"Mom, you look so beautiful."
My mother smiled. "You look beautiful in your new dress too. I wish I could see you in dresses more often, instead of jeans and a plaid shirt or a hoodie."
"Mom. You promised not to comment on my style anymore," I snorted.
My mother laughed, and the makeup artist almost smeared lipstick on her cheek because she moved around.
"Sorry. But seriously, you look so beautiful in that white satin dress."
"Thanks, mom. I feel like a princess today."
I stared at my mother's reflection in the mirror. She looked so happy in her white wedding dress with a train that hung very long on the floor. My mother wore a diamond tiara on her head. A makeup artist was applying nude lipstick to her full, exotic lips. This was the first time I had seen my mother this happy since my father died ten years ago. I almost thought my mother would never be happy again after my father died, but I was wrong. After ten years of draining emotions and tears, my mother finally got her happiness back.
"Fiona, you go to church first. Joshua's driver will pick me up and take me to church."
"Aren't we going to church together?"
"Seriously, there's no way I'm going to church in your beat-up Ford."
"Yeah, even though it's beat-up, it's been with me for three years. And so far, I'm fine with it," I snorted.
My mother always scoffed at my car, but she couldn't even afford to buy me a new one. I bought the car with my own money, the money I earned from working part-time for three full years. My mother had been working as a barmaid since my father died. Her salary wasn't much and was only enough to meet our daily needs.
But ever since my mother started dating Joshua Craig, her life started to change. I often saw my mother coming home with lots of paper bags from famous boutiques. Sometimes, my mother would come home with a lot of food, which I am sure she would not be able to afford with her salary. The food came from a five-star restaurant, which could cost more than three months salary.
Last week my mother also showed me a diamond necklace and a ring. My mother was very happy to have a rich boyfriend. I had never met her boyfriend, because he never got out of the car every time he took my mother home. But I was sure he was very rich because he always came in a luxury car. No wonder my mother made fun of my old car.
"Fiona, why are you daydreaming there? Go to church."
I blinked twice. My mother looked at me in annoyance. The woman who did my mother's makeup had already left the room. She was very quiet. She didn't say a word while doing my mother's makeup.
"Okay, I'll go to church now."
I walked over to my mother and hugged her. Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged her tightly.
"I'm happy for you, Mom."
"Thank you. I hope you'll stay with me after I marry Joshua."
"No, I'm fine staying here. This is Dad's house full of memories."
My tears dripped down my cheeks. This felt like my last hug with my mother, even though we would still see each other after she married her lover. My mother said she would see me often. However, I was a bit unsure about that. If her husband was that rich, Mom would definitely have a lot of new activities after marrying him.
"Let me know if you change your mind. Joshua doesn't mind you staying with us."
I released my hug and smiled softly at her.
"I want to be an independent woman. After I graduate from law school, I will apply for a job at a law firm and become a lawyer like I have always dreamed of. I might move out of town. Maybe LA, New York, I don't know."
"I am proud of you, honey. I am lucky to have you. If your Daddy were with us, he would say the same thing. You are the light of his life."
God!
Her words were like onions, making my tears well up in my eyes. My tears flowed even faster down my cheeks. And I didn't want my mother to get married today. I wanted to take back my words last week when my mom told me that Joshua proposed to her and that he wanted to marry her as soon as possible.
"Don't cry. Go to church now. Joshua's driver will be here any minute."
I wiped my tears with a tissue and nodded. I waved at my mom at the door, then walked straight to my car parked in our yard.
There it was, my beat-up car. The red 2008 Ford Edge that I loved so much. This car had taken me to many places and witnessed countless naughties. I was once ticketed by the police for driving over the speed limit.
"Hey buddy, even though Mom called you a beat-up car, you're still the best. Let's go."
I climbed into the car and started the engine. Before leaving, I looked at my house and sighed softly. The house would be so quiet without my mother's voice.
-00-
My car entered the yard of the largest church in Miami. This church was built with white marble and looked very striking among the luxurious hotels that stood on the beach. According to rumors, only certain people could get married in this church. And it seemed that my mother's future husband was one of them.
Two burly men dressed in black from head to toe stopped my car in front of the church gate. Each of them carried a long-barreled g*n. And I just realized that all the men standing in the yard of this church were carrying guns in their hands. They were all wearing the same clothes. All black. Their faces were cold and stiff.
"Open the window."
I lowered my window and looked at the burly man with a frown.
"I'm Fiona Osborn. I'm going to attend the wedding of Katherine Osborn and Joshua Craig."
"She's her daughter," another man spoke to the man who knocked on my car window.
"She's on the guest list. The boss told you to take her straight into the church."
"Okay."
I snorted at how rude they were. They talked about me as if I wasn't there.
"Hey, can I park my car and go inside the church?" I asked in exasperation.
"Leave your car here. I'll take you inside the church."
"Why can't I park my own car?"
"Please just do as I say. Get out of your car now."
I huffed and grabbed my white purse from the passenger seat. These people were weird. I'd never been to a wedding with such strict rules. What kind of man was my mom going to marry? I probably made the right decision to stay at Dad's house after she married Joshua Craig because my future stepfather was a weirdo.
"Stretch out your arms."
"What?"
Before I could process what the man was saying, someone suddenly stretched out my arms from behind. I let out a startled yelp and turned around. Another man in a suit came over and started scanning my entire body with a red laser wand.
"What the h**l?"
"This is standard procedure."
"Get your hands off my body. You're stealing the opportunity to grope me, huh?"
The man said nothing. His expression remained cold as he groped my hips, even my bu**ocks. I felt like I was being violated.
"I'll report you to the police for this rudeness."
"She's clear. Bring her in."
"Do you think I'm carrying a weapon, huh?"
The man who had knocked on my car window earlier grabbed my elbow and half dragged me towards the main door of the church. The men who had checked me had already dispersed. They returned to their respective places and stood stiffly like statues.
"I don't understand, why did you have to do all that?"
"You'll understand later."
The man released his grip on my elbow once we were standing right in front of the church door. He spoke through the walkie-talkie, and soon the giant door swung open.
I was stunned to see the magnificent interior of the church. The interior was a combination of white marble and gold plating. The ceiling of the church was decorated with paintings with a giant dome made of pure gold. Yeah, I'm sure it was pure gold. It was so dazzling to my eyes from where I was standing now. A long red carpet stretched all the way to the altar. A giant crucifix became the background of the priest's pulpit with various intricate carvings decorating every wall. I thought the carvings were the entire story of Jesus's life before he was crucified by his traitorous followers.
