American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others

"Martha," Lynn said softly, "We know what you've been through, but if you're not willing to come forward, his behavior will only escalate. We need you to tell us the truth."

Martha's lips trembled slightly. She hesitated, then whispered, "He...he's very clever. He won't do anything when others can hear, and he doesn't leave obvious wounds. He always makes me feel like I'm not good enough, that I provoked him..."

Hearing this, Lynn's heart tightened. He had seen many such cases where victims were psychologically manipulated, even beginning to doubt their own worth, while the abuser always managed to get away scot-free.

"Martha, we believe you," Lynn said firmly. "But we need evidence. If you're willing, we can help you set up recording equipment to record his words and actions. This will be very powerful evidence."

Martha hesitated, finally nodding slightly. "Okay, but you have to be careful. He gets angry easily."

"We will protect you," Lynn said with determination. "From now on, you are not alone."

Back in the car, Mark couldn't help but say, "Chief, this case is really tricky. He's a typical psychological manipulator, not only oppressing Martha but also making those around him think he's a model husband."

Lynn gripped the steering wheel, his gaze stern. "This only shows that he's more dangerous than the average abuser. But the more he is like this, the more we can't let him escape."

At night, Lynn and Mark's monitoring screen suddenly went black, the previously clear image instantly losing its signal. The two exchanged glances, realizing something was wrong.

"John found the device," Mark said softly, a hint of tension in his voice. "He's more perceptive than we thought."

Lynn's expression became even more serious. He immediately got up, grabbed his coat, and said, "We can't wait any longer. Let's go to Martha's house."

The two rushed to Martha's apartment. The hallway was dimly lit, and the air was filled with an oppressive atmosphere. When they knocked on Martha's door, it was quickly opened, and John stood in the doorway.

"Chief, Mark, good evening," John said with a polite smile, with not a trace of displeasure in his tone. "What's the matter?"

Lynn's eyes quickly scanned John, then looked past him into the house. Martha was sitting at the dining table, quietly eating dinner. Two plates of hot dishes were on the table, and the atmosphere in the room seemed unsettlingly calm.

"We want to talk to Martha," Lynn said unemotionally.

John didn't show any panic. He stepped aside, opening the door. "Of course, please come in. Martha is eating, but I'm sure she'll be happy to chat with you."

Lynn and Mark entered the room. Martha looked up and saw them, a barely noticeable hint of nervousness flashing across her face, but she quickly regained her composure. "Chief, Mr. Mark, what brings you here?"

"Our monitoring equipment had some problems, so we came to check on the situation," Lynn said, his eyes fixed on Martha, trying to catch any information from her expression.

"Oh, it might be a signal problem," John said with a smile, looking relaxed. "The wireless network here has always been unstable, which may have affected your equipment."

Mark's eyes quickly swept across the room, but he didn't find any signs of equipment being damaged or discarded. He said in a low voice, "Chief, the room looks normal."

Lynn didn't respond but looked at Martha. "Martha, are you okay?"

Martha glanced at John, then nodded. "I'm fine, nothing's wrong."

John interjected at the right time, "Chief, I think you might be a little too worried about the issues between my wife and me. Actually, Martha and I don't have any major problems, just ordinary life friction. You see, isn't she very calm now?"

Lynn's eyes instantly sharpened. He didn't respond directly but said slowly, "If there's nothing wrong, then why did you turn off our monitoring equipment?"

John's smile stiffened slightly but quickly returned to normal. "Turn off the equipment? I don't quite understand what you mean. When I got home, I just checked the equipment you installed and found that it wasn't working, so I didn't touch it. After all, this is your area of expertise, and I don't know much about it."

Lynn knew he was lying, but he lacked direct evidence at this time. He turned to Martha. "If there are any problems, you can contact me at any time, whether now or later."

Martha nodded, but her eyes still revealed an unspeakable sense of oppression.

Lynn and Mark left the apartment. As they walked downstairs, Mark couldn't help but whisper, "Chief, this guy is an actor. He knows we can't catch him."

Lynn pursed his lips, his eyes stern. "His acting skills are indeed excellent, but the problem is that the more careful he is, the more it shows that he has problems. Now we can't act rashly, or it will make Martha more dangerous."

Mark sighed. "Then what do we do next? He obviously knows we're watching him."

Lynn took a deep breath. "We have to change our approach and make him expose himself. No matter how clever he is, there will be loopholes. Find the point where he loses emotional control."

Lynn and Mark returned to the car and remained silent for a moment before starting to discuss their next strategy. Mark spoke first, a hint of urgency in his voice: "Chief, John is too cunning, we can't just keep waiting. Maybe we can try to make him angry and catch him when he loses emotional control."

Lynn frowned and shook his head: "Guiding him to get angry is indeed a way, but the risk is too great. Martha is now living under his control, and if we provoke him, it is likely to put her in a more dangerous situation. We can't take that risk."

Mark sighed softly: "I understand, but if we keep waiting, he may be more careful and even try to cover up everything. By then, it will be more difficult for us to find evidence."

Lynn's gaze was steady and calm. He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, as if sorting out his thoughts: "John's defensiveness is now very strong, and he has realized that we are watching him. So, the first step is to reduce his vigilance. We need him to think he has gotten rid of our sight, so he may reveal flaws."

Mark nodded: "You mean, temporarily not do anything?"

"That's right." Lynn turned to look at Mark, his tone firm. "Wait and see. We have to give him the illusion that he is in the upper hand, so he will slowly relax his vigilance. At the same time, we will continue to monitor Martha's condition to ensure her safety."

"But, how long will this take?" Mark was clearly a little uneasy.

