Chapter 67: A Record of Pain (1)
Penny did have a point, but I didn’t get the chance to think about it for long because that’s when I finally saw the lawyer Lando had hired.
Honestly, I’d imagined someone who looked like Marissa: serious, strict, and a little intimidating. But the man standing in front of us was nothing like that.
He was dressed in a suit and tie, sure, but instead of the usual boring black or dark brown, he wore a light green suit that somehow made him look both friendly and approachable.
As soon as we arrived, he stood up with a friendly smile that instantly eased the tension in the room.
"Good evening, Mr. Brixton," he greeted warmly before turning to me and offering his hand. "You must be Ms. Orszebet. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you."
I took his hand and smiled politely. "Nice to meet you too, Mr ...?"
"Ethan Rowell," he said with an easy smile. "You can call me whatever you’re comfortable with."
He seemed friendly—almost too friendly to be honest—but still, I reminded myself that I was here to discuss legal protection, not to make friends.
"It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Rowell," I replied, keeping my tone calm and professional.
He didn’t seem offended by my formality, though I noticed how his expression shifted slightly, probably because Lando was sitting right between us.
That was always how it went. The moment a man saw a woman standing next to another man, he instantly pulled back. They’d say it was out of "respect" for the man, but honestly, it always felt more like they didn’t respect the woman’s own boundaries or choices.
Still, whatever. I wasn’t about to start a debate on gender etiquette right now. As long as no one crossed the line, I didn’t care enough to make a fuss.
"Mr. Rowell, I know you’re busy, so let’s get straight to business," Lando said firmly, drawing Ethan’s attention back to him right away.
"Of course, Mr. Brixton," Ethan replied with a professional smile. He gestured for me to take a seat, and Lando rolled his wheelchair beside me.
Once the waiter had taken our order for drinks and a few light snacks, Ethan leaned slightly forward, folding his hands on the table. "I’ve reviewed the details of the issue you sent me, Mr. Brixton," he said. "However, since I haven’t seen the video evidence you mentioned, I can’t move forward confidently with the case yet."
I already knew what he meant. Lando had told me earlier that he didn’t want to carelessly send the video of Addison and Madeline abusing me to anyone, not even his lawyer.
He wanted to make sure the footage wouldn’t be stolen or leaked, so he’d decided to show it in person instead.
He had even edited and compiled the clips himself, making sure no one else got direct access to them.
When I heard that he’d gone through all that trouble for me, I couldn’t help but feel something warm spread through my chest.
All my life, no one had ever gone that far just to protect me. But him, the man who had only known me for a few weeks, had done everything he could to keep me safe.
It wasn’t just about the videos or the case anymore. It was the way he took every little detail seriously, as if my safety was his personal responsibility.
For a moment, I forgot about the mission, the money, even the looming debt. All I could think about was how, somehow, I’d found a man who treated me like I actually mattered.
"You can watch it here now." Lando opened his laptop and turned it toward Ethan. "I’ve gathered several clips showing how cruelly Mrs. Davenport treated Helcia."
I leaned closer, glancing at the screen as Ethan pressed play.
The video started with Addison yelling at Helcia, while she pointed a broom right at her face. I remembered that day, she was scolding Helcia for waking up too late and not cleaning the front yard, which was ridiculous considering they had a housemaid who was literally hired to do that.
The clips continued, each one worse than the last. The yelling turned into slapping, then to throwing things, and finally ... she started hitting Helcia over and over again with her heavy handbag.
I let out a tired sigh, my stomach twisting as I watched Addison inflict so much violence on that poor young girl.
Maybe it was because Helcia had endured that treatment for so long, she seemed to think it was normal and didn’t dare to fight back.
I looked away, unable to watch any more because those clips made my chest ache, and I kept thinking that if I’d gotten into her body sooner maybe I could have confronted her family earlier.
But it wasn’t something I could control, so I forced myself not to dwell on it too much.
When the video ended, Ethan looked like he’d been holding his breath the entire time. "Ms. Orszebet ... this ...." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "This is even worse than I imagined. Have you been treated like this ever since you started living with your family?"
"Yes," I replied calmly. "It’s always been that way."
"Have you ever taken pictures of your body after your mother hit you?" Ethan asked softly. "Anything that could show the bruises?"
If it had been me, I would’ve done that without a doubt, but Helcia never did. After being beaten so badly, her body would ache all over, and she could barely move. She didn’t even have the strength to stand up, let alone take a photo.
"No, sadly, no," I said.
Before Ethan could respond, Lando spoke up first. "It doesn’t matter. These videos are more than enough to prove Mrs. Davenport’s abusive behavior toward her stepdaughter," he said firmly. "We don’t need pictures of her bruises."
The way Lando said that sounded so protective, as if he didn’t want anyone to humiliate me further by making me show them my bruised body.
But honestly, sometimes I was grateful that all the bruises had faded away. If they were still there, I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to face a camera, let alone let anyone see me.