"Your seat is on the second pew on the right."
"Excuse me?"
"Go to your seat and don't make any noise."
I thought the man would escort me to my seat, but he just left after saying a series of words thick with a commanding tone.
He was so annoying.
This marriage sucks.
Mom never told me that her wedding would be this strange. Yeah, mom also never told me in detail about her future husband. All mom showed me so far were expensive gifts from him and all the luxuries that man had.
I walked to my seat awkwardly. The armed men standing in every corner of the church stared at me as if I was the most dangerous prisoner in the world.
"Are you Fiona? Katherine's daughter?"
A pair of the shiniest black shoes I had ever seen stopped in front of me. I looked up and found a man in a tuxedo staring at me intently. His eyes were deep blue, like the ocean at night. My gazes shifted to the left, to the small flower pinned to his jacket pocket. My breath hitched as I realized who the man I was talking to was. He was my future stepfather! He was Joshua Craig.
Chapter 2 TWO. FIONA
"I am. You must be my mother's future husband."
"Go to your seat. The wedding is about to begin."
I gaped in disbelief at his friendliness. On the contrary, he was very cold and even more annoying than his men. He turned around and gave me a view of his straight back as he walked towards the priest.
This was the most sh**ty wedding in my life. I don't know what was going through my mother's mind when she accepted that cold man to be her husband. My father was a warm and humorous man. I was pretty sure my mother's ideal type was a man like my father, not an icy man with ocean-blue eyes like Joshua Craig. Something must be wrong here. Maybe my mother was under the influence of al**hol when she said yes to him. Or maybe my mother was under the threat of a g*n. It seemed very possible considering all the armed men filling this place.
My b**t landed right on the pew that had my name written on it. I sat next to a middle-aged woman who was busy with her cellphone. From her style, she looked like old-money. She was wearing a black long-sleeved dress with swarovski stones sprinkled on her ch**t to waist. Her fingers were full of diamond rings and she wore a gold bracelet that was very dazzling. The other guests looked just as glamorous as the woman next to me. They were wearing expensive tuxedos or expensive dresses with flashy jewelry adorning their bodies. Maybe I was the only poor girl here. The dress I was wearing was even a gift from my mother's future husband. There was no way I could afford this expensive dress with my salary as a waitress at an ice cream shop.
"Boss, the bride has arrived."
"Let's start the wedding now, father."
Everyone straightened their backs and put their phones into their bags or pockets as Joshua Craig spoke to the priest. Classical music began to be played by an orchestra in the right corner of the hall. The atmosphere instantly turned silent and sacred.
I turned to see my mother walking down the aisle holding a bouquet of white lilies. Her face was beaming, and her gaze was only focused on Joshua Craig, who was standing stiffly beside the priest. I began to doubt if my mother said yes to him under threat. My mother would not look that happy if this was a forced marriage.
I wished I could wave at my mother and give her a flying k**s. I was happy for her, even though she married a strange man like Joshua Craig.
Bang!
Bang!
It happened so fast. The white dress that my mother was so proud of this morning suddenly turned red. Bl**d seeped all over her dress. The happiness on her face quickly faded, replaced by a blank stare before my mother fell to the church floor with a thud.
"Mom!"
My voice was drowned out by the deafening sound of gunfire around me. Someone grabbed my wrist and forced me to duck under a pew. The gunfire didn't stop. I saw people being shot dead in cold bl**d. The beautiful marble floor turned into a horrific sea of bl**d.
"Let go of me!"
My heart was pounding so hard in my ribcage. A man who was hiding under a pew, six feet away from me, was suddenly pulled out of his hiding place. He was shot right in the forehead by a masked man before being thrown to the floor.
My palms covered my mouth tightly before I screamed hysterically. The shooting scene was real. Everything that I usually only saw in action movies suddenly really happened before my eyes.
"We've ki**ed the bride. What else should we do?"
"Our boss will be very happy if we can k**l Craig Junior. Get him now."
The masked men were standing very close to where I was hiding. My heart was pounding so hard. Most of the guests had fallen victim to their brutality. The middle-aged woman who had been sitting next to me was nowhere to be found. I hoped she was okay and did not become one of the victims of the shooting.
"Look, what I found down here?"
I gulped nervously. A voice came from behind my back. I didn't have time to turn to see who it was because suddenly he grabbed my elbow and forced me to stand up.
"Let me go. You d**n cruel people. You ki**ed my mother."
I struggled as the masked man dragged me to the altar. I just realized that the condition of this church was worse than terrible. From under the pews, I saw a sea of bl**d, but from the altar, I saw a sea of bl**d with piles of corpses. Many were dead and many were injured. Joshua's surviving men looked overwhelmed by the attacks of the masked men. No one looked at me, or even intended to save me from these masked men. The few guests who survived and were hiding under the pews could do nothing but look at me sympathetically.
"What did my mother do wrong? Why did you k**l her?"
"Who is your mother?"
Tears welled up in my eyes. My mother's body lay in the aisle, in a pool of her own bl**d. The bouquet of white lilies she was holding was thrown a few inches from her hand and turned red.
"You ki**ed her on her wedding day."
"Oh, so you're the bride's daughter, huh? Too bad your mother had to die in the middle of this war. She probably never did anything wrong to our boss. Her only mistake was marrying Joshua Craig."
"If you have a problem with Joshua Craig, settle it with him instead of killing my mother!"
I tried to j**k free from the man's grip on my elbow. He squeezed harder, even pulling my hair. The braid I had worked so hard to make this morning broke, and my hair tie fell to the floor. My dark hair fell in a mess down my back and face.
"Listen, you don't know anything. Joshua Craig has caused trouble with our boss. He deserves this. You'll be joining your mother in h**l soon."
"Let me go, you ba**ard!"
Tears welled up in my eyes. But this time it was from the pain that was shooting through my scalp. The ba**ard was pulling my hair hard and pressing the muzzle of his g*n to my temple.
"Look at all this horror. Record this event well in your head before you meet your maker."
"Ba**ard. If I become a ghost, I will haunt you and k**l you."
I closed my eyes as I heard the soft click of the g*n pressed against my temple. I was going to die. It wouldn't be so bad because my father and mother were waiting for me in heaven. We would be together again and become the most harmonious family in heaven.
Bang!
Something warm splashed onto my face and the man's grip on my hair was released. I hurriedly opened my eyes and was shocked to find the man collapsed at my feet with a gaping hole in his head.
He died? How could that be?