"I don't know," Lynn replied frankly, "but time is not a problem for us, Martha's safety is the top priority. If we act rashly, we may ruin her only protection."

Mark was silent for a while, and finally nodded in agreement: "Okay, we'll do it your way. But, Chief, if there is any indication that Martha's situation is deteriorating, I hope we can take action immediately."

Lynn nodded, his eyes as sharp as a knife: "Of course. Our goal is to get Martha out of this nightmare, not to let her get deeper."

After the two reached an agreement, they drove away from Martha's apartment. They decided to temporarily stop appearing frequently around John's life, but instead continue to observe his movements through remote monitoring and other secret means. At the same time, Lynn also began to contact some organizations that support victims, hoping to provide Martha with emergency shelter and psychological help when needed.

Lynn contacted Martha, cautiously suggesting to meet her. His tone was gentle, trying to make Martha relax: "Martha, I hope you can meet a friend of mine. She is a very experienced journalist and a good listener. I think talking to her may help you."

Martha hesitated on the other end of the phone and asked in a low voice: "Are you sure... John won't know?"

"I promise," Lynn's voice was firm. "This meeting is for you, you can rest assured, I won't put you in any danger."

In the end, Martha agreed to Lynn's suggestion. Two days later, Lynn and Kate were waiting in a quiet coffee shop. Kate was wearing a simple outfit, holding a pen and a small notebook in her hand, her eyes revealing warmth and professionalism.

Martha seemed a little restrained when she walked into the coffee shop, her hair loosely draped, deliberately covering her neck with a scarf. Lynn stood up and greeted her with a smile: "Martha, thank you for coming. This is Kate, she is someone you can trust."

Kate smiled and stood up, extending her hand: "Hello, Martha. I've heard about your situation, I hope we can have a good chat."

Martha hesitated and gently shook Kate's hand. Lynn nodded and said to the two of them: "You guys chat, I'll wait outside."

The newest novels are first published at six nine book bar!

After Lynn left, Kate asked the waiter to bring two cups of warm tea and looked at Martha with gentle eyes: "Don't be nervous, this place is safe. We're just chatting, there's no pressure."

Martha nodded and said in a low voice: "I don't know where to start."

"Just start from where you want to say." Kate's tone was soft. "There's no right or wrong, just chat."

With Kate's guidance, Martha slowly relaxed and began to talk about her life with John. Her voice revealed a deep sense of fatigue and helplessness: "He never does anything in front of others, but he will threaten me with a terrible tone. As long as I do something he doesn't like, there will be trouble when I get home."

Kate asked gently: "What are those threats usually? Has he really hit you?"

Martha nodded, tears beginning to well up in her eyes: "He hits me, but only in places that clothes can cover. He says that way no one will find out. I tried to leave, but he found me, dragged me back, and threatened that if I left again, he would... hurt my father."

A flash of anger flashed in Kate's eyes, but she tried her best to remain calm: "Martha, I know this is difficult, but I need you to believe that you are not alone. We can help you, but we need evidence. Are you willing to let me see those scars?"

Martha hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded, slowly untied her scarf, pulled up her sleeves, revealing bruises and scratches on her arms and neck. Kate looked at those shocking scars, her heart aching, but she didn't show any panic.

"Are these... recent?" Kate asked softly.

Martha lowered her head and wiped her tears, and said softly: "Last week... he was unhappy because I didn't place the tableware the way he told me to."

Kate took a deep breath, took out her mobile phone and carefully took pictures of the scars: "Martha, this is very important evidence. We will use these to help you get out of this predicament."

Martha raised her head, her eyes filled with a trace of fear: "But, he said if I dare to tell others, he will destroy everything. He will retaliate against me, and my father."

Kate took her hand, her tone firm and gentle: "Listen to me, Martha. You have been very brave, and you are not facing these things alone now. Lynn and I will do our best to protect you, and your father. You don't need to be afraid anymore."

Martha's tears finally flowed down, but she nodded, as if she had found a little strength with Kate's support. Kate took out her business card and handed it to Martha: "This is my number, you can find me whenever you need help. You can also find Lynn at any time, we will all be there."

Lynn waited outside for more than an hour, until Kate came out and nodded to him: "She is willing to cooperate, but we have to speed up. John is not only a control freak, he also has obvious violent tendencies. If we don't act quickly, she may suffer more harm."

Lynn nodded, his eyes firm: "We won't let her continue to be victimized. Kate, thank you."

"Don't thank me." Kate smiled. "This is what should be done. And, you should thank Martha, she is the bravest one."

The next day, Martha sat on the sofa in her living room, her hands trembling slightly, but she tried to remain calm. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with an inconspicuous miniature camera pinned to the collar. Lynn and Mark were observing her every move in real time through remote monitoring.

John opened the door and walked in, carrying a briefcase. He frowned slightly when he saw Martha sitting on the sofa: "Why didn't you make dinner today? Are you wasting time daydreaming again?"

Martha took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm: "John, we need to talk."

John threw his briefcase casually on the table, sat down opposite her, and showed a sneer: "Talk about what? What boring little things do you want to complain about again?"

Martha raised her head, looked directly at him, and tried to keep her eyes from dodging: "I want a divorce."

These words stunned John for a moment, and then his face became gloomy. He said in a low voice: "Divorce? You're kidding, Martha."

"I'm not kidding." Martha's voice was still calm, but her hands had tightly grasped the sofa armrests. "I've had enough of your control and violence, I want to live my own life."

John narrowed his eyes, and a dangerous smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Martha, you're really interesting. You think you can leave me? I think you forgot that everything you have comes from this family. Where can you go without me?"(End of this chapter)