Flash Marriage: Slow Down Mister novel Chapter 160

Sagging wearily and exhaustedly on the flush toilet, Clara could not help shivering. She felt herself attacked by extreme coldness and thus she had been in cold sweats.

What happened in the past shadowed her like a nightmare, preventing her from reaching out for any happiness. She knew that Horace's love for her would be beaten down and torn up by reality soon.

In the office, Sarah cried out angrily when she watched the interview video posted online, "Immoral! Immoral! How could they pry into and uncover other people's privacy through public news in such an open and aboveboard way! They know nothing but bullshit! Immoral gossips!"

Clara was supposed to shoot a video and conduct an interview about the opening of a hotel. Darren now knew that something bad had happened, and he became anxious and worried when he could not contact her.

When he entered the office, he found Clara nowhere but that her phone was on her desk. Sarah told him that it was possible that Clara had been crying in the restroom since she had been out of the office for a long time.

Darren turned around and walked out of the office immediately.

Stephanie cast a look behind Darren. Conjecture about the relationship between these two people haunted her. Yet she still could not tell the reason why she would find their relationship bizarre.

Luis said to Stephanie, "Editor-in-chief cared so much about Clara, doesn't he? Well, our 'dear' Clara is indeed attractive. Why would I always ignore her in the past?"

Sarah said, "Goodness! If I can win the love of either Horace or the Editor-in-chief, I would definitely be willing to suffer as much pain as Clara."

With a wry face, Stephanie slightly shook her head at Sarah and went on with her work.

Darren stood outside the restroom, waiting for Clara to come out.

The memory of university life suddenly occurred to him when he was waiting for her.

At that time, Clara was as innocent and pure as a flower, blooming brilliantly.

He still remembered that she insisted on attending the long-distance running competition during the sports meeting, and after she had sprained her ankle, she still finished the competition with strong perseverance no matter how he had persuaded her to quit the game.

Worrying about her ankle, he, therefore, ran beside her throughout the whole race.

In the end, when she finally made it and finished the race, she heavily fell to the ground. Darren lifted her up, pulled her into his arms, and carried her to the clinic as soon as possible.

At that time, lying in his arms, that adorable Clara always counted on him.

Darren sighed slightly at this reminiscence. He knew that he could never have another chance to enjoy the same sunshine as he did during his youth when he was with her.

Goodbye to youth.

Yet, was it also time for him to say goodbye to Clara?

After a while, Clara went out with red eyes.

Darren immediately stepped forward and offered his comfort. He could notice nothing but coldness and shivering on her body when he tried to support her.

"Clara, I am so sorry."

Clara looked up at Darren and found that his eyes were so filled with pity for her.

Clara replied, "You don't have to apologize."

Actually, Darren was apologizing for Ashlee's misbehavior. Yet he dared not tell her that the one who had set her up was exactly her biological sister, for he feared that she would be much infuriated and devastated.

Had it not been for what Ashlee had done, Clara would not have been drugged and then been raped. If nothing bad had happened, she could now be respected as Mrs. Kirkland, the wife of Solrace's CEO, by the whole society.

Darren said, "I am sorry that I don't protect you well. Indeed, I don't deserve your love. I am so sorry, Clara."

"It is none of your business," Clara answered weakly, "Why are you here? Is there anything you want me to do?"

Darren was there to comfort her, and when he found her crying, he was convinced that what had happened must be terrible to her.

Darren said, "Well, you are supposed to conduct an interview about the opening of W Hotel, aren't you? If you don't feel well now, I will ask somebody else to do this. How about a rest for today?"

Clara realized that he was there to offer her comfort. She was so familiar with him that she could grasp the hidden intention behind his every word and movement. She looked at him with great gratitude.

Clara said, "Thank you, but I believe that I can do it. I am the one who should be in charge of this interview, so I'd better do it myself. If I take a rest, there will be more gossips and I hate that."

"C…"

Clara walked away slowly with her head sank to her chest.

Darren wanted to give her a hug to relieve her sadness. However, taking into account that his hug would lead to more malicious gossips and greater pain to her, he did not even dare to raise his hands and he did nothing but watch her walking away in sympathy.

Clara left the office with Sarah after she tried to cover her red eyes with makeup.

When she noticed the call from Horace, she hesitated for a second and decided to ignore it.

Caught up in a complicated mood, she did not know how to face him again.

No one dared to chat on their way to W Hotel, so the car was covered by a deadly quietness.

When they arrived, they got off one by one.

There were a lot of celebrities and reporters, and many of them recognized Clara. Sneer with disgust and gaze with malice and despise were cast to her.

Sarah said, "Clara, ignore them! They don't deserve our attention!"

Luis also comforted, "Clara, remember to smile. Let them be angry at us! We have done nothing wrong, so we are not the ones to hide! Ugh, I believe that they must have done a lot of terrible things in secret."

Sarah was afraid that what Luis had said would destroy Clara's mood again, so she hurriedly interrupted him, "Luis, keep quiet. We have to start our work now!"

Realizing that Clara turned pale at his words, Luis shut up immediately.

Clara walked towards the meeting hall at a weary pace.

On her way to it, sneer and sarcasm continuously dashed into her ears and no one intended to lower their voice when they said those malice words.

"How dare she turn up here? Shameless! I feel sorry for the Kirkland family!"

"Look! Isn't she the heroine of those hashtags? Well, indeed, bad tags! How indiscreet and shameless. I will definitely commit suicide if I were her."

"That is Clara Selman, the wife of Horace and he even named a fund after her. She is now notorious! I couldn't imagine how many men she has slept with. My poor Horace."

"She isn't sexy at all. How could she be qualified to be a prostitute? I know that her mother is a whore, a mistress, and that she knows nothing but how to seduce and flirt with men."

"It is said that she has had sex with countless men! How indiscreet!"

Those stares and title-tattle cut deeply into Clara's heart and soul.

She felt that there was a heavy stone preventing her from moving forward as she plodded. Their words hit her like whips with salt.

She felt herself so useless since she could neither protect herself nor keep her mother from abuse and public malice.

The opening ceremony began amid those abuses and despise towards her. All of a sudden, the atmosphere was livened by the music and applause.

Cheerful music and happy laughter were hammering Clara's rattled mind. When the ceremony was over, she, alone, leaned against the wall and stared at the blue sky motionlessly. How wonderful it would be if she could fly away and escape instantly as a bird.

Tears ran down her face.

More than ever, she missed Horace; more than ever, she wished that he could be with her at the moment.