DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 541-550
Chapter 541
“Seems like you didn’t quite catch what my fiancee said Romeo said icily to the crowd behind him, “Go assist your young mistress.”
He owned this hotel, and upon hearing his words, all the staff moved immediately
Arabella said coolly. “Make them kneel down and apologize properly”
Two staff grabbed Attlee, two seized Yolanda, and two more restrained Olga, forcing them to kneel and
“Let me go, let me out!” Olga struggled, only to be pushed down again.
She had already hurt her forehead. And they still wanted her to kowtow?
owtow to the portrait of the deceased.
“Arabella, I only found out about this after watching the video. Attlee was being forced to kowtow non–stop. He stuttered out an explanation, “It was Olga who was
in the wrong, but right now, we should focus on letting your grandmother rest in peace. We can talk about the rest later, okay?”
Arabella remained silent, and the staff didn’t dare to stop. They kept forcing them to kowtow.
The screen’s light shone on Arabella, making her look incredibly cold, like a queen high above everyone else.
Everyone knew not to mess with this girl since she was the one Romeo had personally acknowledged as his fiancee.
“Arabella, did you hear what I said?”
Before Attlee could finish, Arabella signaled a nearby staff, “Shut him up.
“Yes!”
The staff shoved a handkerchief from Attlee’s breast pocket into his mouth, finally silencing him.
“Make them kowtow until they apologize.”
Another staff brought a chair over. Arabella sat down leisurely, crossing her legs.
Powerful, her aura was too powerful.
Yolanda’s forehead was bloody, she felt dizzy and could only say, “I admit my mistake. I shouldn’t have disturbed grandma’s rest last night, but her death, we didn’t see it coming.”
She indeed wished the old lady would kick the bucket sooner, but at least after the inheritance was handed over to her!
Olga couldn’t hold on any longer, and she felt her head was about to explode from all the kowtowing, “Arabella, please make them stop.”
She could endure, but not Yoli. Yoli had just been injured.
A staff brought a cup of milk and handed it over to Arabella. She took a sip and then splashed it at them, “Too hot.”
“You!” Olga didn’t expect this girl to dare splash them..
“Cook another bucket.”
The staff understood what she meant when they heard this, and their gaze fell on the three people on the ground.
“Arabella, you wouldn’t dare!” Olga didn’t expect this girl to become more and more audacious ever since she got together with Romeo! She never expected that there wasn’t a single person who would stand up for them, not even one!
This was too much!
“If boiling milk is too troublesome, then prepare some sulfuric acid.”
Upon hearing this, Olga’s face changed immediately, “What are you trying to do? We can talk things out.” Attlee wanted to speak, but his mouth was stuffed. He couldn’t say anything.
Yolanda was clearly terrified, and she whispered to Olga while continuing to kowtow, “Mom, Arabella is really angry right now. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do. Let’s just apologize to Grandma. All she wants is an apology!”
Chapter 542
Though she didn’t fancy it, Olga knew Arabella could do anything. So, she gritted her teeth and said, “My bad. I didn’t mean to hurt her. Who knew she was so fragile?”
That wasn’t what Arabella wanted to hear.
Olga was on her knees begging for mercy, sounding miserable, “I really didn’t mean to hurt her. What good does it do me if she’s dead? My plan was for her to sell her shares. They’re worth 30 million bucks. She could’ve kept 10 million for herself and used the rest to bail us out!”
As she talked, she was forced to bow down, her head thudding against the floor.
“I’d pay her back! In five years, we’d return the money. By then, the Murphy family’s stock would’ve risen, and she could buy more shares. It’s a win–win! But she just wouldn’t agree.”
The more Olga spoke, the more she felt wronged. “Attlee even offered to write her a guarantee yesterday. What good are her 30% shares if the company goes under? She’s just too stubborn!”
“Mom, mom,” Yolanda whispered urgently as she saw Arabella getting pissed off. “You’re supposed to apologize, not ramble on!”
Realizing she’d said too much, Olga grumbled, “I didn’t mean to hurt her. Her sudden death wasn’t what I wanted!”
Arabella glanced at the time on the big screen. After ten long minutes, she signaled the waitstaff to stop.
The six of them paused, and Olga let out a sigh of relief. She must have touched Arabella’s heart with her words.