When I turned to my right, I found Joshua Craig standing about five feet away from me. His hand was holding a g*n. He didn't look as shiny as he did a few minutes ago. His suit was wrinkled and stained with bl**d. He stared at me with his blue eyes for a few heartbeats before gripping my arm tightly.
"Move. You have to hide. They're still roaming around here."
"What exactly happened? Why did they sh**t all of us?"
Joshua didn't answer, instead, he pushed me behind the pulpit. The priest was surprised to see us. He was cowering in fear behind the pulpit while muttering a prayer.
"Pray with Father Robert here. Ask God for their death."
Joshua pressed my shoulder to duck under the pulpit before leaving me with the priest.
I rarely pray. I didn't know what the priest was chanting in his mouth. He was still muttering while holding the cross hanging around his neck. I wanted to ask him what he was chanting, but he seemed too frightened to make a sound. I was afraid the priest would faint from fear. His face was so pale. And I was sure his hands were very cold.
I didn't know when it would end or who would win. Joshua wasn't coming back. He hadn't even promised to come back. The masked men had probably already shot him and were celebrating his death.
Chapter 3 THREE. FIONA
Gunshots rang out several times before it suddenly went silent. I was te**ted to peek, but the priest shook his head and motioned for me to stay behind the pulpit.
"Do you think it's over, father?"
"I don't know. May good triumph and evil disappear from the earth forever."
It was hard to tell who was good and who was bad. The masked men had said that Joshua had angered their boss. That meant Joshua had made a very fatal mistake before the men were sent to k**l him.
"Stand up."
I yelped in surprise as someone grabbed my elbow and forced me to stand up.
"Wh-what happened? Are they dead? Is it over?"
Joshua pulled me out of my hiding place. I limped along following his wide steps. My heels stepped on the puddle of bl**d on the floor and it splashed onto the hem of my dress.
Yikes. I wanted to take this dress off and throw it away as soon as possible.
"Stand here."
"What are you going to do?"
"Father Robert, come out. You're safe. Those people are dead."
Father Robert came out of his hiding place hesitantly. Like me, he was horrified by the chaos that had occurred in his church. This holy place had been turned into a bl**dbath.
"Come here, father. We need you."
"What are you going to do? Let me go."
"Shut up," he snapped at me loudly.
I saw anger, exhaustion, and pain, mixed together on his face. He had a bruise under his chin. How many of his men were ki**ed in the firefight today? How much material damage did he suffer?
Tch, why should I worry about him? I had many more important things to worry about. It started with what would happen to me in the next second? How would I cope with my grief over my mother's tragic death?
"We're getting married, father. Please do it quickly."
"Marry? Are you crazy? I don't want to marry you. You should be my stepfather, not my husband."
"I don't accept rejection."
"And I also don't accept coercion. I don't want to marry you."
Something cold suddenly pressed against my ribs. I looked over my shoulder and found the muzzle of his g*n pressing even tighter against my ribs.
"You have to replace your mother as payment for the debt."
"What debt?"
"As expected, your mother didn't tell you," Joshua grinned.
"I-I don't understand."
"Your mother owed me three years ago. She couldn't pay it when it was due. This marriage is a means to pay the debt."
"Bulls**t. That's impossible. My mother doesn't owe anyone."
"Really? What about your education costs all this time? Where do you think your mother got the money to pay for it, huh?"
No. That's impossible. Mom said the money was from her hard work all this time. Mom couldn't possibly owe this horrible man.
"So, you have to replace her to pay her debt to me. You have to marry me today."
-00-
I was still processing what Joshua had just said to me when he roughly pulled my arm to stand at the altar. Father Robert stood in front of us with a thick book in his hand. He looked at me and Joshua in turn.
"Do it now, father. I want to take my bride away from here immediately."
"I'm not your bride."
"Don't make me regret saving you from those ba**ards."
My ribs hurt. Joshua deliberately pressed the muzzle of his g*n tightly. He glared at me.
"Now, father."
"No. I don't want to marry you. Are you deaf, huh?"
Joshua stared at me sharply. His blue eyes turned darker and scarier. I refused to tremble under his intense gaze. Even though this man had saved me from this massacre, it didn't mean I would obey his orders.
"Fine. You have to learn that every rebellion you make will have a price."
Bang!
I screamed in surprise and covered my mouth with my palm. Joshua had just shot one of his men in the leg. The man groaned loudly and fell to the floor holding his bl**ding right leg.
"You see that? He will die if you try to reject me again."
"What are you doing? Why did you sh**t your own men?"
I stared at his palm, which was holding the g*n, in horror. He could sh**t anyone and anytime because of me.
ME!
Oh my God, how could this happen to me?
"This is just the beginning. Next time I won't hesitate to sh**t someone who means something to you. Your lover, maybe. Or your friends on campus."
"Stop. Don't do it again, please."
"You have to marry me now."
I took a deep breath. I've had enough of today's horrific massacre. I didn't want to see any more bl**d. Especially if it was because of me.
"Okay. I'll marry you."
"Good choice."
I watched Joshua lower his hands to his sides. But the g*n was still in his grip. He wasn't letting down his guard one bit. And that meant he was likely going to sh**t someone else if I tried to ruin this wedding.
S**t!
I was caught up in this bl**dy drama.
"Now, father."
Father Robert's voice was shaking as he began to read from his thick book. I barely caught a word of it. My mind was elsewhere. I replayed the memory of waking up this morning with renewed vigor and happiness for my mother. I was so proud to wear this white dress. My first fancy dress. I had intended to keep it and wear it to my graduation party in six months. But right now, all I wanted to do was take this bl**dy dress off my body and throw it away. I would not keep the dress that had been a silent witness to my mother's mu**er.
"Fiona."
Joshua looked at me coldly. He gestured for me to say my piece after Father Robert repeated his words.
"I. I."
My tongue was numb. I couldn't. This was wrong. So wrong. I shouldn't have married my future stepfather.
"Say it," Joshua hissed in my ear.
"I. I do."
Chapter 4 FOUR. FIONA
What had I just done? I had just made the most fatal mistake of my life.
"I pronounce you husband and wife."
There was no applause. There was only a tense silence between us.
"You may k**s your wife," Father Robert said hesitantly.
At that time He clearly knew that I married Joshua Craig at gunpoint and in front of dozens of corpses, one of which was my mother's corpse. Ironic.
"I will k**s you."
I turned my face away. Joshua gripped my chin tightly and forced me to look at him.
"We need to seal our vows with a k**s."
"Bullshit."
