"Yes. Recently, Thea has been tortured by Melvin and is about to break down. She came to me once, and we had a good chat and made things clear. In fact, if not for Melvin, we wouldn't hold any grudges between us. Melvin hated women very much recently. He said that all women were bad. Thea exposed the relationship between him and me and ruined his reputation. Because of that, the company looked into it and fried him in the end."
"Really? You mean that Mr. Horton was fired?" Annette asked in surprise.
Catherine nodded and replied, "Yes."
Annette noticed the bruise on Catherine's temple and the corner of her mouth. Catherine should not have been injured today. Annette added, "This is not the first time he has hit you, right?"
Catherine bit her lips and nodded.
Annette was indignant. "Why didn't you call the police?"
"He said that if I called the police, he would tell the police that I was his mistress and cheated him of his money. At that time, I would have to go to jail too. I still have to make money to save my dad's life. He can beat me, but I can't go to jail."
Catherine continued, "Anyway, things have been going on like this. I'm afraid of nothing. I'm more worried about you. I recognized you just from your voice. I don't know if he recognized you. Did he see you just now? If he did, he might go after you too. He is crazy now. You must be careful."
"He can't hurt me," Annette said.
Catherine thought of something and said, "By the way, the woman in the photos yesterday was you, right? I can tell."
Annette looked at her in surprise.
She was not surprised that Lance and Jessica recognized her. But how did Catherine do it?
Before Annette could ask, Catherine added, "The woman in the photos is wearing a pair of black leather shoes. You have the same ones."
Then, Annette heaved a sigh of relief.
Catherine said, "When I first saw the photos, I was quite surprised. Later, I figured it out. If Amanda had a relationship with Mr. Norman, she would have been promoted a long time ago. How could she only become a manager after so many years? As for you, you were there, every time Mr. Norman came to our department."
"Don't worry about me. We can handle the rumors. What do you plan to do?" Annette asked.
"I haven't thought about it yet," Catherine said and lowered her head.
Annette sighed and asked, "When did he start to hit you?"
"The day after he was fired, he came to me and wanted to have sex with me, but I refused. I didn't let him in and he hit me for the first time in the doorway of my apartment." Catherine said with a bitter smile, "Today, he hit me for the fourth time. And it is the first time he has come to the company to make a scene. I think this is probably my retribution. I have to pay for my mistakes. I deserve it."
"Don't say that. Do you think he will let you go if you keep silent? If he comes to your company every day, is there any way for you to keep your job? No matter what you did in the past, what he did to you was illegal. You need to protect yourself well."
Hearing Annette's words, Catherine was a little dazed. She said uncertainly, "But, what if he..."
"There are no ifs. You and Thea have to fight back. Otherwise, he will bully you two for the rest of your lives. After all, you didn't dare to say anything at first, and you might not be able to say anything in the future. I will become your habit of acting cowardly."
Because of her mother, Annette had a deep understanding of this.
"Annette, to be honest, I am a little confused right now. I don't know what to do. Do you have any good ideas? Can you help me?" Catherine asked.
Annette thought for a moment and said, "Go talk to Thea and join hands with her. Melvin will come to you again. Don't alert him. He might hit you, and you have to endure it for the last time. Try to get the evidence of his crime, and then sue him," Annette said.
"What if he sues me? After all, I did take his money."
"He must provide proof that you deceived him. Since you didn't sign a contract or any agreements with him, he had no evidence. He wanted to give you the money, and you didn't force him. What are you afraid of?"
Catherine became more confident.
She looked at Annette with gratitude. She had to admit that Annette was braver and more tenacious than her.
On the way back, Annette sat in the back seat of the bus. The girl sitting in front of her was reading the news about the Noman Group clarifying the relationship between Connor and Daphne.
She smiled slightly and turned to look out of the window.
Just now, when she separated from Catherine at the entrance of the coffee shop, Catherine asked her, "Annette, why are you helping me?"
Annette did not answer but just smiled faintly.
She knew very well that she just did not want Catherine to be another Sharon.
Most people lived for themselves, but whether it was her mother or Catherine, they somehow lived for others.
They sacrificed themselves for the sake of others.
They disregarded their thoughts.
They endured the humiliation that ordinary people couldn't endure.
But even if those people were so important to Catherine and Sharon, they shouldn't have treated themselves like that.
There were many ways to protect and take care of their family. Annette did not want Catherine to be like her mother and have regrets for the rest of her life.