Chapter 514: I’m Willing To Take The Risk
The two stood facing each other not saying a word. Zen lowered her head slightly, clearly not daring to look into Wendy’s eyes.
Wendy, on the other hand, was studying Zen closely. Zen did not look well.
"I’m sorry." After a while, Zen finally spoke. Other than apologizing, she did not know what else she could say.
"Christian isn’t good to you?" Wendy saw that there was a bruised area under Zen’s shirt collar. She reached out to open her collar for a better look.
Zen instinctively blocked Wendy and shouted, "Don’t hit me!"
Wendy’s forehead creased immediately.
"Christian hit you?" Wendy could not imagine that Christian would actually take his anger out on Zen even though she was heavily pregnant. "Is he still human? He’s hitting you when you’re pregnant? It’s his child you’re carrying!"
"No..." Zen swallowed, then explained in a panic and with a smile, "He... he didn’t hit me."
"If Christian didn’t hit you often, how could you have such a reaction?" Wendy certainly could tell that Zen was lying to her. "Zen, it’s already come to this. Why are you still covering up for him?"
"I..." Zen struggled as her eyes reddened.
Seeing Zen like that, Wendy was agitated and furious. Her tone was stern as she said, "Don’t move!" As she spoke, Wendy opened Zen’s shirt collar. Under her neck was indeed a big, bruised patch.
Wendt looked carefully at Zen’s body then opened her shirt sleeve. She had wounds on her arms as well.
"Christian is really inhuman!" Seeing the wounds on Zen’s body, Wendy was livid.
"This brute! Why didn’t you report him to the police? If he hits you and you can’t hit him back, call the police!"
"What’s the use of reporting him? We’re all clear about what kind of person Christian is." Zen lowered her head and sighed hopelessly.
Christian was not the most powerful person in Lake City, but he was nonetheless an influential man like Michael. The police wouldn’t be able to do much about Christian’s misdemeanors.
Moreover, if Zen had dared to report him to the police, the outcome would be even more disastrous for her.
"Zen, this is man you’d rather betray me for. Look at what you’ve become now.
You’re carrying his child, yet you have to take his abuse," Wendy was heartbroken and helpless. After all, it was all Zen’s choice.
"Do you regret this?" Wendy asked Zen, looking at her submissive and frightened look. She could not help but recall her past, when she was like Zen all those years ago.
Back then, in front of Michael, she also had this submissive look. She was constantly afraid that Michael would be angry. However, at least Michael was very happy when he found out that she was pregnant. He took care of her very well.
But Christian would even hit a pregnant woman. There was no way of hoping that such a man would open his heart and fall in love with Zen eventually.
Zen was indeed feeling regretful. She had even thought about whether to seek Wendy’s help in the past few days. But how could she face Wendy? She was ashamed.
This was her choice back then, so she should bear the consequences.
"I..." Zen clasped tightly onto the hem of her skirt and huge beads of tears fell from her eyes, "I don’t."
...
"You don’t?" Wendy was dumbfounded. At that moment, Wendy felt that she had wasted her breath on Zen.
"Then there’s nothing left to say between us," Wendy shook her head in disappointment, a mocking smile touching her lips. She turned and started to leave.
As Wendy took a couple of steps, Zen called out to her, "Wendy..." Zen swallowed, clearly very nervous. She had of course regretted her choice. She had regretted it long ago. She just did not dare to tell Wendy, neither did she dare to ask her for help.
But Wendy was in front of her right now. If Zen did not even dare to tell Wendy the truth, she would have no one else to turn to. She had had enough of Christian’s physical and verbal abuse. The last time, if not for her courage to dial 911, she would now be six feet underground.
Perhaps today was her last and only chance to seek help. If Christian knew about this meeting with Wendy, he might deal with her even more strictly the next time.
And then she would not even have the slightest chance to be in contact with the outside world.
Till now, Zen still did not know why Christian had called those reporters.
Christian had confiscated Zen’s mobile phone. He did not allow her to know what’s going on outside.
Christian had demanded her to design, to draw every day. As long as the design did not satisfy Christian, he would fly into a rage and hit her. But in the past few days, Christian suddenly told her that she no longer needed to work so hard at the designs and that she just had to accommodate him by acting.
