The Chen’s were having their breakfast when Assistant Yao came running to them.
“Madam! It’s a big problem.”
Mother and Father Chen and Jianyu looked at him questioningly.
“What’s wrong? It’s like all the color has drained from your face.”
Just then Jianyu’s phone rang. It was his assistant Fan.
“Sir. We have got a big problem. It’s about Miss Nana. The reporters of all media companies are at Natsukashi right now.”
“What!? But why?”, he was stunned.
“Sir, you will know when you will see the news.”
He quickly hung up and opened the news channel.
Mother Chen asked, “Jianyu, what happened?”
Assistant Yao said, “Mam, see this.”
They clicked the video and saw all reporters surrounding Nana. They heard every single thing they said about her past.
—
The bomb with the same intensity was dropped at the Liu’s villa too.
Liu Hai roared, “Nonsense! How dare they accuse her like this? Do they not want to live anymore!?”
All the maids and butlers were overwhelmed by his threatening aura. And an equally dangerous aura was around Jinhai as well.
But he was dead silent.
They didn’t understand why they were feeling double the pressure.
Even Huian never imagined that Nana had such a past. Seeing the accusations thrown at her, she couldn’t help but feel a little glad. She felt as if God compensated for the time she bowed down before her.
But she kept quiet this time. After what happened in Jinhai’s office that day, she did not want to be overconfident again by going along with the reporters.
Grandma Liu shook her head, “See. This is what happens when we choose a girl of questionable background. I already told yesterday that we can find much better girls for our Jianyu.”
Mother Liu felt as if the jab was directed at her.
Liu Hai ignored her comment. “I’m going there right now. So what if she cannot become my daughter-in-law? I will still be her uncle-in-law. My heart knows that she is a good girl. I will not let her suffer this.”
Huian’s mouth twitched in annoyance.
Without a word, Jinhai got up and left. From the beginning till the end, he didn’t say anything.
—
In the car, Jinhai dialed Assistant Xin’s number.
“Give me every information on Tang Suyin of the last two years.”
“Yes, sir.”
—
Outside Natsukashi.
The reporters were still mercilessly firing offensive questions at Nana.
The twins were one step behind in launching a physical attack on them.
“How can you publicly shame our sister like that without any evidence?, Yukito was enraged.
“If you don’t stop right now, we will sue you for defaming our sister!”, Yukira said.
The female reporter sneered, “This is the real world. Exposing wrong deeds is our rightful duty.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t deserve to be a woman!”, the twins shouted.
“You!”
“Miss Nana. Say something. After your father, did you slowly evolve your targets to be from affluent families?”, another reporter interfered.
“Yes. At every social media platform, keyboard warriors are cursing you. They want answers.”
“Were you there?”, Nana said in a low tone.
“Huh?”, all reporters were confused.
She slowly looked at every one of them and said again a little loudly, “Were you there?”
“Where? And when?”, asked one.
“The night about which you are all talking about. Twelve years back. Did any of you see what happened with your own two eyes?”
“N-no. How can we be there?”
“Then do you have any video evidence suggesting that I initiated it?”
“Of course not.”
She smiled sadly, “I will ask again. Were any of you there when my own adoptive father came to my room at one in the morning? Were you there when he sat beside me and caressed my face? Were you there when –”
“Nee-chan please stop! You don’t have to do this. Please.” Yukito said with tears in his eyes.
“Yes, sis. People can think whatever they want. Let them go to hell!”, Yukira hugged her.
“No. They want answers. So I will give them. Don’t stop me now.”, she smiled and patted their heads.
Nana faced those reporters and said, “So, tell me. Were you there when he touched my lips and I shuddered because of it? Were you there when he pushed me on the bed and got on top of me? Were you there when he lifted my shirt and traced his hand along my naked back? Were you there when I desperately struggled under his grip suffocating and crying and urging him to stop? Were you there when I felt hopeless and disgusted!!?”, she glared at them tears rolling down her cheeks.
Silence.
“I was an orphan. They gave me a name, a place to call home and everything like a normal family. Seven years. I lived with them for seven years and in just one night, everything broke apart. I, who used to feel envy seeing other children with their happy families…I will try to destroy my own? An orphan will wreck her own family she is blessed to have?”
The pain was evident in her eyes, in her words, and in her tears. It was impossible to fake the emotions she expressed right now on national television. Even a fool can say that she is saying the truth.
The reality of such an experience can only be truly felt when you have actually gone through it.
“Nobody tries to ruin that one thing in their life that they want the most. And an orphan always wants a family.”
Now, Nana looked at them demanding answers.
The female reporter still didn’t give up, “These are just your lies. If what you said is true then why did your mother blame you for it? You were the victim, right? Then why did she disown you despite that?”
“That is the saddest part of her whole ordeal.”, a voice came from behind.