I wasn't an innocent girl who would be scared or have her heart pounded when a stranger ki**ed my lips. I felt nothing but anger and sadness mixed together in my heart. I remembered Joshua smirking at me, and I hated it. I hated his lips ki**ing mine.
"F**k! You bit me."
Joshua's head snapped back. He cursed at me as he wiped his bl**ding lip.
"I told you I don't want to be ki**ed by you."
"I'll make you pay dearly for what you did to me. I don't have time to deal with a spoiled girl like you right now. There are bodies to shovel and bury. Let's go."
"Where are you taking me?"
"Home. You're not safe here."
"In fact, I'll never be safe with you."
"You'll be safe as long as you use my last name. I'll make sure they won't touch a single hair on your head."
"Really? What happened to my mother showed otherwise."
"Too bad, Katherine no longer has my last name. And you, you're Fiona Craig now."
I snorted in disgust, hearing my name come out of his mouth along with his last name. It was the most disgusting and ridiculous name ever.
"What about my mother? I need to give her a proper burial."
"Someone will take care of it. We have to go now."
God. I stepped on the bodies that were strewn along the church aisle. Tears filled my eyes again as I passed my mother's body.
"Mom."
I wanted to stop to hug her, but Joshua kept dragging me out of this place.
"At least, let me see my mother one last time."
"She's dead. It won't make any difference to your mother."
"But it does make a difference to me. I want to hug her one last time."
"Get in the car."
Joshua jerked open the car door before shoving me into his shiny sports car. Before closing the door, he took something out of his pocket, then threw it into my lap.
"Your wedding ring. I want you to wear it right now."
And he slammed the door shut hard right in front of my face.
Tsk, so romantic. How could my mother look so happy when she was about to marry a cruel monster like him?
"Are you deaf? I want you to wear the ring right now."
"Can't you just not force me or yell at me for once? I don't want to wear this ring. The marriage is invalid. You threatened me with a g*n."
"The marriage is valid and has been registered in the civil registry. You will get a copy of the document tomorrow afternoon, at the latest."
Joshua grabbed my left hand, then quickly put the diamond ring on my finger.
Da**it!
The ring was perfectly attached to my finger and could not be removed. I was sure the ring was supposed to be for my mother and fit her finger size. However, my and my mom's dress sizes were about the same for the past two years. I assumed our fingers were the same size too.
"Never take off that ring as long as you are my wife."
"Or what?"
"Or I will make you regret challenging me."
The car roared softly before speeding away, leaving the churchyard in chaos. I was sure Joshua's car had run over several bodies on its way out of the churchyard.
I hoped all of this was just a nightmare that would disappear when I woke up. I hoped my mother never met Joshua and owed him.
"My mother never told me about the debt."
"I bet she didn't."
"How much did my mother owe you all this time? I will pay it off."
"Your mother couldn't even pay it off until she decided to sell herself to me."
"I will pay it off in installments. I promise, I won't run away. How much does my mother owe you?"
"Five million dollars."
I was shocked to hear the amount Joshua mentioned. Five million dollars. What did Mom do with that much money?
"You must be lying. My college tuition wasn't that much. If my mother had five million dollars, she wouldn't work in a club day and night."
"She screwed a customer three years ago. The customer reported her to the police. Your mother would be in prison unless she paid nearly four million dollars in fines and penalties."
"That's crazy. What did my mother do wrong to have to pay that much?"
"She hit him over the head with a beer bottle while he was groping her a*s."
"And they sentenced my mother instead of that pervert?"
"He wasn't just any man. He definitely had the power to make your mother miserable."
"Then why did my mother's debt reach five million dollars if the fine she had to pay was only four million dollars?"
"All those expensive jewelry and dresses weren't free. She was supposed to marry me, but she died, and the marriage failed."
"You d**n ba**ard," I clenched my fists in my lap.
"This world is crazy. The rich oppress the poor like us. And you, you're no different. You take advantage of my mother's weakness for your own pleasure."
"Just take your fate as the poor."
Da**it!
I hate this Craig guy.
I wanted my life back in peace. I wanted my mother back. The diamond ring on my finger was like mocking my bad luck. I had just married a psychopath in a bl**d-stained dress, and my wedding was witnessed by bodies strewn across the church floor. Wow. This wedding should be in the Guinness World Record. This was the scariest wedding of all time.
"I don't know who you are. Are you something? Someone famous? A billionaire? What?"
"Lident. Ever heard of that name?"
I shook my head. Forgive my limited knowledge. My twenty-four hours were spent studying at college, working at an ice cream shop, and working on papers from my professors. I didn't have time to think about anything else. Especially about a name like Lident.
"This is the first time I've heard that name."
"Chicago Outfit."
Wait. I think I know that. I saw a documentary in college about mafia clans around the world. One of them was the Chicago Outfit.
What?
Did he just say Chicago Outfit.
"I guess you already know who I am."
My neck stiffly turned to face him. This Craig guy was smirking at me with a very thick arrogance emanating from his entire body.
"You. Don't tell me you're a Don."
"Congratulations, baby. You just married a Don."
Chapter 5 FIVE. FIONA
I wished this was April Fool's Day. I wished it was all a dream. The worst nightmare ever. I wished it was just part of a reality show prank where the crew likes to create weird prank scenarios and set up hidden cameras on street corners.
I waited for them all to come out of hiding, laughing and showing off some of their cameras. And the guy next to me would probably be the one laughing the hardest because he managed to f**l me in his annoying charade. But after almost an hour of driving in silence, not a single member of the TV crew came forward to tell me that this was all a prank. There were no hidden cameras. There were no bad actors assigned to f**l their target, which was me.
"We're here."
"Where are we?"
"Home. Get off."
Home? This place didn't look like a home at all. It was a beach house built on a steep cliff. Down below, I could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. It was the perfect place for a vacation or a way to unwind from the stresses of life. However, this place was definitely not the home I had imagined.
"I have my own house and life. I have to finish my final paper before my graduation in six months. I can't stay here."
"I don't have time to talk about your life right now. Come on."
Joshua grabbed my wrist tightly and half dragged me up to the porch of his house. This place was very quiet. There were no men in black suits with full weapons guarding this place. Joshua took the key from under the pot, then opened the door in a hurry. He was very alert. Joshua always looked back to make sure none of the masked men were following us.
I was pulled into the house before Joshua closed the door with the tip of his heel. The humid air mixed with the scent of new furniture infiltrated my sense of smell. This place seemed like a vacation home. There were no photos or decorations on the walls. The living room was standard with a set of sofas, a coffee table, and a Persian rug.
