C2 It Was All Mr. Morgan's Idea!

"Well, Miss Jenkins, from this moment forward, please 'enjoy' your stay in prison," Hollis said with a sneer, releasing her chin. He turned on his heel, waved dismissively, and walked away with an air of nonchalance.

It was clear he was rrevenging on her. Clarissa's face turned ashen, and she found herself speechless.

The women's prison wasn't the tranquil place it appeared to be. On her very first night, Clarissa was jolted awake from her sleep.

"What do you think you're doing?" she cried out, eyeing the circle of inmates who had closed in on her, their intentions far from friendly. "Stop this, or I'll scream for the guards!"

Her threats only provoked laughter from the surrounding prisoners. One of the ringleaders pointed at Clarissa and mocked, "What's that? You'll call the guards? Hahaha... Did I hear you right? Go ahead, scream for them!" Without another word, she struck Clarissa across the face with a slap that rang out sharply.

The blow sent Clarissa reeling, her ears ringing.

Leaning against the wall for support, Clarissa steadied herself. Then, in a move that took everyone by surprise, she lashed out with a slap of her own.

"Smack!"

The cell fell silent for a brief moment, as no one had anticipated such defiance from the seemingly delicate woman.

The burly woman Clarissa had slapped was seething with rage. "You bitch!" she bellowed. "Ladies, let her have it! Beat her to a pulp if you must. Mr. Morgan said we don't have to be gentle. Just make sure she doesn't end up dead."

Clarissa was stunned as a piercing pain radiated from her heart to her limbs. Hollis! Mr. Morgan had given the order.

Her limbs shook, and her heart turned to ice.

No wonder the guards hadn't come despite the commotion. No wonder these formidable inmates were so brazen.

Desperate, Clarissa scrambled to her feet and dashed toward the cell door, clutching the iron bars and screaming for help. "Help! They're attacking me! Somebody, help!" She knew it was futile, but she couldn't stop herself.

She was gambling on the slim hope that Hollis hadn't instructed the prisoners to "take good care" of her, clinging to the fantasy that he hadn't completely abandoned her.

"Agh!" Her hair was yanked, sending her sprawling to the floor in humiliation. Clarissa had never been so utterly debased.

Moments later, she was dragged up by her hair, beaten, and kicked, whimpering pitifully on the ground.

Clarissa's hope for mercy from Hollis was in vain.

She stopped screaming, resigned to her fate as the blows continued and mocking laughter filled her ears.

She hadn't cried out from fear of the pain but out of a lingering belief in the faint hope and fantasy she held in her heart.

Eventually, the assailants grew tired and retreated to their bunks, leaving Clarissa crumpled on the floor, tears muddying her cheeks.

She had never been so mistreated, never so wretched. All because she had loved Hollis, the man she shouldn't have.

Why, everytime something happened to Faelyn, she had to endure Hollis's wrath and hatred?

Ever since Faelyn died, Clarissa had insisted to everyone, "I didn't hurt Faelyn," but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

She had explained desperately that it wasn't her idea to go to 'Dusk'; it was Faelyn who had been curious about the bar scene, and who called her out to go to 'Dusk' with her. But no one believed Clarissa. In other people's eyes, Clarissa was the proud young miss of the Jenkins Family, while Faelyn was the innocent and timid girl, how would Faelyn take the initiative to ask to go to the bar.

Clarissa said her car broke down on the road, so late to the 'Dusk'. But people accused her of deliberately leaving Faelyn alone at 'Dusk' who was then been insulted by thugs and those thugs were paid by Clarissa.

Yet Clarissa had no reason to do such a thing. Faelyn had even told her, "Sister Clarissa, I don't have a crush on Hollis."

If Faelyn had been Hollis's girlfriend, Clarissa would have steered clear of him. But Faelyn didn't even like Hollis, did she?

To everyone else, Clarissa was the wicked antagonist, guilty of every conceivable misdeed.

When the truth of the incident emerged, the thugs vanished without a trace. Who knew where they had fled in such a vast country? Clarissa wished more than anyone to catch them quickly.

Her tears continued to fall. From the moment of the incident until she entered the prison, Clarissa had maintained her innocence. But now, she realized the bitter truth: if Hollis deemed her guilty, then in his eyes, she deserved her grim fate.

And today's ordeal—it was all orchestrated by Mr. Morgan.

Clarissa was unaware that her future life behind bars would be haunted by countless "Mr. Morgan's intentions."

With no Jenkins family, no records, no academic credentials, and a prison record... Hollis had obliterated every piece of evidence that Clarissa had ever existed! Now, Clarissa was nothing more than a number, a convict labeled "926"!

Realization dawned on Clarissa as she hugged her knees, curling into an even tighter ball. It was Hollis who would utterly wipe out any trace of her presence!

Dawn broke.

"Hey, wake up. Time to scrub the toilet..." A female inmate shoved Clarissa roughly, then screamed in terror, "Ah! She's dead!"

Another inmate, bolder than the rest, hurried over and checked for Clarissa's breath under her nose. It took a moment before she detected a faint sign of life. "Quiet down! She's still breathing! Get the guards, quick!"

Clarissa's luck held, and she was resuscitated. But this stroke of luck was dubious at best. The relentless shame and the unending torment in the darkness could drive a person to madness, could... irreversibly alter someone.