Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Pippa Ogden swallowed hard. She had told this story more than once before.

But no matter who she spoke to-neighbors or people online-they all advised her not to overthink it. Now, finally, someone was willing to believe her.

Her grip on the bedsheet tightened, her cracked, dry lips twitching painfully with even the slightest movement.

But Pippa didn't care. Her vacant, numb eyes fixed unwaveringly on Tina, carrying a hint of unplaceable madness. "My depression-it wasn't because of Mr. Dyers. It was because of Her voice dropped, and she began her story.

Pippa's family had never been wealthy, but they managed a modest, middle-class life.

When she was the only child in the family, Mrs. Ogden seemed normal. She wasn't exactly loving, but she fulfilled her basic duties as a mother.novelbin

Then, when Pippa turned ten, everything changed.

Her father was killed in a sudden car accident.

my mother."

It was around the same time Mrs. Ogden discovered she was pregnant. The party at fault paid a substantial settlement, but Mrs. Ogden didn't give a cent of it to Pippa's grandparents. Instead, every penny of the compensation went toward having and raising her new child.

But Mrs. Ogden didn't have a job. The expenses of raising a child quickly exceeded what she could imagine.

As the settlement money dwindled, she made a decision to ensure she and her son could continue to eat: she sent Pippa to live with her grandparents in the countryside.

At this point, Pippa's eyes welled up. "At the time, my grandparents didn't even know my father had passed away. I lived with them until my first year of high school. When they both passed away, I finally reconnected with my mother."

By then, Mrs. Ogden had remarried, bringing her son with her. Her new husband was an older man without children, and the marriage had gained her a significant inheritance. Initially, Mrs. Ogden didn't want to take Pippa back. But for reasons unknown, she eventually did.

She drove to pick Pippa up and brought her back to Ashbury, even enrolling her in an elite private school most people couldn't afford.

At first, Pippa thought it was a sign that her mother cared about her. But her illusions shattered in less than a day. Mrs. Ogden had only brought her back to serve as free labor.

The massive villa, spanning several hundred square meters, was entirely Pippa's responsibility to clean.

To save money on hiring help, Mrs. Ogden forced her to do the laundry and cooking for both herself and Pippa's younger brother, who was already five or six years old. If Pippa didn't meet her standards, she was met with scolding or even physical abuse.

When Joseph Dyers discovered what was happening, he tried multiple times to talk to Mrs. Ogden. But every time, she cursed him out.

And worse, after Joseph Dyers left, Mrs. Ogden would team up with her young son to beat and berate Pippa even more.

Tina and Jared listened quietly. Even at this point, Pippa's eyes were red, but not a single tear fell. Her dry, hollow eyes didn't even glisten.

Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion, as if she were recounting someone else's story.

Tina crossed her arms, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You never thought about fighting back?"

Pippa's hands froze as she fidgeted with the bedsheet. "Of course I did. But every time we argued, she would guilt-trip me about how she was providing for my education. At first, I even felt a little gratitude because of that." "But later, I realized that wasn't the case at all!"

Her voice sharpened suddenly, her eyes wide with fury.

Her untrimmed nails scratched harshly against the fabric of the sheet. "She-she only took me back and paid for my schooling so she could sell me to old men! All to maintain her and her son's comfortable life!"

"She didn't even want to wait until I graduated college. Right before I finished school, she brought an old man into the house!"

Even now, the memory of that meal-the leering, disgusting gaze of the seventy- or eighty-year-old man-made Pippa tremble with rage.

Her teeth clenched, her eyes blazing with hatred. "I didn't want to betray Mr. Dyers! He's the only person, apart from my grandparents, who's ever been good to me! But-but I had no choice!"

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By the end, her voice was nearly a scream. "I had no choice! If I didn't listen to Mrs. Ogden, she was going to marry me off to that old man! I couldn't accept that future. I had no other option but to agree to Mrs. Ogden's demands!" Tina's response was calm and straightforward: "You've had a hard life."

It wasn't a question-it was a statement.

Whether it was sympathy or something else, her eyes remained cool and detached, as if she were listening to a story that had nothing to do with her. Her gaze never wavered.

Jared was the same. The couple's cold, indifferent attitudes left Pippa momentarily stunned.

Only Nathan showed a hint of expression, though even that was minimal.

Pippa's voice cracked as she stammered, her throat hoarse, her face filled with disbelief. "You-you don't think Mrs. Ogden is hateful?"

Even people online, when they heard her vague account, would at least curse Mrs. Ogden a little.

Why?

Why were these two so calm?

Jared didn't respond. He seemed exhausted, like someone who had just finished watching a long movie. He rubbed his eyes with a weary hand.

Tina spread her hands in a dismissive gesture. "Sure, she's hateful. But that's not an excuse for betraying Joseph Dyers. Pippa, I heard you were a good student back then. Surely you could've found another way to escape." "I..." Pippa hesitated, her voice catching in her throat.

Facing Tina's clear, piercing gaze-sharp enough to see through her soul-she lowered her head in shame.

Back then, Pippa could have gone to the police. She could have sought help from her school.

But she hadn't. Instead, she chose the path that was most beneficial and least harmful to herself.

In the end, it all came down to the darker corners of her own nature.

Tina didn't plan to expose her further, nor did she want to dwell on the matter. "I'm willing to believe your story. Mrs. Ogden sent you here from Ensford, clearly with instructions."

"I don't need much from you-just for you to testify on my behalf at the next court hearing."

Pippa opened her mouth to say something, but Tina raised a hand to stop her. "Don't worry. Over the next couple of days, we'll have people watching over you from the shadows. If you need anything, you can contact them directly. Once the new court date is set, I'll bring someone to find you."

In the hospital lobby, Luke Gill stood out sharply. Dressed in a tailored suit, he was a stark contrast to the surrounding patients and their grieving families.

His refined, handsome features drew attention, but the moment he saw two familiar figures, he spun around quickly.

His gaze fixed on the black-and-white tiled floor, his pupils trembling.

Tina and Jared-why were they here?

"What are you standing there for?" Ella Bailey emerged from the bathroom just in time to catch Luke's stunned expression. She called his name twice without a response.

She jabbed him in the shoulder. "Didn't you insist on coming to see Kelly? If you don't want to go, I'll leave right now!"

She had no interest in seeing that wretched woman's daughter.

If it weren't for Tina's plan, she wouldn't have agreed to come at all.