"I want to go back to my own house. There are many things we need to talk about."
"I believe there is. But like I told you earlier, I don't have time to talk about your s**t life right now. And about the house, you're my wife now. So you'll be staying at my house."
"Haha, funny. Don't tell me I'll be sl**ping in your room too," I folded my arms across my ch**t.
He didn't laugh at all. He stared at me coldly, as if I were a flat freak from Mars.
So am I right? I'm going to sl**p in his room? With him?
No s**t!
"Let's go."
"Hey, where are you taking me?"
I struggled as Joshua dragged me toward the stairs. I was gripped by fear at the thought of what was going to happen next. There was no one in this house but the two of us. And the location of this house was so remote. I didn't even see another house within a mile radius. No one would help me if Joshua ra**d me, then ki**ed me, and threw my body into the sea.
"Hey, you're hurting my arm. You've been holding it so tight since the church."
"I have a name, and I'm your husband. Show me some respect."
"You don't deserve my respect at all. I don't want this marriage. Give me back my peaceful life. Give me back my mother!"
I don't know where the urge came from, but I hit Joshua's arm hard. He didn't flinch at all. His body was three times bigger than mine with very hard muscles. I was only as tall as his neck with my hellish ten-centimeter pointed heels. He was like a giant compared to my petite body. My punches barely had any effect other than tickling. But at least, I tried to defend myself. I wouldn't just stand by while someone else crushed my life into dust.
"Enough, Fiona!"
Joshua grabbed my wrist before throwing me onto the bed.
"You stay here. Don't try to escape or you will face the consequences."
"Where are you going? Joshua?! Don't leave me here."
I stood up with difficulty and almost tripped over the train of my dress as I tried to chase Joshua who had just locked the door to this room. I banged on the door loudly, screaming and cu**ing as hard as I could, but Joshua still didn't respond to me. I heard his loud footsteps moving away from this room and down the stairs.
"Da**it! You d**n ba**ard! Get me out of here, Joshua Craig!"
I ran to the window. Joshua's car left the beach house yard and disappeared around the corner. I was completely alone in this house. That d**n man probably wanted to k**l me slowly here.
But no. I wasn't going to give up so easily.
I banged on the window so hard that my palms turned red. The d**n window was locked. I rushed to the bathroom to find another escape route, but again I had to swallow my disappointment because the bathroom had no windows. The ventilation came from a vent with iron bars the size of a mouse. My body couldn't possibly fit in there. This house seemed like it was prepared to lock someone up.
Was Joshua going to lock my mother up here once they were officially married?
Da**it
That man was truly terrifying. I didn't understand why Mom had to deal with a man like Joshua and even intended to marry him. Mom never even told me about the debts.
I fell down on the bed. Suddenly, I felt incredibly tired. I leaned my back against the headboard and hugged my knees to my ch**t. I had just had a long and bl**dy day. I never imagined that such a terrible thing would happen to me.
"Mom. Why did you leave me like this? I love you."
Tears streamed down my cheeks. Memories of my mother for the past ten years flooded my mind. I wanted to see her and hold her hand. I wished I could give her a proper burial. I wanted to bury her next to my father's grave.
"Rest in peace, Mom. I love you."
&1&
"Mom, you look so beautiful."
My mother smiled. "You look beautiful in your new dress too. I wish I could see you in dresses more often, instead of jeans and a plaid shirt or a hoodie."
"Mom. You promised not to comment on my style anymore," I snorted.
My mother laughed, and the makeup artist almost smeared lipstick on her cheek because she moved around.
"Sorry. But seriously, you look so beautiful in that white satin dress."
"Thanks, mom. I feel like a princess today."
I stared at my mother's reflection in the mirror. She looked so happy in her white wedding dress with a train that hung very long on the floor. My mother wore a diamond tiara on her head. A makeup artist was applying nude lipstick to her full, exotic lips. This was the first time I had seen my mother this happy since my father died ten years ago. I almost thought my mother would never be happy again after my father died, but I was wrong. After ten years of draining emotions and tears, my mother finally got her happiness back.
"Fiona, you go to church first. Joshua's driver will pick me up and take me to church."
"Aren't we going to church together?"
"Seriously, there's no way I'm going to church in your beat-up Ford."
"Yeah, even though it's beat-up, it's been with me for three years. And so far, I'm fine with it," I snorted.
My mother always scoffed at my car, but she couldn't even afford to buy me a new one. I bought the car with my own money, the money I earned from working part-time for three full years. My mother had been working as a barmaid since my father died. Her salary wasn't much and was only enough to meet our daily needs.
But ever since my mother started dating Joshua Craig, her life started to change. I often saw my mother coming home with lots of paper bags from famous boutiques. Sometimes, my mother would come home with a lot of food, which I am sure she would not be able to afford with her salary. The food came from a five-star restaurant, which could cost more than three months salary.
Last week my mother also showed me a diamond necklace and a ring. My mother was very happy to have a rich boyfriend. I had never met her boyfriend, because he never got out of the car every time he took my mother home. But I was sure he was very rich because he always came in a luxury car. No wonder my mother made fun of my old car.
"Fiona, why are you daydreaming there? Go to church."
I blinked twice. My mother looked at me in annoyance. The woman who did my mother's makeup had already left the room. She was very quiet. She didn't say a word while doing my mother's makeup.
"Okay, I'll go to church now."
I walked over to my mother and hugged her. Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged her tightly.
"I'm happy for you, Mom."
"Thank you. I hope you'll stay with me after I marry Joshua."
"No, I'm fine staying here. This is Dad's house full of memories."
My tears dripped down my cheeks. This felt like my last hug with my mother, even though we would still see each other after she married her lover. My mother said she would see me often. However, I was a bit unsure about that. If her husband was that rich, Mom would definitely have a lot of new activities after marrying him.
"Let me know if you change your mind. Joshua doesn't mind you staying with us."
I released my hug and smiled softly at her.
"I want to be an independent woman. After I graduate from law school, I will apply for a job at a law firm and become a lawyer like I have always dreamed of. I might move out of town. Maybe LA, New York, I don't know."
"I am proud of you, honey. I am lucky to have you. If your Daddy were with us, he would say the same thing. You are the light of his life."
God!
Her words were like onions, making my tears well up in my eyes. My tears flowed even faster down my cheeks. And I didn't want my mother to get married today. I wanted to take back my words last week when my mom told me that Joshua proposed to her and that he wanted to marry her as soon as possible.
"Don't cry. Go to church now. Joshua's driver will be here any minute."
