At the same time, Linda cried out shrilly in despair, "Stop! No! Don't touch me! Let go of me!"However, Zach was just getting started and never heard the door open, let alone sensed that Henry came in.He never questioned Linda's sudden resistance and screaming, only presuming that she was getting into character.So he played along, pinning her down like an aggressor, faking violence while laughing viciously, "Scream! Scream louder, it'll just excite me more! Let's see who's going to help you now that I have you!"He was getting so into character that he never noticed Linda's smug smile. She suddenly cried, "Help me, Henry!"Zach paused, thinking that he had misheard right then.However, at the very next moment, he felt a force seizing him by the neck and pulling him.The man was so strong that he lifted Zach despite his six-foot frame, and even before Zach could react, he was kicked viciously in the chest.The kick left him stumbling backward, losing his balance and collapsin
If Henry was really convinced that Zach had forced himself on Linda, he would have Zach thrown in prison and made sure that Zach got a life sentence.Although Zach had willingly taken the prison sentence for Linda and Rory's sake two years ago, that was because he loved Linda and was convinced that Linda loved Rory as much as he did—that she loved and would take good care of their daughter.That was why he was comfortable letting Linda take care of Rory.But now, he knew that Linda was actually abusing Rory.He remembered the needle holes and the bruising across Rory's body, and how Mrs. Long described Rory leaving Linda's room with swollen cheeks, as well as the video where Rory was left freezing out there.But all he had seen was likely just the tip of the iceberg.Without him watching, who knew how much abuse Rory would suffer at the hands of Linda.And Zach could not bear to see his baby girl being hurt.That was why he could not go to jail again.He would reclaim Rory and
Linda was slightly stunned by Henry's question as she turned toward him in disbelief, grief showing all over her face and her tone wounded. "Henry…"However, Zach was stunned too.Because he did not have evidence.Linda had always been careful about that—forget photos, she would tell him to delete their call logs after every single phone call, even though they were calling each other on burner phones.There was no way he could prove that Linda had called him here!He used to think nothing of it—being careful was right, as it stopped Henry from catching on that they were basically having him raise their daughter.Moreover, Linda kept telling him how much she loved him, and he never suspected that she was just worried that he would keep evidence of their affair.And seeing that Zach could not show evidence, Henry glowered.How dare Zach mislead him into doubting Linda!He raised his foot and launched another kick at Zach, even more vicious this time.As Zach was left coughing b
Then, turning toward Henry with pleading tears, Linda cried, "He's not just trying to force himself on me, but he's trying to slander me too!"I want to sue him! I want him sentenced for life! Help me, Henry! Send him to prison! He ruined me… he ruined us and left me hurting for years!"I don't want to see him—I don't want Rory to know that her father is a rapist! I don't want that! Henry, you have to help me!"Zach was a timebomb, and he must be sent back to prison so that he would not ever bother her again.At first, she was worried that Henry would find out she and Zach were acquainted a long time ago, and that she was complicit to Tina's accident two years ago.But now, she was not worried at all—a rapist who loved her would definitely go to extreme lengths for her.And since she despised Zach so much, she would never conspire with him."I won't forgive anyone who hurts you," Henry assured her, passing her a tissue.He was a demon from hell, as he remembered how Linda was h
Pausing, Tina asked, "Why would you accuse Zach Foster of being a rapist? You have no proof, Henry Barnes—or are Linda's words alone enough for you?"Henry was stumped and scowled, and the air seemed to turn still, until Linda burst into tears behind Henry, her voice choking with tears as she cried, "Tina! I have no proof of what he did seven years ago, but he barged in and tried to do it again just now!"If Henry hadn't made it in time, I would almost b-be… defiled by that animal! And here's the proof of his crime!"As Linda finished, she threw off the suit that Henry had draped over her shoulders, revealing her sleeping gown that was ripped violently apart, as well as the hickeys that Zach had left after she tempted him.It was a gruesome sight, and Zach's eyes were red as he stared at her.Those marks were left whenever they made out, and never did he think that Linda would use them to accuse him of being a rapist.His heart felt as if it had been shot by a thousand arrows, ha
It took Tina a long while to calm her surging hatred so that Linda's provocation did not get to her. "I'll say it again—where's your proof? Spare me your nonsense if you don't have any."Then, she turned toward Zach who stayed on the floor and gestured for the bodyguards to help him up. "He's coming with me."Henry shot a look at Linda's bodyguards, who quickly moved to stop them."Out of the way!" Tina was insistent on leaving with Zach, but the two groups of bodyguards were evenly matched.Tina herself moved in front of Zach, refusing to let Henry take him from her.But Henry was not planning to let them go either—he grabbed Tina's wrist and pulled her away from Zach while kicking him down to the floor again.As Zach fell, Henry looked at Tina straight in the eye. "You are not taking him away. He'll be judged by the law for what he did!"Seven years ago, he raped Linda and put her through seven years of torment. Even though he failed on his second attempt, I'll make sure that
