Nathalia found it ridiculous and funny. Are they serious? Are they threatening me and still hoping I will just give up? Do they still think that I'm what I used to be?

No, I'm not. I will not give up this time. I will not be weak anymore. I will not compromise. ​​

Today will be their day of nightmares.

She looked into their eyes, tears in hers, as she replied, "I know that having done what I did, I will probably get beaten, hurt, again, and even lose my life, but I've had enough. I can't stand it anymore."

There was helplessness, sadness, and loneliness in her voice, but there was also fearlessness.

This time, she would not tolerate or hide anymore. She showed her wounds, her scars, her pain.

"Why? I'm the oldest daughter in the family, but I don't even feel safe at home. No, it isn't even home to me. I'm bullied and beaten. I live in fear every day. I just want to live. Live a normal life. Am I asking too much? Why? Why?"

Nathalia became more emotional as she spoke, recalling how they betrayed and murdered her in her previous life. Tears streamed down her face. Her voice of anguish echoed in the air, in the audience's hearts.

Her tears were quiet, fragile, and proud. She didn't sob, or she stopped herself from doing so.

People stared, shocked, and touched. "I just want to live." It struck people's hearts like a giant bell struck and "dong" it sounded loud and echoed.

How much pain had she suffered? How much suffering had she gone through that all she wanted now was just to live, to feel safe?

Everyone saw her as the princess of the Carters. Everyone thought she had whatever she wanted. The truth was she had been living in torture and simply lived a dream to her.

It was so intense that it carved into people's minds, and it stayed there for possibly the rest of their lives. It was a nightmare to Anne and Evette, a nightmare that lived forever.

Sudden pain and anger gripped Matt's heart. He felt the urge to fight for her.

"Nathalia." He uttered her name without realizing it.

How can God allow this to happen to her? How? Why does she have to suffer so much?

Nathalia wiped the tears off her face, swallowed the pain, lifted her head, and she fell on her knees.

"It's been so painful and so hard, but I want to live, to live for my mother. Mrs. Carter, please, let me go. I promise I will never make any money or property from the Carters. Honestly, I won't take a cent. I will sign the agreement to give up any property from the family. Just let me live, please."

She kneeled down in front of Anne and Evette and pleaded.

It brought heartache to the crowd, as well as the end of reputation and respect of the mother and daughter. It even brought an end to the Carters' plan of robbing Nathalia of her heritage.

There was such a heavyweight in the air. Some were weeping, some clutching their heart with their right hands as if to calm the pain and anger inside.

They remembered again how brutally she was beaten by Zack, how cruelly Anne and Evette treated her, how her father ignored her pain.

Matt was trembling with pain. He was about to step forward to do something when someone rushed through the crowd and grabbed Nathalia's arms to get her up off her knees.

"Nathalia, stand up. Don't beg them!"

Her teary eyes saw a handsome figure next to her. He arrived like a beam of sunlight, and it shone right into her cold and lonely heart.

The crowd exclaimed, "It's Spencer Davidson!"

He looked serious and furious. His face was like the sky covered with dark clouds before a heavy storm.

Everything looked blurry to Nathalia, but the anger and pain in his eyes were so sharp and clear.

Somehow she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She dried her eyes with her hands and looked at Spencer. "But if I don't beg her, what else can I do? If what happened last night repeats, I will die insulted. I, I don't..."

Nathalia wasn't sure if she was acting or showing her true feelings anymore.

All the pain, fear, sorrow, humiliation accumulated in the past years surfaced at the same time at this very moment.

She didn't want to die. She didn't want to live in others' lies. She didn't want to be trapped and tricked like a fool.

She wanted to change to be in charge of her own life. It was her life, not anyone else's.

Seeing Spencer, Matt stepped back. He smiled a self-mocking smile, a dark shadow in his eyes.

The helplessness in her teary eyes brought a stabbing pain in Spencer's heart. Ahhh, I want to kill them. I hate them!

He swore to her as his eyes met hers. "As long as l live, no one can do you any harm anymore. I promise."

His handsome face had a subtle gentleness and stern firmness.

His words caressed her heart like a warm stream of water. She felt tears rushing up from her heart again, but it was tears of comfort. Her body shivered slightly. "Do you truly mean it? Can I trust you?"

The stabbing pain grew even more intense in Spencer's heart. He gently wrapped his hands on Nathalia's cheeks, wiped off the tears at the corners of her eyes, and answered in a deep and solemn voice, "I wish I had known you earlier, so I could protect you from all the harm and pain you had suffered. I'm sorry I'm late, babe."

"I'm sorry I'm late, babe." It echoed in her heart and triggered more tears. Her hands gripped his shirt, and she sobbed, totally letting it out. She sobbed and sobbed. "Spencer." She uttered his name between sobs.

Her cheeks grew rosy red from crying. Spencer found her even more beautiful, and he wanted to love her more.

He gently wiped off the tears. Every drop was like a knife that went into his heart.

"I promise, from now on, you will never need to beg anyone. No one can harm you anymore. I won't let anyone make you cry..."

The sight of her kneeling down had brought him such intense agony.

Even though he knew she was half acting then, the pain was irresistible. And anger, the desire to revenge for her.

She's been so strong, so independent, and so proud. But they made her beg, made her cry!

From now on, her enemy is my enemy! Anyone who makes her shed tears, I will make them pay with blood!