I wiped my tears with a tissue and nodded. I waved at my mom at the door, then walked straight to my car parked in our yard.
There it was, my beat-up car. The red 2008 Ford Edge that I loved so much. This car had taken me to many places and witnessed countless naughties. I was once ticketed by the police for driving over the speed limit.
"Hey buddy, even though Mom called you a beat-up car, you're still the best. Let's go."
I climbed into the car and started the engine. Before leaving, I looked at my house and sighed softly. The house would be so quiet without my mother's voice.
-00-
My car entered the yard of the largest church in Miami. This church was built with white marble and looked very striking among the luxurious hotels that stood on the beach. According to rumors, only certain people could get married in this church. And it seemed that my mother's future husband was one of them.
Two burly men dressed in black from head to toe stopped my car in front of the church gate. Each of them carried a long-barreled g*n. And I just realized that all the men standing in the yard of this church were carrying guns in their hands. They were all wearing the same clothes. All black. Their faces were cold and stiff.
"Open the window."
I lowered my window and looked at the burly man with a frown.
"I'm Fiona Osborn. I'm going to attend the wedding of Katherine Osborn and Joshua Craig."
"She's her daughter," another man spoke to the man who knocked on my car window.
"She's on the guest list. The boss told you to take her straight into the church."
"Okay."
I snorted at how rude they were. They talked about me as if I wasn't there.
"Hey, can I park my car and go inside the church?" I asked in exasperation.
"Leave your car here. I'll take you inside the church."
"Why can't I park my own car?"
"Please just do as I say. Get out of your car now."
I huffed and grabbed my white purse from the passenger seat. These people were weird. I'd never been to a wedding with such strict rules. What kind of man was my mom going to marry? I probably made the right decision to stay at Dad's house after she married Joshua Craig because my future stepfather was a weirdo.
"Stretch out your arms."
"What?"
Before I could process what the man was saying, someone suddenly stretched out my arms from behind. I let out a startled yelp and turned around. Another man in a suit came over and started scanning my entire body with a red laser wand.
"What the h**l?"
"This is standard procedure."
"Get your hands off my body. You're stealing the opportunity to grope me, huh?"
The man said nothing. His expression remained cold as he groped my hips, even my bu**ocks. I felt like I was being violated.
"I'll report you to the police for this rudeness."
"She's clear. Bring her in."
"Do you think I'm carrying a weapon, huh?"
The man who had knocked on my car window earlier grabbed my elbow and half dragged me towards the main door of the church. The men who had checked me had already dispersed. They returned to their respective places and stood stiffly like statues.
"I don't understand, why did you have to do all that?"
"You'll understand later."
The man released his grip on my elbow once we were standing right in front of the church door. He spoke through the walkie-talkie, and soon the giant door swung open.
I was stunned to see the magnificent interior of the church. The interior was a combination of white marble and gold plating. The ceiling of the church was decorated with paintings with a giant dome made of pure gold. Yeah, I'm sure it was pure gold. It was so dazzling to my eyes from where I was standing now. A long red carpet stretched all the way to the altar. A giant crucifix became the background of the priest's pulpit with various intricate carvings decorating every wall. I thought the carvings were the entire story of Jesus's life before he was crucified by his traitorous followers.
"Your seat is on the second pew on the right."
"Excuse me?"
"Go to your seat and don't make any noise."
I thought the man would escort me to my seat, but he just left after saying a series of words thick with a commanding tone.
He was so annoying.
This marriage sucks.
Mom never told me that her wedding would be this strange. Yeah, mom also never told me in detail about her future husband. All mom showed me so far were expensive gifts from him and all the luxuries that man had.
I walked to my seat awkwardly. The armed men standing in every corner of the church stared at me as if I was the most dangerous prisoner in the world.
"Are you Fiona? Katherine's daughter?"
A pair of the shiniest black shoes I had ever seen stopped in front of me. I looked up and found a man in a tuxedo staring at me intently. His eyes were deep blue, like the ocean at night. My gazes shifted to the left, to the small flower pinned to his jacket pocket. My breath hitched as I realized who the man I was talking to was. He was my future stepfather! He was Joshua Craig.
Chapter 2 TWO. FIONA
"I am. You must be my mother's future husband."
"Go to your seat. The wedding is about to begin."
I gaped in disbelief at his friendliness. On the contrary, he was very cold and even more annoying than his men. He turned around and gave me a view of his straight back as he walked towards the priest.
This was the most sh**ty wedding in my life. I don't know what was going through my mother's mind when she accepted that cold man to be her husband. My father was a warm and humorous man. I was pretty sure my mother's ideal type was a man like my father, not an icy man with ocean-blue eyes like Joshua Craig. Something must be wrong here. Maybe my mother was under the influence of al**hol when she said yes to him. Or maybe my mother was under the threat of a g*n. It seemed very possible considering all the armed men filling this place.
My b**t landed right on the pew that had my name written on it. I sat next to a middle-aged woman who was busy with her cellphone. From her style, she looked like old-money. She was wearing a black long-sleeved dress with swarovski stones sprinkled on her ch**t to waist. Her fingers were full of diamond rings and she wore a gold bracelet that was very dazzling. The other guests looked just as glamorous as the woman next to me. They were wearing expensive tuxedos or expensive dresses with flashy jewelry adorning their bodies. Maybe I was the only poor girl here. The dress I was wearing was even a gift from my mother's future husband. There was no way I could afford this expensive dress with my salary as a waitress at an ice cream shop.
"Boss, the bride has arrived."
"Let's start the wedding now, father."
Everyone straightened their backs and put their phones into their bags or pockets as Joshua Craig spoke to the priest. Classical music began to be played by an orchestra in the right corner of the hall. The atmosphere instantly turned silent and sacred.
I turned to see my mother walking down the aisle holding a bouquet of white lilies. Her face was beaming, and her gaze was only focused on Joshua Craig, who was standing stiffly beside the priest. I began to doubt if my mother said yes to him under threat. My mother would not look that happy if this was a forced marriage.
I wished I could wave at my mother and give her a flying k**s. I was happy for her, even though she married a strange man like Joshua Craig.
Bang!
Bang!
It happened so fast. The white dress that my mother was so proud of this morning suddenly turned red. Bl**d seeped all over her dress. The happiness on her face quickly faded, replaced by a blank stare before my mother fell to the church floor with a thud.
"Mom!"
My voice was drowned out by the deafening sound of gunfire around me. Someone grabbed my wrist and forced me to duck under a pew. The gunfire didn't stop. I saw people being shot dead in cold bl**d. The beautiful marble floor turned into a horrific sea of bl**d.