Linda was not about to let slip any chance to disparage Tina and attempted to direct the blame on her. "I didn't think that Zach knew, or that you'd slander me however you can!"This is your way of getting back at me, isn't it? You hate me, and that's why you're taking it out on Rory! It hurts you to see Henry doting on her or Rory doing fine!"Now, you made Henry let Zach out of prison, so that you can use him to slander me, and so that he'll take Rory away from me, didn't you? You want Rory to fall into the hands of a rapist, and rapists have no humanity to speak of! What do you think you're doing?!"You're just trying to ruin Rory's life, aren't you?! Rory is innocent!"However, this was not the same Tina from two years ago, who had always vehemently maintained her innocence whenever Linda slandered her, putting herself on the backfoot.This time, Tina simply pulled out her phone and played the voice recording of Mrs. Long's testimony.It stopped Linda's slander at once, and L
The video was the nail on the coffin, and Linda could not argue against it.Henry's face was cold as he reached out to take the phone from Tina and stared fixedly at the video.There was no question about it—that was Rory, standing in the garden in the middle of winter, her feet bare and wearing nothing but a thin sleeping gown.It was such an impactful scene that Henry wheeled on Linda with a furious glare, bellowing, "What's the meaning of this?!""It's not what you think…" Linda certainly could tell that Henry was furious, and her mind raced to come up with an excuse.However, none of the stuff she saw online was a reason she could use to justify abusing Rory.Worse of all, as she struggled to explain herself, the bodyguards returned with Rory in tow.Rory was beaming happily when she saw Henry's car outside and rushed inside, calling out, "Daddy!"She missed Henry as it had been days since he visited.As he rushed inside, she seemed to not notice anyone else and ran str
John did not hide his selfish nature when he was around Tina.In the end, he was really not that confident in himself—not after Tina had been in love with Henry for so many years, and John himself knew all too well how difficult it was to get over a person after loving them for so long.Still, Tina knew what John was getting at. "I'll never forgive Henry Barnes for the rest of my life, nor return to his side."There is no question that Linda was the one who murdered Sophie. But without Henry's involvement, she would never have had the chance."What she did was horrible, but he's just as unforgivable."That was why she loathed Linda as much as Henry.And the way she saw it, Sophie's death would always stand between her and Henry—there was no chance for her to turn back to him in this life.Seeing the determined expression on her face, John understood that the chief reason that Tina hated Henry so much was because of Sophie's death, and she refused to forgive him.But what if Sop
As Henry turned toward Tina, he could imagine how much despair she would have suffered that night, having to wipe blood off Sophie's gravestone.And she had loved Sophie so much that she bought that specific plot of land for Sophie's final resting place, just so that Sophie could be reborn into a better family in her next life!"Tina, can you check on the stew?" John came up with an excuse for Tina to leave, as there were more things that he did not want Tina to remember.Tina nodded quietly and entered the apartment without another look at Henry, while John shut the door as he watched.Then, turning toward Henry again, John asked, "Now, let's talk about Linda's legs. Did you know why Tina pushed her?"Henry could not even answer at that point.Just the two things mentioned earlier was more than what he could take—his heart was almost in pieces and bleeding for Sophie, and for Tina even more so.And yet, John continued, "It was all Linda. She found that Tina was severely depress
Henry's eyes widened—that was the day… Sophie was buried?!What the hell was he doing?!He felt a chill creeping up from his toes and wobbled backward until his back hit the wall.He never thought about that, because he did not know Linda had every intention to murder Sophie.And now that John laid bare the truth before him, he remembered what he did.Rory had won third place in some jogging event at her kindergarten, and she harmonized perfectly with Linda at Rose Garden.While Rory was coaxing Henry sweetly to celebrate it for her with a grand party, Linda appeared disapproving that he was spoiling Rory, but then offhandedly mentioned they should do it on the weekend.And on the day of the party, Linda had deliberately called Tina to invite her to the party, even asking Tina to bring Sophie along since Henry had not seen Sophie for a while.At the time, Henry was completely skeptical of Sophie's death and missed Sophie since it had really been a while since he saw her.He wa