Arabella was so easy to please. She’d believe anything she told her.
But Arabella had been watching the clock. Right on cue, the doors to the hall swung open, and in walked seven or eight cops.
“What’s going on here?” The lead cop asked seriously as he walked in..
Olga, seeing her saviors, cried out, “Just in time! This girl forced me to kneel and beg. Just look, I’ve got bruises on my forehead. She kicked me, stepped on me, and even poured scalding milk on me and my daughter. Look at us. All three of us were forced to our knees!”
The cops walked over to Olga, taking in the sight: three people on their knees, a girl sitting nonchalantly on a chair, legs crossed.
“Do you have any proof?” The lead cop asked Olga.
“Over six hundred people saw it!” Olga said, looking around, hoping someone would speak up.
But when the cop asked the crowd, no one said a word.
The hall was eerily quiet.
Olga was getting anxious. “You all saw her acting high and mighty! You saw it! Don’t be afraid of her power. No one is above the law. You can’t cross that line!” Still, no one spoke up. After the cop asked again, the room remained silent.
“Ma’am, if you continue to make false accusations, Ms. Bella can sue you for defamation.”
Hearing this, Olga got even more anxious. “It’s clearly this bitch,”
Wait a minute. These cops were new. How did they know her name?
Did they know each other?
The thought sent a chill down Olga’s spine.
“Perfect timing,” Arabella said, legs still crossed, an aura of authority around her. “I called the cops. Someone here killed my grandma. Everyone here saw the evidence.”
Chapter 543
The head cop turned to the other guests, and a bunch of people immediately stepped up to speak.
“Yeah, we all saw it. It was this woman, hitting and swearing at Grace. The old lady was so stressed out that she died because she wasn’t rescued in time.”
“I saw it too. There’s a camera in the old lady’s room. We’ve all seen the footage.”
“I can also vouch for it. The old lady was killed by this woman.”
“It was her!”
“She’s the main culprit!”
Olga was really taken aback. She just needed someone to testify, but not a single person stepped up.
Now, with one word from Arabella, they all stepped up without hesitation.
She never saw such shameless people!
“I’ve sent the evidence to your official email. Also, I want to report Attlee and Olga. They scared Director Vince’s daughter from the Murphy group sick, causing her to suffer from depression. Director Arora had a heart attack because of them and died young. And Casey, a worker at the Solterra will storage, was scared out of their wits by them.”
The head cop heard this and immediately said, “Take these two away. Start an investigation!”
“No need for an investigation; I’ve got evidence of them terrorizing these people and kidnapping and threatening other victims. I sent it to your official email half an hour ago.”
“Take them away!” The head cop ordered it, and a few officers came over to cuff Attlee and Olga.
“You’re a good citizen. If the evidence is solid, you’ll be doing a public service, the head cop complimented Arabella.
“Don’t take my parents away.” Yolanda rushed over as she saw her parents being cuffed, her world seemingly collapsing around her. “Dad, mom.”
What was she supposed to do? How could she save them?
“Sweetie, go find your uncle,” Olga started to say.
“There’s no need,” Arabella casually interrupted. “I also sent the police evidence of their tax evasion and illegal activities. They’re probably being questioned at the police station right now.”
“Arabella! You’ve got some nerve!” Olga was furious. This woman was trying to ruin them and leave them with nothing!
“Oh, right, I also want to report her for moving into my grandmother’s house without her permission.
All the guests were disgusted when they heard this. Olga had actually done such a thing?
The head cop nodded and told an officer, “Take note of that; investigate it as well.”
“Officer, this is all a misunderstanding. The old lady agreed to let us live in the house when she was alive!” Olga was still trying to justify herself as she was led away. “Don’t listen to that girl’s nonsense. How could we possibly break the old lady’s door lock? We wouldn’t do such a thing without her permission!”
“Your maid confessed that it was your idea; the evidence is solid,” Arabella said coldly, standing up and walking over to Olga, giving her a chilly smile. “This is just the beginning.”
Chapter 545
“I was wondering! We should have been paid three days ago! There are five of us, each with a salary of four thousand dollars and another thousand dollars in compensation. You better settle up quickly! If you don’t pay, I’ll call the cops. You’re an accomplice to this crime since you had us pick the lock!”
Now, Yolanda truly experienced the betrayal of friends, the indifference of society, and the helplessness of not having power and status.
