Chapter 98 Justin’s Past
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After a long pause, Amy noticed Justin still hadn’t responded. She began to feel a bit guilty, wondering if she’d gone too far with her words. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she tried to ease the tension. “I didn’t really mean it that way. I was just venting. Don’t take it to heart, okay?”
Justin finally looked up and gave her a faint smile. “It’s fine. Honestly, I didn’t even catch most of what you said.”
Amy was wearing a strappy dress that showed off her figure, but the chill of the wine cellar soon had her shivering. Justin noticed. her hugging her arms tightly, trying to keep warm. Realizing she must be freezing, he glanced down at himself.
He wasn’t wearing a jacket, but he had a sweatshirt on. Without much thought, he started pulling it off. The movement startled Amy. She jumped up, instinctively covering her eyes.
“Hey! What are you doing?” she exclaimed, her voice full of panic. “I know I’m gorgeous, the kind of beauty that turns heads and steals hearts, and it’s perfectly normal for you men to lose control, but come on! You’re a police officer–control yourself!”
Justin couldn’t help but let out a small, exasperated laugh. He grabbed the sweatshirt and walked toward her.
Amy, misunderstanding his intentions entirely, began to back away, her voice trembling. The confident, bossy demeanor she
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usually carried was nowhere to be seen. “Don’t come any closer! I’m warning you,” she yelped. “If you take another step, I’m going to scream!”
She took a deep breath and shouted, “Help, he-” Before she could finish, she felt the soft warmth of fabric being draped over her shoulders. The sudden heat surprised her, and she slowly lowered her hands from her eyes.
It took her a moment to realize Justin had simply placed his sweatshirt on her. He had already stepped back, maintaining a safe distance with his back turned to her.
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said calmly. “You’re a girl, and it’s cold in here. If you catch a chill, it won’t be good for your health later. Don’t overthink it. Just wear it.”
Amy blinked, finally realizing she’d completely misunderstood his actions. Her face flushed a deep red, and she quickly stood up, awkwardly looking anywhere but at him to diffuse the embarrassment. “I know that. I was just joking earlier,” she muttered hastily, pulling the sweatshirt over her head.
Justin was tall, and thanks to his years at the police academy, his athletic build was well–proportioned–strong and muscular without being overly bulky. The sweatshirt, oversized for her. petite frame, hung down to her mid–thigh, enveloping her in warmth.
Now much more comfortable, Amy turned to face him. hesitantly. “Thanks,” she said softly. But just as she finished, her eyes landed on Justin’s back–and she froze.
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Justin was wearing a white tank top underneath, and his broad shoulders were exposed. There, on his shoulder blade, was a large, jagged scar. It was too prominent for the tank top to hide, and its harsh appearance was striking against his otherwise smooth skin.
Amy stared at it, unable to look away. She opened her mouth to say something but found herself at a loss for words.
Hearing her go silent, Justin turned around. He caught the stunned expression on her face and quickly realized what she’d seen. “Did it scare you?” he asked, his tone light, though there was an undertone of weariness.
Amy snapped back to reality and shook her head. “No.”
Justin nodded, then sat back down on the crate.
Noticing this, Amy took a few small steps closer to him. She looked away, trying to act nonchalant, but her nervousness was impossible to hide. “Did you get hurt before?”
Justin knew she was asking about the scar on his shoulder. He didn’t want to worry Amy, so he deflected. “I was a troublemaker as a kid. I fell and got hurt.”
Amy pursed her lips, looking at him. “You’re lying. Come on, tell me what really happened.”
Justin pressed his lips together, his smile fading slowly. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “When I was little, my dad did it.
Chapter 98 Justin’s Past
It’s mostly healed now, but sometimes it still aches when it rains, or the weather’s bad.”
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Amy’s eyes widened. “What? Your dad did that to you? Are you adopted? How could your real dad be so cruel?”
Justin gave a bitter laugh. “Not all parents love their children. If you’re asking this kind of question, it means you’re lucky—your parents love you, and that’s something to be thankful for.”
Amy furrowed her brow and sat beside him. “Your dad did this to you? That’s abuse–why didn’t you call the police?”
Justin shook his head. “The one he abused wasn’t me.” This part of his past was dark for him, but Amy kept pressing, and as the night stretched on, Justin slowly began to open up about it.
His family wasn’t wealthy or well–off, just a regular one in a small town. His father, David, had a drinking problem and would cause a scene when drunk. He often physically hurt his mother, Sarah.
As a child, Justin was powerless, unable to protect her. There was one time when he watched helplessly as David poured boiling hot water on Sarah. During that time, Sarah had called the police a few times.
But domestic abuse was hard to prove, and in the end, it was always brushed off as a normal marital dispute. Eventually, Sarah gave up on calling for help. As Justin grew older, he was finally able to protect her. Their life together got a little easier.
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But not long after, when Justin had just finished SAT and returned home, he found David beating Sarah again. In a rush to stop him, Justin was struck on the shoulder by a spiked rod David was wielding.
Later, he learned the reason for the violence. Sarah had saved up money for his college tuition, but David stole it to buy alcohol. When Sarah confronted him, he exploded in anger and attacked her.
At that time, Justin had just graduated from high school. He was determined to leave that terrible home with his injured shoulder and Sarah.
When it came time to choose a college, he gave up on better options and chose the police academy instead. Because he wanted to protect not just his younger self and Sarah but countless others who felt helpless.
Hearing Justin speak about this, Amy’s brows furrowed deeply, and she could hardly imagine it. Justin, always so upright and sunny, had gone through such a dark and painful life. “What happened to your dad after that?”
Justin let out a bitter laugh. “In my first year of college, he froze to death on the street after drinking too much in the winter.”
Amy didn’t know how to comfort him. She just forced herself to speak, “I guess, in a way, it’s better this way… both you and your
mom are free now.”
Justin shook his head. “Not long after he died, my mom, after
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years of being abused, became mentally unstable and was sent to a nursing home. Her condition has gotten worse over the years, and now she doesn’t even recognize me anymore.”
Amy gritted her teeth, overwhelmed with guilt. She wanted to slap herself. She hadn’t realized how hard things had been for him, and she’d said such hurtful things earlier. And then there was the furniture issue–asking him to pay for it. “What about your college tuition?”
Justin smiled a little, “When one door closes, another opens. I was lucky enough in college to meet someone willing to sponsor me.”