As Henry dropped to his knees, his blood freezing up, he realized had really been harboring Sophie's murderer all along.Remorse and regret struck him everywhere all at once.He looked up at Tina, wanting very much to tell her that he did not know.If he had known that Linda had taken the kidney meant for Sophie maliciously, he would not have protected Linda even if he was still under the impression that Linda was Orange.But he also realized that it was not as if he did not have the chance to find out.It was all because of his suspicion toward Tina that he denied her any chance to speak up.Or perhaps she had already given up on him at that point.Tears were welling up in Tina's eyes as she realized what Henry meant to say.Time seemed to turn back to the day when Sophie died, and she was once again mourning Sophie.It had been over two years, but she could never get a good night's sleep at the notion that Sophie was not avenged and therefore could not rest in peace."I've
Henry did try to force Zach to give up the alleged evidence he had against Linda and even put him through pain that only professionals could endure, let alone a normal person.But since Zach did not give up, he simply presumed that Tina bore a grudge and framed Linda, all because Linda had stolen the kidney meant for Sophie, allowing Rory to survive while Sophie died.If the truth was what Tina had claimed, however—that Rory was not even a match for the kidney transplant meant for Sophie—then that could only mean that Linda had meant to murder Sophie in the first place.Everything she said—that she loved Rory too much and did not want to lose her, and that she felt guilty from picking her own child out of selfishness… Those were all lies!On the other hand, tears were welling up in Tina's eyes as she felt as she was brought back to that day."Linda never meant to let Sophie live from the start. And she didn't just steal the kidney meant for Sophie—when Sophie's condition turned te
Tina glared icily at Henry as she snapped, "What's the point of kneeling here?! You don't even get to apologize as long as you have yet to avenge Sophie!"Henry's burly figure clearly cringed from Tina's words.His lips parted but he had no idea what to say, because he had a hand in Sophie's death too.If he had not told Eric Sandler to prioritize Rory if there was a donor match, Linda would not have been able to steal the kidney meant for Sophie, and Sophie would be alive.Even if he did not know, he was still the reason Linda succeeded, and that made him the chief culprit of Sophie's death."Tina…" He tried to speak despite the difficulty, only to stop.However, Tina knew what he was going to say, seeing the look on his face, and was absolutely seething as she stared daggers at him. "Are you going to tell me that Linda has already suffered for it?! That she's lost her legs and now a hand—""No…."Tina's outburst certainly reminded him of the dastardly things he said to defend
The instant Tina tapped on the notification, she found Henry kneeling outside her door, motionless.She swiped through her phone and saw that most notifications were from Henry, with the first of many being sent at three in the morning.That meant Henry had driven straight to her place after leaving Rose Garden and knelt outside her door for almost four hours.But Tina remained unaffected.Remembering the video John had sent earlier, she had a hunch that Henry was outside after he became aware of Rory's true nature.She soon tapped out of the notifications and kept chatting with John since she found herself in a good mood first thing in the morning.When John said he had yet to have breakfast, Tina could read between the lines and did not play dumb, telling him that she would cook extra portions for him when he came over.John replied: [Already on my way.]Tina could not resist a smile. [Drive safe. See you soon.]After putting down her phone, she went about her daily routine—
It was an especially long night, and every passing second was especially gruelling as Henry stayed on his knees outside Tina's door, like his heart was being stabbed.-When Tina woke up, she noticed that John had just texted her a minute ago.[Are you up?]Tina smiled ever so faintly as she replied: [Mornin'.][There's a video you should watch.][Okay.]While waiting for the video to be sent to her phone, she noticed many notifications from her alarm system.It was the first time this had happened since she moved in, and she was about to tap on it when John's file was downloaded.Tina tapped on the video first and immediately recognized that it was taken outside Rsoe Garden when she tapped on it.A familiar car was outside Linda's villa—it was Henry's.Tina's gaze cooled as she looked on.Yesterday was Sophie's death anniversary and also Rory's birthday.And given how much Henry doted on Rory, it was not hard to see that he went to the Rose Garden after visiting Sophie's
As Henry's car soon disappeared in the night, Rory was left behind and too exhausted to give chase.She lay sprawled on the ground, watching as Henry left her, and her body's warmth slowly faded.Her gaze was endlessly horrified and helpless.Was he really going to leave her?-After leaving Rose Garden, Henry drove straight to Tina's apartment, having paid a hefty sum to buy the adjacent units to hers after finding out that she had moved there.He drove into the car park but stayed downstairs.The apartment complex was very quiet as it was three in the morning, but his heart could not quiet down at all.After all, he had been horrified since the moment he exposed Rory's two-faced nature.It was so obvious, but he just did not see it!He really was too overjoyed from the reunion when Linda showed up, passing herself off as Orange.The delight of the lost and found was just too much, and he cared even more for Linda when she told him that Mama Orange was dead, and how much su