And so, these few days, Christian would look for Zen the moment he finished with his work. He would take photos with her, the kind of photos that couples would take together.
He also demanded that Zen smile and pretend to look very happy. If Zen did not accommodate or expressed any reluctance, Christian would take it out on her. This was how the wounds on her body came about.
Hearing Zen’s voice, Wendy stopped in her tracks. She waited for Zen to continue.
How could Zen possibly not feel any regret? Wendy understood Zen, at least she understood the Zen that she knew.
Zen was not someone who resigned herself to fate. Wendy knew that had definitely regretted her choice. But if she was unwilling to admit it, Wendy could not force her to. After all, it was her choice. If she wants to persist in walking down this road, no one could help her.
"Wendy... I..." Zen bit her lip as her cry for help caught in her throat.
Wendy did not turn around but continued waiting for her to speak. Wendy was counting down inwardly. If Zen did not say anything after 10 seconds, Wendy would turn her back on her for good.
10...
9...
...
2...
"Wendy, could you help me?" Zen spoke up at last. "I regretted my choice. I want to leave Christian, leave him behind so that he’s far away. I don’t want to see him again in this lifetime. I can’t escape Christian on my own, he has cut off my contact with the outside world, and he wants me to accommodate him by acting every day. I don’t know what he’s doing. I’m so scared, so very scared."
...
When Zen finally spoke, Wendy heaved a sigh of relief.
At least Zen regretted her actions, right?
Taking a deep breath, Wendy turned to look at Zen, whose face was now awash with tears.
"Wendy, you guessed correctly. Christian often hit me. If I didn’t listen to him, or if I even dared question him, he would hit me. I wanted to leave him but I couldn’t get away. He had people watching me 24 hours a day. He did not allow me to go anywhere except for my prenatal checkups. As you saw, there’s a guard keeping watch over me even during the prenatal checkups.
"If I had not happened upon you and Michael, I wouldn’t even have the chance to talk to you." Zen choked up as she told Wendy about her situation. "I know I have done many things to you that I should not have and I have had no right to say such things to you. All my suffering now was brought on by my own actions. But I have no other choice, I can’t find anyone else who can help me. It’s okay if you are unwilling to help. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to help someone who has betrayed me multiple times either."
Zen had no one else to turn to. If she could think of any other way to get away, she would not have asked Wendy.
However, the only person in Lake City who could get her out of Christian clutches was Michael.
He was the only one with enough influence.
"How do you want me to help you?" Wendy asked somewhat dispassionately.
However, it was not hard to hear the complicated feelings she had towards Zen in her tone.
"Are you willing to help me?" Wendy’s question surprised Zen. She was touched that Wendy even replied.
Wendy was willing to give her a hand?
She had done so many things to hurt Wendy. In the end, when she needed it most, the only person who was willing to offer help was the one who was once her best friend.
Fat tears of relief rolled down Zen’s cheeks. Sobbing even louder and choking up even more, Zen cried, "I want to leave Christian. Can you help me get away from him? All you have to do is help me leave Lake City, I will take care of myself from there."
Zen caressed her pregnant tummy. "I only wish for my baby to be born safely and grow up peacefully. Christian is a demon. If we continue staying by his side, my life, not to mention my baby’s, will be in danger."
"Since he has people guarding you and is unwilling to let you go, all we can do is take you by force," analyzed Wendy, "However, your pregnancy is already so far along. If we were to take you by force would your body be able to take it? When that time comes, you have to leave Lake City as soon as possible, and get out of Christian’s range of control. Will you and the baby be able to withstand that kind of strain and stress?"
The last point was the one Wendy was most worried about.
Since Christian had set men on Zen round the clock, it meant he was not willing to let her go.
It would not be easy to get her away from the men guarding her.
Wendy was not afraid to make an enemy of Christian because of this. They were already enemies to begin with anyway.
However, it would be terrible if anything happened to Zen or the baby in the rescue.
"I’m willing to take the risk. Even if we fail, so be it." Zen’s eyes were still swimming in tears, but her gaze was steady and determined. "If anything untoward happens in the process, I’ll still be very thankful to you for being willing to help."
It already meant a lot to Zen that Wendy was still willing to help her.
She knew it was not going to be an easy operation.
If something really went wrong and something happened to her or her baby, she would accept it. At least, she would know that she had tried her best.