“The Murphy family is so rich; would we be short of your salaries?” Yolanda retorted angrily.
“Indeed, the Murphy family is loaded!:
“You’re not trying to scare us by saying you’re the richest family in Tranquil City, are you?”
“Right now, it’s your grandmother who’s rich, not you! I heard your grandmother was killed by you guys and left everything to Arabella, and your parents have been taken to the police station! I also heard that your family has to pay more than three hundred thousand dollars in interest each month, which you can’t afford!”
Yolanda was shocked. She didn’t expect the incidents from her engagement party to have spread so quickly, leaving her incredibly embarrassed.
“Also, look at yourself. Do you even look like a rich girl anymore?”
“No need to say; her family must have gone bust. And those scandal videos were made public. No one wants to be engaged to her, right?”
“The injury on her face must be from the man!”
“She always acts so pure, who would have thought she played so wild in private?”
The maids laughed, and Yolanda was both angry and annoyed. “You!”
“Your video is widely circulated online. I advise you to have some shame and settle our wages quickly!”
This remark left Yolanda stunned.
Her image as an innocent, ambitious, and rich girl had completely collapsed.
How did the video of her and Wilson spread online?
Was it Arabella’s doing?
Thinking of this, she hated Arabella to the bone!
“Pay our wages now! If not, we won’t let you off!”
“We have been humbly accepting your orders, but now we’re even better off than you!”
“Hahaha exactly.”
The maids blocked Yolanda’s path. In the end, Yolanda had no choice but to give them her ring.
“This ring should be quite expensive! Take it!” Yolanda said it with disdain.
It was the ring that Zachary had put on her today. It should be enough to pay their wages, right?
“The rest, consider it charity!” Yolanda said, feeling annoyed.
But the maids were not satisfied. “How do we know if your ring is real or not? What if you’re fooling us with a fake one? You’re the worst person! Even Arabella is better than you!”
“What did you say?” Yolanda was completely enraged.
“At least Arabella is honest! You’ll also have to leave your earrings today.” The maids started to snatch her earrings.
Yolanda was hurt by their rough actions, and her earlobes started bleeding. Seeing them take the earrings and leave, Yolanda couldn’t catch up and was both angry and anxious. “You wait for me!”
She was Yolanda; she won’t be defeated so easily!
The Murphy family will definitely bounce back!
Just wait and see!
Chapter 546
On their way to the Murphy Group, Romeo had Arabella in his lap, taking care of her like a child.
‘Have some food first.”
Inside the caravan, the chef served them a feast. Romeo forked a piece of steak and held it up to Arabella’s mouth.
“This is your favorite.”
Arabella had no appetite.
“Try some,” Romeo encouraged gently.
Arabella lifted her eyes. The coldness in her gaze warmed slightly at the sight of him. “You’ve been with me all day; can the group handle things without you?”
“Carl’s handling it.” Romeo fed her the steak and forked over another piece. “How’s the taste?”
“Mm.” Arabella merely went through the motions of eating, just to keep him from worrying.
Romeo knew she was still grieving. Her grandmother’s death was a huge blow to her.
“Your Grandma would want you to be happy.” Romeo comforted her while feeding her. “If she sees you downcast, she won’t rest in peace. You’ve done well, and none of this is your fault.”
It was her Grandma’s poor health that led to the failed surgery:
But what Arabella couldn’t accept was that her grandmother had been tortured before she died!
All because of those heartless bastards in the Murphy family!
Specifically, Olga!
“Those three, if you think they’re too dirty to handle, let me do it, Romeo offered, feeding her more.
But Arabella was adamant. “I want to personally bring justice for my Grandma.”
Those three couldn’t get off easy.
“Alright ask me for help if you need it,” Romeo patiently fed her. “Most importantly, don’t punish yourself for their mistakes. You’re not the one who should be punished.”
“Mm.” As Arabella listened to his gentle words, she realized this man truly cared about her and worried she might do something foolish.
She smiled. Those heartless bastards were still alive; how could she be in trouble?
If anyone was in trouble, it should be them!
Meanwhile.
The property management was evicting them because Attlee was no longer a villa owner. The belongings of the three of them were piled up outside the old lady’s villa, which was against the rules.
