in to help Marlowe a few times, which was a good deed, but he didn't think it through."

At this point, I had a vague idea of what happened.

"Jason came from a good family, was a good student, and was quite handsome. Many girls liked him. When he helped Marlowe and warned those bullies, it naturally made the girls jealous and resentful. So, while no one dared to bully Marlowe in front of Jason, they became even worse behind his back."

"Didn't Mr. Torres know about this?" I asked, looking into Christopher's eyes, and suddenly remembered our earlier conversation about Ernest.

"So, Mr. Torres knew? Then he..." My throat felt dry, and I felt a pang of sadness at the thought.

Sure enough, Christopher's next words confirmed my suspicions.

"Mr. Torres was the only teacher willing to help Marlowe. But because he didn't have a strong background, not only did he fail to help, but the day after he reported the truth, a large sum of cash was found in his office. He was falsely accused of embezzlement and bribery and sent to prison."Ernest couldn't bear the false accusations and committed suicide in prison.

I remembered how Kyle had struggled to find a lawyer willing to take Ernest's case because the people involved were powerful and wealthy.

But before Kyle could tell Ernest, he had already died.

That was why Kyle was so angry and devastated. He felt he was too late, and Ernest lost hope in prison, leading to his suicide.

"Do you know what my dad said to Mr. Torres?" I couldn't help but ask.

Christopher looked at me deeply before answering, "Your dad advised Mr. Torres to report the matter anonymously and to higher authorities to avoid implicating himself. But Mr. Torres underestimated the darkness of those people. He said he had solid evidence and wasn't afraid."

In the end, he paid with his life.

I couldn't help but wonder if things would be different now.

If Ernest had no way to report it, could the power of the internet have brought him justice?

Ernest valued his reputation too much, and it ultimately led to his downfall.

I asked, "And then?"

"After that, no teacher dared to intervene in Marlowe's situation. The bullies became even more blatant. In the dorm, they put trash in her utensils and soaked her bed. In the classroom, they put various animals in her desk to scare her. They locked her in the bathroom and poured cold water on her."

Marlowe must have endured the worst of humanity back then.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for the teenage Marlowe.

If it were me, I would have broken down and dropped out long ago.

Marlowe held on for a long time, but eventually, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Marlowe wanted to transfer schools, but her request was denied. In the end, she had no choice but to drop out. But the incident happened on the afternoon she was preparing to leave."

"Those people, maybe in a frenzy, drenched Marlowe. Her thin clothes clung to her body, revealing her developing figure. The boys jeered and used the most disgusting language to humiliate her."

"Jason arrived in time, covered her with his jacket, and took her out of the school. But on the way, they were ambushed by several thugs who were targeting Marlowe."

"Jason realized their intent and fought them off, telling Marlowe to run. She could have escaped and called the police, but she was afraid Jason would be beaten to death, so she returned. In the end, she was raped by the thugs. By the time the police arrived, it was too late."

Hearing this, my fists clenched tightly.

Christopher saw my furrowed brows and instinctively wanted to reach out, but he caught my gaze and put his hand down naturally, continuing, "When I found out and rushed over, Marlowe was already in the hospital. The thugs were arrested, but they didn't care and claimed it was a crime of passion."

"And in the end? Did they get out?" It had been so many years.

I knew that sentences for rape weren't usually that long.

Christopher answered my question, "The longest sentence was seven years. When they got out, they already had jobs arranged for them, and their families received a sum of money."

I instantly understood. The real masterminds used money to get what they wanted and kept their hands clean.