"Let go of me!"
My heart was pounding so hard in my ribcage. A man who was hiding under a pew, six feet away from me, was suddenly pulled out of his hiding place. He was shot right in the forehead by a masked man before being thrown to the floor.
My palms covered my mouth tightly before I screamed hysterically. The shooting scene was real. Everything that I usually only saw in action movies suddenly really happened before my eyes.
"We've ki**ed the bride. What else should we do?"
"Our boss will be very happy if we can k**l Craig Junior. Get him now."
The masked men were standing very close to where I was hiding. My heart was pounding so hard. Most of the guests had fallen victim to their brutality. The middle-aged woman who had been sitting next to me was nowhere to be found. I hoped she was okay and did not become one of the victims of the shooting.
"Look, what I found down here?"
I gulped nervously. A voice came from behind my back. I didn't have time to turn to see who it was because suddenly he grabbed my elbow and forced me to stand up.
"Let me go. You d**n cruel people. You ki**ed my mother."
I struggled as the masked man dragged me to the altar. I just realized that the condition of this church was worse than terrible. From under the pews, I saw a sea of bl**d, but from the altar, I saw a sea of bl**d with piles of corpses. Many were dead and many were injured. Joshua's surviving men looked overwhelmed by the attacks of the masked men. No one looked at me, or even intended to save me from these masked men. The few guests who survived and were hiding under the pews could do nothing but look at me sympathetically.
"What did my mother do wrong? Why did you k**l her?"
"Who is your mother?"
Tears welled up in my eyes. My mother's body lay in the aisle, in a pool of her own bl**d. The bouquet of white lilies she was holding was thrown a few inches from her hand and turned red.
"You ki**ed her on her wedding day."
"Oh, so you're the bride's daughter, huh? Too bad your mother had to die in the middle of this war. She probably never did anything wrong to our boss. Her only mistake was marrying Joshua Craig."
"If you have a problem with Joshua Craig, settle it with him instead of killing my mother!"
I tried to j**k free from the man's grip on my elbow. He squeezed harder, even pulling my hair. The braid I had worked so hard to make this morning broke, and my hair tie fell to the floor. My dark hair fell in a mess down my back and face.
"Listen, you don't know anything. Joshua Craig has caused trouble with our boss. He deserves this. You'll be joining your mother in h**l soon."
"Let me go, you ba**ard!"
Tears welled up in my eyes. But this time it was from the pain that was shooting through my scalp. The ba**ard was pulling my hair hard and pressing the muzzle of his g*n to my temple.
"Look at all this horror. Record this event well in your head before you meet your maker."
"Ba**ard. If I become a ghost, I will haunt you and k**l you."
I closed my eyes as I heard the soft click of the g*n pressed against my temple. I was going to die. It wouldn't be so bad because my father and mother were waiting for me in heaven. We would be together again and become the most harmonious family in heaven.
Bang!
Something warm splashed onto my face and the man's grip on my hair was released. I hurriedly opened my eyes and was shocked to find the man collapsed at my feet with a gaping hole in his head.
He died? How could that be?
When I turned to my right, I found Joshua Craig standing about five feet away from me. His hand was holding a g*n. He didn't look as shiny as he did a few minutes ago. His suit was wrinkled and stained with bl**d. He stared at me with his blue eyes for a few heartbeats before gripping my arm tightly.
"Move. You have to hide. They're still roaming around here."
"What exactly happened? Why did they sh**t all of us?"
Joshua didn't answer, instead, he pushed me behind the pulpit. The priest was surprised to see us. He was cowering in fear behind the pulpit while muttering a prayer.
"Pray with Father Robert here. Ask God for their death."
Joshua pressed my shoulder to duck under the pulpit before leaving me with the priest.
I rarely pray. I didn't know what the priest was chanting in his mouth. He was still muttering while holding the cross hanging around his neck. I wanted to ask him what he was chanting, but he seemed too frightened to make a sound. I was afraid the priest would faint from fear. His face was so pale. And I was sure his hands were very cold.
I didn't know when it would end or who would win. Joshua wasn't coming back. He hadn't even promised to come back. The masked men had probably already shot him and were celebrating his death.
Chapter 3 THREE. FIONA
Gunshots rang out several times before it suddenly went silent. I was te**ted to peek, but the priest shook his head and motioned for me to stay behind the pulpit.
"Do you think it's over, father?"
"I don't know. May good triumph and evil disappear from the earth forever."
It was hard to tell who was good and who was bad. The masked men had said that Joshua had angered their boss. That meant Joshua had made a very fatal mistake before the men were sent to k**l him.
"Stand up."
I yelped in surprise as someone grabbed my elbow and forced me to stand up.
"Wh-what happened? Are they dead? Is it over?"
Joshua pulled me out of my hiding place. I limped along following his wide steps. My heels stepped on the puddle of bl**d on the floor and it splashed onto the hem of my dress.
Yikes. I wanted to take this dress off and throw it away as soon as possible.
"Stand here."
"What are you going to do?"
"Father Robert, come out. You're safe. Those people are dead."
Father Robert came out of his hiding place hesitantly. Like me, he was horrified by the chaos that had occurred in his church. This holy place had been turned into a bl**dbath.
"Come here, father. We need you."
"What are you going to do? Let me go."
"Shut up," he snapped at me loudly.
I saw anger, exhaustion, and pain, mixed together on his face. He had a bruise under his chin. How many of his men were ki**ed in the firefight today? How much material damage did he suffer?
Tch, why should I worry about him? I had many more important things to worry about. It started with what would happen to me in the next second? How would I cope with my grief over my mother's tragic death?
"We're getting married, father. Please do it quickly."
"Marry? Are you crazy? I don't want to marry you. You should be my stepfather, not my husband."
"I don't accept rejection."
"And I also don't accept coercion. I don't want to marry you."
Something cold suddenly pressed against my ribs. I looked over my shoulder and found the muzzle of his g*n pressing even tighter against my ribs.
"You have to replace your mother as payment for the debt."
"What debt?"
"As expected, your mother didn't tell you," Joshua grinned.
"I-I don't understand."
"Your mother owed me three years ago. She couldn't pay it when it was due. This marriage is a means to pay the debt."
"Bulls**t. That's impossible. My mother doesn't owe anyone."
"Really? What about your education costs all this time? Where do you think your mother got the money to pay for it, huh?"
No. That's impossible. Mom said the money was from her hard work all this time. Mom couldn't possibly owe this horrible man.
