Hazel had to help her with her feet. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine…." Fanny hurried to cover her arms, looking as if she was about to cry. "I beg you, Hazel, give me a chance to explain..."
Feeling more and more people staring at her, Hazel said helplessly, "Okay."
She took Fanny back to the box, and a waitress came in with the menu and a jug of juice.
The waiter poured the juice for them, ready to take down the menu.
"What do you want to eat, Hazel?" Fanny asked thoughtfully.
"Don't bother, I'm not very hungry." Hazel spoke in an indifferent voice, "Just say what you want to say. I'm busy."
It was clear that Hazel kept herself aloof from Fanny, but Fanny was not embarrassed. She ordered several dishes, some of which were Hazel's favorite.
Hazel didn't stop her.
After the waitress left, Fanny picked up the juice in front of her and took a sip with a sad face. "Hazel, I know you're still mad at my parents. What they did was really ridiculous. I'm too ashamed to defend them. But..."
Fanny burst into tears. She rolled up her sleeves and showed Hazel the bruises on her arms. "But my parents forced me to come to you. They said that if I couldn't talk to you, they would kill me! I have no choice but to contact your classmate and ask her to help me ask you out..."
Looking at the bruises on Fanny's body, Hazel was more or less shocked. She had some sympathy for Fanny.
"What do they want? Did they ask you just to meet me? Or did they want you to beg for my forgiveness?" Hazel finally hardened her heart after thinking for a while.
Fanny's body stiffened slightly. She wasn't very close to Hazel. She just remembered Hazel was a straightforward person who never liked people to beat around the bush. Besides, she was a very generous person who wasn't too particular about trifles.
Nonetheless, now Hazel… didn't seem the same as she used to be. Now she seemed to be able to see her through at a glance.
In fact, Fanny didn't know Hazel very well. Hazel wasn't too particular about trifles because she didn't want to worry about too many things, but not because she couldn't really see through those small tricks.
However, Matt's family went too far this time, pestering Rachel over and over again, so they offended the limits of Hazel's patience. Hazel had a zero-tolerance for things that offended her limits of patience.
Fanny didn't know this, but she did recognize Hazel's indifference and vigilance.
More and more tears rolled down her cheeks. "My parents want me to meet you, apologize to you, and get your forgiveness... Hazel, I know you've been wounded, but my parents didn't know your situation. They really know they were wrong, and they really want to apologize and correct their mistakes. The relationship between our families is so good. Can you really not give us a chance?"
Hazel's eyes turned deep. "I don't want to say something, but that doesn't mean I don't know anything. Do you really think you can pretend that nothing happened by saying 'they don't know? Do I look that stupid?"
In an instant, Fanny froze. Hazel looked so aggressive now that she couldn't help feeling timid. Her sharp words even gave Fanny the illusion that Hazel had already known what their family was up to.
No way. Fanny comforted herself in the heart. Their family had kept their plan from everyone. Even their neighbors didn't even know about that, let alone Hazel.
At the thought of this, Fanny felt relieved. Knowing that no matter how she explained it, Hazel wouldn't believe her, so Fanny started crying.
"Hazel, I know my parents went too far, but I don't have other options." Fanny picked up the napkin on the table and wiped her eyes. "My parents forced me to come to beg for your forgiveness. They said that if I didn't do that, they would beat me to an abortion!
"You know what? In fact, I was pregnant during the Christmas season, but because of an accident… I lost my child. Now I'm pregnant with difficulty again, I really don't want anything bad to happen to my own child again..."
Hazel's eyes fell on Fanny's belly. When she saw Fanny again, she was puzzled indeed. Because Fanny was obviously pregnant during the Christmas season, but now her belly was flat. It turned out that she had had such an awful experience.
"Your husband did it, or your parents?" Hazel asked in a deep tone. Although she disliked Fanny, Fanny's experience made Hazel aggrieved.
"... It was an accident. I don't blame them." Fanny clenched her teeth.
After a moment's silence, Hazel suddenly spoke, "Fanny, I heard you and your husband have separated, and you live alone now. Have you ever thought about leaving here and living somewhere else?"
"Leave, leave here?" Fanny looked up abruptly. It was the first time she had looked into Hazel's eyes, and her eyes were very panicky. "How can it work? How can I support my child alone? If I live here, at least my husband and my parents are around..."
"But have they helped you?" Hazel's eyes turned slightly deep, "For these two days, I hear from my mother that you are now working alone to earn money in a bid to raise your kid, but your husband always comes to you for money, and your parents also ask you for money to subsidize your brother. They have never helped you. They'll just hurt you. Why don't you try to leave them?"
"How is that possible?" Fanny asked blankly. She thought Hazel's offer was hugely ridiculous. "I was born in City S. How can I survive if I leave here…."
"I'll arrange for you if you want to leave," Hazel said in a deep tone. "You can rest assured that I'll provide you with a place to live and a job that can support you and your child. Even if you want to divorce your husband, I can get you a good lawyer."
Fanny was very pitiful indeed, so Hazel planned to help her one last time. As long as Fanny was willing to get out of the living hell, it would be no more than a piece of cake for Hazel to provide her with these.
"Hazel, come on, no kidding…." Fanny did not consider her words at all and asked in disbelief. "How can you possibly make it?"
"... I can't, but my husband can." Noticing Fanny didn't believe her, Hazel had no choice but to say, "He has a few well-connected relatives. If you say yes, I can arrange for you to leave right now. You know I never lie."