Behind Prison Walls: A Second Chance at Love Chapter 2

A roar, like something exploding in her head.

Sophia stood frozen, her ears ringing.

A year ago? She died?

Then why did Ethan say her mother was still at the nursing home?

Her legs went weak. She could barely stand, stumbling as she pushed through the glass door.

"Miss Bridge! You can't go up! There's a ceremony in progress!"

Assistant Chen tried to stop her but was shoved away hard.

"Move!"

Sophia's mind went blank. She had only one thought: to demand answers from Ethan.

From the time she could remember, her father had died of illness. Her mother raised her alone.

When she was four, on a stormy night, her mother brought home six-year-old Ethan.

She'd meant to hand him over to the police, but Ethan was traumatized and wouldn't let go, so she brought him back.

Unable to find his birth parents, Ethan stayed.

From age six to sixteen, Ethan was treated like her mother's own son.

They shared childhood bonds and a sibling-like connection.

After her mother fell ill, it was Ethan who ran back and forth handling payments and prescriptions, working with her—attending school by day, working nights to save for her mother's medicine.

No matter where things stood between her and Ethan now, she couldn't believe he would abandon her mother.

Inside the revolving door, the banquet hall door stood ajar. She could faintly hear the emcee's passionate voice.

Sophia charged forward without thinking, shoving the door open.

The room fell silent. Every gaze turned toward her.

Ethan on stage turned his head as well.

When he recognized her, his expression darkened. He strode down and stood before her.

"Sophia, I told you I would compensate you, but only if you didn't disrupt today's banquet."

"I thought you knew better."

Sophia stared at him, her voice raw.

"Ethan, didn't you promise to take good care of my mom?"

Curious guests cast nosy glances. Ethan frowned at her appearance, his words tinged with anger.

"The nursing home under the Taylor family has top-tier resources. Clara wouldn't be petty enough to mistreat Aunt Bridge because of you. What's wrong with her being there?"

Without another glance at Sophia, he gave the security guards a cold order.

"Lock her in a lounge. Don't let her out without my say-so."

Security rushed forward and forcibly dragged Sophia out.

Sophia struggled desperately but was eventually shoved into an empty room.

Bang. The lock clicked.

She slid down the door and sat on the floor, trembling all over.

Voices came from outside—the guards talking.

"Who is that woman? She looks pretty pathetic."

Another voice spoke sympathetically:

"She's the childhood friend from when Mr. Pierce was stuck in the slums! But damn, what bad luck, making a scene on his wedding day."

"Though her mom really did die horribly. She could've lived a few more years with proper treatment, but Miss Taylor interfered and stopped the medication."

"Even made the old lady clean to pay off medical bills. The woman could barely get out of bed—how could she survive that? In the end, even her body was put to use, donated to the medical school."

Sophia froze.

The other person asked in surprise:

"Mr. Pierce didn't do anything? She raised him, didn't she?"

"Hard to say. If Mr. Pierce hadn't gone over a year without visiting the old lady, Miss Taylor wouldn't have just killed her off."

The rest became a buzzing roar in Sophia's ears.