Chapter 4 The Moral High Ground

“I'm sorry, Raylee. It's all my fault...” Waverly sobbed like a child as if she had suffered a great injustice. Originally, Samuel had a soft spot for Raylee, but when he witnessed Waverly's evident distress, the tender affection he held for Raylee significantly diminished. At that moment, he was like a lion protecting its cub, his entire being bristling with tension as he defended Waverly. “Why are you blaming her? Your injury wasn't even caused by Waverly. You're being unreasonable!” “She's not being unreasonable!” Suddenly, a magnetic voice echoed from the entrance of the ward. Casimir was standing at the door. He had heard everything that had transpired in the ward earlier, including all that Raylee had endured during her four-year imprisonment. “Casimir? How come you're here?” Samuel asked in surprise. “Casimir was the one who paid for my hotel room,” Raylee stated nonchalantly. “You guys...” Samuel's voice trembled with frustration. “Casimir, you're engaged to Waverly now. Isn't it inappropriate to be so close with other women?” “Did you get your priorities wrong?” Casimir's eyebrows knitted together in frustration. “Ms. Goodridge just got out of prison. Did any of you ask if she's hungry or if she has eaten? And she looks so unwell. Did any of you think to arrange a medical check-up for her right away?” Samuel fell into deep contemplation, letting out a heavy sigh after a moment. “I was too careless...” Raylee let out a bitter laugh. Her gaze at Casimir held neither gratitude nor resentment. Ironically, after she was released from prison, it was not her so-called family who cared about her the most. It was him, her once greatest love, yet he was also her fiancé who had deeply wounded her. Harriet dabbed at her tears with a tissue, her heart aching as she said, “Samuel, quickly order some food for your sister.” Realizing his oversight, Samuel nodded quickly and hastily pulled out his phone to select a nutritious meal. Perhaps it was out of a sense of guilt that he chose the upscale restaurant with the hefty price tag. “I've ordered the meal,” he said softly. “I paid extra for rush delivery; it should be here within half an hour.” “Thank you, Mr. Goodridge,” Raylee said with an aloof tone. Samuel was momentarily stunned. Since her release from prison today, she hadn't called him by his name even once. Her demeanor was so distant that even a stranger would have seemed warmer. A surge of anger welled up in his heart. He strode over to Raylee abruptly, a cold, harsh light flashing across his eyes as he demanded, “Are you sure the injuries on your body are really from your time in prison? Water dungeon and electric torture? You were just imprisoned, not sent to some harsh frontier! In a society governed by law, I refuse to believe that anyone could subject you to torture or forced confessions!” “Mr. Goodridge, what are you implying?” Raylee grimaced. “Do you think I inflicted these wounds on myself? Did you know I spent the first three years in District Nine Prison? It wasn't until last year that I was transferred back to Jexburgh Women's Prison.” The words “District Nine Prison” hung in the air, causing the hospital room to fall eerily silent in an instant. The prison was constructed on an island, surrounded by the vast, endless ocean. It was a gloomy, frightening place that housed only the most dangerous and evil criminals. The management system was incredibly strict. Prisoners had no freedom, and their food and drink were austere. If they made a mistake, they faced harsh and horrifying punishments. It was known as one of the most terrifying prisons in the world. Just hearing the name of this prison conjured images of the deepest depths of hell. It was no different from going to some harsh frontier. Surprisingly, Raylee had been confined inside for three years. “Judging by your reactions, you're no strangers to District Nine Prison. Do you need me to elaborate on my time there? I assure you, it's a tale so captivating you'd remember it for a lifetime,” Raylee said, her face devoid of expression, her eyes vacant as if her soul had departed. She seemed to be discussing matters of no consequence. “On my first day there, they drove a long iron spike into my fingertip. I screamed in madness. When they pulled it out, blood splattered everywhere. The pain was so intense I passed out. They revived me by splashing water on my face. Eventually, both my hands were filled with thick, long iron spikes. The next day, they lashed me with whips soaked in chili water. My entire body was battered and bruised, a bloody mess. On the tenth day, they threw me into a water dungeon. The filthy water was teeming with leeches, rats, and all sorts of revolting creatures. They gnawed at my entire body, the pain so intense I couldn't even muster the strength to cry out for help.” “All right, that's enough!” Samuel couldn't take it anymore and immediately called for a halt. Waverly was trembling with fear, her hands covering her ears. Raylee abruptly lifted her head, casting a cold, dark gaze toward them. “What, you can't even handle hearing about it? Then how do you think I, the one who actually lived through it, managed?” “Why didn't you tell us you went to District Nine Prison? We had no idea!” “Why didn't I speak up, you ask?” Raylee let out a sarcastic laugh. “Do you really think I could reach out to the outside world? The one and only time I asked the prison guard to borrow a phone, can you guess what happened? They hung me up and beat me senseless all night!” Samuel's face turned ashen as if he'd been severely startled. Raylee continued, “Maybe fate didn't deem it my time to die, allowing me to return alive from District Nine Prison to Jexburgh. Even so, I wasn't spared from the prison bully. Every day I returned, I spent in the throes of her torment. After hearing all this, Mr. Goodridge, aren't you relieved? Aren't you glad it was me who ended up in prison instead of your dear sister, Waverly?” Samuel clenched his fists tightly, his eyes as dim as the darkness of the end of the world. Worry etched wrinkles on his handsome face, even rejuvenating his consciousness. His mouth opened slightly. He wanted to voice his concerns, but whatever he said now would seem like he was complaining without cause, so he hesitated to speak further. “Ray-Ray, you've suffered so much...” Harriet's voice was choked with emotion as she struggled to speak. Every word Raylee uttered pierced Harriet like a blade, causing her immense pain and throwing her into utter chaos. “Mrs. Goodridge, I deserve this hardship. After all, didn't I enjoy eighteen years of blessings in the Goodridge family?” Raylee said calmly. The more she maintained this nonchalant attitude, like an outsider, the more it tugged at everyone's heartstrings. Harriet sobbed uncontrollably. “I'm so sorry. I will make it up to you in the future.” “If you want to make it up to someone, Mrs. Goodridge, it should be to Waverly. After all, she is your biological daughter whom you lost for eighteen years.” Unable to hold back, Samuel scolded, “Raylee, can't you see how remorseful Mom is toward you? Must you speak with such a sarcastic tone?” He genuinely felt for what Raylee had gone through these past years, but his anger at that moment was just as real. His expression was stern as he continued, “Regardless, all of that is in the past. You're out of prison now. Can't you let bygones be bygones and live a good life with us? Do you really have to make a scene and make everyone unhappy before you're satisfied? You're treating us like we're beneath your notice.” Let bygones be bygones? Just four simple words, and he thought they could erase my four years of hellish existence? He's never experienced my hardships, yet he's judging me. They're clearly the offenders, but they still have the audacity to take the moral high ground. Raylee felt like cursing them, but when the words reached her lips, she didn't want to utter a single one. Casimir's emotions took a long time to settle. Listening to Raylee describe her grim life in prison, even if he wasn't her ex-fiancé, even if he was just a stranger, he would still feel distressed for her. He couldn't help but speak up for her. “Samuel, I didn't see Raylee making a scene at all. She was just telling it like it is! As her brother, you didn't comfort her and even scolded her. Isn't that just unacceptable?”