Chapter 395


    After escaping from Landon that night, Lauren found herself unable to sleep. Upon returning home, she


    discovered her injuries.


    She had a severe scrape on her elbow that was bleeding and oozing pus. The stinging pain brought


    tears to her eyes.


    As she had hurt herself after sneaking out, she kept quiet about her wounds and quickly tended to her


    injuries with whatever was avable in the first aid kit.


    Then, she snuggled with her teddy bear under the covers, but that didn’t help. She ended up tossing


    and turning throughout the night.


    Between sleep and consciousness, a flood of memories inundated her mind.


    She remembered the degrading experience of being forced to eat lunch in a squalid restroom. She also


    remembered the humiliating incident of being dunked headfirst into a trashcan by a male student under


    Zoe’smand.


    She recalled the shocking discovery of a dead rat hidden in her bag and her cherished novel torn into


    shreds by Zoe’s cruel hands.


    And then there was the harrowing memory of the music room piano. It was a nightmarish episode that


    would haunt her forever.


    Zoe Harper. Landon Harper. She reyed the names in her mind. Did that mean Zoe was Landon’s


    younger sister?


    She clutched the nket tightly, tears streaming down her face as she quietly sobbed until the break of


    dawn.


    Despite Lauren’s psychological and developmental struggles, she wasn’t thoughtless or naive. Even


    after


    discovering that Zoe was Landon’s little sister, she remained grateful to Landon for saving her from a


    potentially fatal car crash.


    That afternoon, Lauren sneaked into the kitchen and made a blueberry mousse cake using an online


    recipe. She nned to have Jasper deliver her token of appreciation to Landon.


    After the cake was ready, she refrigerated it and dusted her hands off. Then, she returned to her


    bedroom.


    Upon opening the door, her expression froze as she stumbled backward. There, Betty sat in a chair,


    legs


    crossed and arms folded, wearing an evil smile.


    Lauren went numb.


    “Why didn’t you greet your sister?” Betty flicked her newly manicured nails and sneered, “You’re just


    dumb, not mute, you know.”


    “B-Betty…” Lauren mumbled in a hushed voice.


    “I’ll take you out for some fun. How does that sound?” Betty beamed at her.


    “I-It’s okay. I don’t really know how to have fun. You’ll probably find me boring.” Lauren replied, her


    head hanging low.


    “Are you sure? Tsk. Fine.” Betty slowly rose from her chair, a hint of a smirk in her eyes. “I thought we


    could strengthen our sisterhood, but I won’t force you if you’re not up for it.”


    Then, Betty left the room with her arms behind her.


    With that, Betty left the room, her hands behind her back.


    Lauren let out a long sigh and dragged herself into the room. Suddenly, she rushed to her headboard in


    shock, frantically searching through the carefully made bed, tossing the nkets and pillows aside.


    No matter how hard she looked, she failed to find her treasured teddy bear, a gift from Alyssa.


    “Teddy… My teddy bear… Betty!” Lauren knew all too well that Betty wouldn’t have entered her room


    without a reason. She concluded that Betty must have taken the bear.


    the entrance, she


    Drenched in sweat, Lauren stumbled out of the door and hurried to the first floor. At the


    found Betty seated gracefully in the car. The butler promptly closed the car door behind Betty.


    “Give it back! Give my teddy back!” Lauren yelled and ran in Betty’s direction. Betty rolled down the car


    window and made a face at the sweaty Lauren.


    She then taunted Lauren further by waving the teddy bear in her direction before instructing the


    chauffeur,


    “Leave now.”


    The engine roared to life, and the car began to move away, slowly disappearing into the horizon as


    Lauren


    helplessly cried out, “Betty, give it back! Give me my teddy bear!”


    Her desperate pleas and tears were in vain. She felt like a mother whose child had been taken from


    her.


    Even the butler couldn’t help but sympathize with her.


    “Get the car ready!” She glowered at the butler. For the first time in her life, she gave orders to the


    household staff like an owner.


    “But, Ms. Lauren, Madam Sophia doesn’t allow you to leave without permission…” The butler hesitated.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.