Yolanda swallowed her pride and begged the property management, who finally agreed to give her an hour to move out.
During that hour, Yolanda called many friends for help, but without exception, no one was willing to help, probably because the news of Attlee and Olga being taken to the police station had reached them.
In the end, Yolanda was forced to walk to the nearest pawnshop and pawn all the jewelry around her neck and wrists.
The pawnshop owner, seeing her in her wedding dress and in a mess, deliberately offered a low price.
“Do you even know what you’re dealing with? This necklace and bracelet are top international brands; I bought them for $60,000! And now you only want to give me $5,000?”
“That’s the price here!” The pawnshop owner said indifferently, “If you can’t accept this price, go to another shop!”
Yolanda was penniless. In the end, she had to accept the low price. Once she received the $5,000 in her account, she first contacted the movers to move their belongings to the Murphy Group.
That place was the last refuge for the Murphy family.
At the entrance of the Murphy Group.
Chapter 547
Arabella told the man in the car, “Wait here for me.”
“Alright.” Romeo was about to stand up when he heard her words and sat back down. “Let me know if you need my help.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll have Gabry go with you.”
Gabry was Romeo’s driver, and he’d been with Romeo for a long time and was very smart.
To keep Romeo at ease, Arabella agreed.
The receptionist saw a very beautiful but aloof girl walk in with a man. Her aura was cold and sent chills down her spine.
The receptionist stood up and asked, “Hello, who are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?”
“I’m your future boss; there’s no need for an appointment. Arabella slapped the share certificate on the table and said, “Inform everyone; a meeting will be held in five minutes; all directors, shareholders, and senior managers must attend.”
The receptionist was dumbfounded. She watched Arabella head towards the elevator and it took her a while before she called her superior.
Meanwhile, Attlee’s secretary also heard the news; he hurriedly ran to the president’s office and said, “Yoli, we have a situation.”
Yolanda was very angry after hearing his words: “What are you talking about? The new boss of the company has arrived? My parents haven’t even passed away yet! Who dares to be so arrogant? Who dares to impersonate my parents?”
Suddenly, the office door was kicked open, and Arabella walked in.)
“It’s you?” Yolanda didn’t expect Arabella to find this place so quickly. “You’re the new boss they’re talking about?”
Arabella sat on the sofa, put the share certificate and the old lady’s will on the table, and leaned one hand on the armrest of the sofa.
“Ben, after you’ve read this, please ask irrelevant people to leave.”
Ben was stunned. He picked up the will and saw that it really was Grace’s will. Did Grace pass away?
What the hell happened to the Murphy family today?
Today was supposed to be Yoli’s engagement banquet, but not long after, they heard that Mr. Murphy and Mrs. Murphy were taken to the police station for questioning. Then Yoli moved into the company with her family’s luggage, and now Arabella came with the will, claiming to be the new boss of the company.
Yolanda couldn’t believe it; she grabbed the will and found that it really was the old lady’s will!
The will stated that 30% of the shares, all houses, cars, and savings belong to Arabella!
After her parents sold their shares, the largest shareholder of the company was the old lady!
Even though she knew the will was real, Yolanda was still angry and said, “Arabella, aren’t you going too far? The old lady just passed away not long ago, and you’re already the new boss?”
“So what?” Arabella sat on the sofa with a boss–like attitude: “Even without this will, I’m still the largest shareholder of this company!”
How could this be possible?
At this moment, Ben found another share certificate, which he hurriedly showed to Yolanda.
Only then did Yolanda realize in surprise, “You bought all the shares my parents sold a while ago? You’re shameless.”
Suddenly, Yolanda seemed to understand everything: “It was you! You deliberately spread the news that buying that land could make a fortune; you knew my parents would sell their shares.”
Were all the people at the auction that day Arabella’s people?
McMillan Corporation, the Collins Group, and Grandpa Alberto’s Luna Capital.
Did they all set a trap for the Murphy family?
Yolanda took two steps back; she couldn’t believe that Arabella could be so cunning to have planned all this!!
“Are you even human?” Yolanda yelled angrily, “I’ve never seen someone like you who deceives their own parents!”
Chapter 548
“That’s your folks, not my circus, not my monkeys” Arabella glanced at Ben “So, what’s it gonna be, Ben? Follow your old boss or stick around and work for me?”
Ben looked from Arabella to Yolanda, weighing his options.
Yolanda shot him a warning look, as if to say, ‘Betray me and see what happens
“Stay, and I’ll double your salary.”
At Arabella’s words, Ben quickly changed his tune. “I’ll stay and work for Ms. Bennett.”
“Well, aren’t you a flip flopper?” Yolanda was taken aback by the speed of Ben’s change of allegiance. One moment he was all respectful to her, the next he was siding with Arabella.
“Throw her out and anything related to her. Replace everything they used in this office
“Yes, Ms. Bennett,” Ben said, then politely asked, “Ms. Murphy, could you please gather your belongings and leave”
“Ben, you’re being such a jerk!” Yolanda glared at him, grifting her teeth. “I treated you well when my dad was in charge!”
“But he never missed a chance to take his anger out on nie.” Ben rolled up his sleeves to reveal a bruised arm. “He’s been losing his temper on me a lot lately because his business isn’t doing well. If it weren’t for my mortgage and car payments and a family to support, I would have quit already.”
Now, having a new boss and a doubled salary to boot was a good thing for him.
“You!”
“This way, please.” Ben gestured for her to leave.
Yolanda was livid. She glared at Arabella and said, “Don’t get too cocky!”
Upon hearing this, Arabella raised an eyebrow and said, “Ben, check if she stole anything from my office before letting her go.”
“You.” Yolanda was taken aback by Arabella’s assertiveness.
“Yes!” Ben made another inviting gesture: “Ms. Murphy, please cooperate and step into the next room.”
“What for? You want to search me? That’s illegal!”
“We’ll have law enforcement look into it.”
Sitting on the couch, Arabella added casually, “I suspect she may have brought items containing company secrets. Let’s have the police check.”
“You.” Yolanda couldn’t believe how overbearing Arabella was being.
Eventually, Yolanda was searched by law enforcement. Her belongings were turned upside down, and then she was thrown out of the company premises, belongings and all.
Meanwhile, Arabella convened a meeting, confirmed her position, announced the company’s future plans and salary packages, fired a few of Attlee’s people, and then left the company.
At the police station.
Olga was sobbing loudly, claiming her innocence one moment and blaming everything on Arabella the next. She talked until she was blue in the face, but no one paid her any attention..
The room was small and empty except for a single, wobbly light hanging from the ceiling, an unsettling sight.
Soon, the door was pushed open.
Olga thought it was Yoli’s lawyer coming to her rescue. She got a little excited, but when she looked up, it was Arabella and her two associates.
The sight of Arabella made her panic. She tried to back away but was brought before Arabella by the two associates.
“What are you trying to do? This is a police station! If you dare to mess around,”
Chapter 549
Arabella grabbed Olga’s hair fiercely, just like how Olga treated Grace back then, making her actions even more ruthless.
“You treated Grandma like this, didn’t you?”
Arabella held her hair with one hand, slapped her harshly with the other, and then shoved her away with force.
Olga’s body hit the wall; the pain was so intense she couldn’t even muster a scream.
That’s exactly how she slapped Grace and then pushed her, causing Grace’s back to smash against the bed’s headboard.
Olga didn’t expect Arabella to come today to recreate the “crime scene.” She was so scared she wanted to call for help: “Help me, is anyone there?”
Arabella suddenly turned her head, and one of her men immediately covered Olga’s mouth.
Just like how Olga covered Grace’s mouth back then.
Olga struggled to breathe. She fought hard but couldn’t resist the man’s strength.
“How does it feel to suffocate?” Arabella asked coldly.
Olga didn’t expect this girl to be like a devil, devoid of humanity!
“Now you can experience how Grandma felt before she died.”
Arabella leaned against the bed, watching Olga about to suffocate, and then her mamlet go of Olga, allowing her to gasp for air before covering her mouth again. This cycle continued.
Olga struggled; she wanted to call for help, but Arabella pulled out her phone and waved it in her hand. “You want it?”
In despair, Olga looked at the phone in Arabella’s hand, trying to grab it, but Arabella’s man wouldn’t let her have it so easily.
“You want it? Well, you’re not getting it,” Arabella said it coldly.
After being tortured by Arabella for a while, Olga sat on the ground, gasping heavily and feeling like her brain was about to be deprived of oxygen.
She wanted to call for help, but not a sound could come out of her throat. She remembered the image of Grace suffocating; Grace must have felt the same, both furious and desperate.
“Admit your crimes, reflect in prison, be a good person, and stop doing evil things.”
Arabella finished, and seeing her not responding, she said coldly again, “Can’t you hear me? Are you deaf?”
Instinctively, Olga covered her ears, afraid Arabella would yank her ears like she did with Grace’s.
Arabella noticed her quick reaction: “You think you can escape?”
“Arabella, what the hell do you want?”
“How many times Grandma was beaten, how much she suffered, how long her ears were pulled. I want you to pay back double!”
“I’m still your mother! If you treat me like this, you’ll go to hell!”
“The one who’ll go to hell first is definitely you. Arabella said coldly, “You still want to talk about feelings with me?”
“Even if you don’t acknowledge me as your mother, what about Attlee? He’s the father you’ve called for eighteen years, Grace’s biological son. If Grace saw you put her biological son in prison and destroy everything about the Murphy family,”
“I forgot to tell you.” Arabella leaned against the wall, looking cold and fierce. “I’ve already verified on my way to the engagement party that Grandma did have a son that year, but he died shortly after birth. To spare her the sorrow, Grandpa adopted an abandoned baby boy.”
“What are you saying?” Olga was in disbelief.
“So until the last moment of Grandma’s life, she didn’t know that Attlee wasn’t her biological son. While Grandpa was alive, even though he knew the truth, he raised Attlee as his own.”
Chapter 550
Olga shook her head, her face as pale as a ghost. “No, that can’t be.”
“Believe it or not, that’s on you.” Arabella had already anticipated her reaction and said nonchalantly, “By the way, before I came here, I had a DNA test done. Attlee and Grandma aren’t blood–related.”
Olga turned even paler, as if the last glimmer of hope had vanished. She whispered, “No, that’s not true.”
If Attlee and Grace weren’t blood related, then Attlee had zero ties with the Murphy family. They can’t inherit anything from the Murphy family, and, on the contrary, Arabella won’t let them off the hook because of past relationships.
No wonder Arabella was so ruthless at the engagement party, humiliating them. She even slapped her and kicked her.
So, Arabella knew about this all along.
Before, Arabella helped them because Attlee was Grace’s only son!
But now
“You’re lying! You’re lying! You’re making this up!” Olga shouted, “You just want to see me make a fool of myself, so you made up this excuse!”
“You’re pathetic.” Arabella gave her a cold look, then casually turned to her henchmen and said, “You two, have fun torturing her.”
“Arabella, Arabella!” As Olga saw Arabella’s retreating figure, she rushed forward, begging on her knees, “Please spare my life. I didn’t mean to kill your Grandma!” Arabella tumed around, seeing her crying her eyes out and trembling with fear. She said indifferently, “You’re begging me not because you realize your mistakes, but because you know your last hope is gone.”
Without the protection of blood ties, it would be easy for Arabella to deal with them.
“Arabella, we’ve been together for 18 years, and even though wasn’t much in your life, I still considered you my daughter! It was all because of the priest’s nonsense. The day you were born, there was a fire and an explosion in the hospital. A few days later, Attlee and I went to the church to pray and met a priest. He said a daughter would bring misfortune to our life, making our future hard. We thought about the fire on your birth day, and on the way back from the church, I fell down some steps. So, we distanced ourselves from you and handed you over to Grace. I was too trusting in what the priest said.”
So, that was it.
Arabella laughed coldly, saying, “The priest was pretty accurate.”
Olga was stunned, not understanding what Arabella meant.
“Yolanda is indeed the curse in your life, not me. She’s the one who ruined you.” With that, Arabella turned and walked away.
Olga collapsed on the ground, only realizing after much thought that since they brought Yolanda home, the Murphy family had indeed faced many difficulties. Could it be that the misfortune the priest spoke of wasn’t about Arabella but about Yolanda?
With that thought, Olga was filled with regret. She hadn’t expected that believing in the priest’s words would put her in such a predicament.
If she had been a bit nicer to Arabella over the past 18 years, perhaps her fate would be different.
After Arabella left, her henchmen took turns torturing Olga, dunking her head underwater until she was about to suffocate, then letting her come up for air, and repeating it.
They also physically abused her, tormenting her for a while.