"So, you have to replace her to pay her debt to me. You have to marry me today."
-00-
I was still processing what Joshua had just said to me when he roughly pulled my arm to stand at the altar. Father Robert stood in front of us with a thick book in his hand. He looked at me and Joshua in turn.
"Do it now, father. I want to take my bride away from here immediately."
"I'm not your bride."
"Don't make me regret saving you from those ba**ards."
My ribs hurt. Joshua deliberately pressed the muzzle of his g*n tightly. He glared at me.
"Now, father."
"No. I don't want to marry you. Are you deaf, huh?"
Joshua stared at me sharply. His blue eyes turned darker and scarier. I refused to tremble under his intense gaze. Even though this man had saved me from this massacre, it didn't mean I would obey his orders.
"Fine. You have to learn that every rebellion you make will have a price."
Bang!
I screamed in surprise and covered my mouth with my palm. Joshua had just shot one of his men in the leg. The man groaned loudly and fell to the floor holding his bl**ding right leg.
"You see that? He will die if you try to reject me again."
"What are you doing? Why did you sh**t your own men?"
I stared at his palm, which was holding the g*n, in horror. He could sh**t anyone and anytime because of me.
ME!
Oh my God, how could this happen to me?
"This is just the beginning. Next time I won't hesitate to sh**t someone who means something to you. Your lover, maybe. Or your friends on campus."
"Stop. Don't do it again, please."
"You have to marry me now."
I took a deep breath. I've had enough of today's horrific massacre. I didn't want to see any more bl**d. Especially if it was because of me.
"Okay. I'll marry you."
"Good choice."
I watched Joshua lower his hands to his sides. But the g*n was still in his grip. He wasn't letting down his guard one bit. And that meant he was likely going to sh**t someone else if I tried to ruin this wedding.
S**t!
I was caught up in this bl**dy drama.
"Now, father."
Father Robert's voice was shaking as he began to read from his thick book. I barely caught a word of it. My mind was elsewhere. I replayed the memory of waking up this morning with renewed vigor and happiness for my mother. I was so proud to wear this white dress. My first fancy dress. I had intended to keep it and wear it to my graduation party in six months. But right now, all I wanted to do was take this bl**dy dress off my body and throw it away. I would not keep the dress that had been a silent witness to my mother's mu**er.
"Fiona."
Joshua looked at me coldly. He gestured for me to say my piece after Father Robert repeated his words.
"I. I."
My tongue was numb. I couldn't. This was wrong. So wrong. I shouldn't have married my future stepfather.
"Say it," Joshua hissed in my ear.
"I. I do."
Chapter 4 FOUR. FIONA
What had I just done? I had just made the most fatal mistake of my life.
"I pronounce you husband and wife."
There was no applause. There was only a tense silence between us.
"You may k**s your wife," Father Robert said hesitantly.
At that time He clearly knew that I married Joshua Craig at gunpoint and in front of dozens of corpses, one of which was my mother's corpse. Ironic.
"I will k**s you."
I turned my face away. Joshua gripped my chin tightly and forced me to look at him.
"We need to seal our vows with a k**s."
"Bullshit."
I wasn't an innocent girl who would be scared or have her heart pounded when a stranger ki**ed my lips. I felt nothing but anger and sadness mixed together in my heart. I remembered Joshua smirking at me, and I hated it. I hated his lips ki**ing mine.
"F**k! You bit me."
Joshua's head snapped back. He cursed at me as he wiped his bl**ding lip.
"I told you I don't want to be ki**ed by you."
"I'll make you pay dearly for what you did to me. I don't have time to deal with a spoiled girl like you right now. There are bodies to shovel and bury. Let's go."
"Where are you taking me?"
"Home. You're not safe here."
"In fact, I'll never be safe with you."
"You'll be safe as long as you use my last name. I'll make sure they won't touch a single hair on your head."
"Really? What happened to my mother showed otherwise."
"Too bad, Katherine no longer has my last name. And you, you're Fiona Craig now."
I snorted in disgust, hearing my name come out of his mouth along with his last name. It was the most disgusting and ridiculous name ever.
"What about my mother? I need to give her a proper burial."
"Someone will take care of it. We have to go now."
God. I stepped on the bodies that were strewn along the church aisle. Tears filled my eyes again as I passed my mother's body.
"Mom."
I wanted to stop to hug her, but Joshua kept dragging me out of this place.
"At least, let me see my mother one last time."
"She's dead. It won't make any difference to your mother."
"But it does make a difference to me. I want to hug her one last time."
"Get in the car."
Joshua jerked open the car door before shoving me into his shiny sports car. Before closing the door, he took something out of his pocket, then threw it into my lap.
"Your wedding ring. I want you to wear it right now."
And he slammed the door shut hard right in front of my face.
Tsk, so romantic. How could my mother look so happy when she was about to marry a cruel monster like him?
"Are you deaf? I want you to wear the ring right now."
"Can't you just not force me or yell at me for once? I don't want to wear this ring. The marriage is invalid. You threatened me with a g*n."
"The marriage is valid and has been registered in the civil registry. You will get a copy of the document tomorrow afternoon, at the latest."
Joshua grabbed my left hand, then quickly put the diamond ring on my finger.
Da**it!
The ring was perfectly attached to my finger and could not be removed. I was sure the ring was supposed to be for my mother and fit her finger size. However, my and my mom's dress sizes were about the same for the past two years. I assumed our fingers were the same size too.
"Never take off that ring as long as you are my wife."
"Or what?"
"Or I will make you regret challenging me."
The car roared softly before speeding away, leaving the churchyard in chaos. I was sure Joshua's car had run over several bodies on its way out of the churchyard.
I hoped all of this was just a nightmare that would disappear when I woke up. I hoped my mother never met Joshua and owed him.
"My mother never told me about the debt."
"I bet she didn't."
"How much did my mother owe you all this time? I will pay it off."
"Your mother couldn't even pay it off until she decided to sell herself to me."
"I will pay it off in installments. I promise, I won't run away. How much does my mother owe you?"
"Five million dollars."
I was shocked to hear the amount Joshua mentioned. Five million dollars. What did Mom do with that much money?
"You must be lying. My college tuition wasn't that much. If my mother had five million dollars, she wouldn't work in a club day and night."
"She screwed a customer three years ago. The customer reported her to the police. Your mother would be in prison unless she paid nearly four million dollars in fines and penalties."
"That's crazy. What did my mother do wrong to have to pay that much?"
"She hit him over the head with a beer bottle while he was groping her a*s."
"And they sentenced my mother instead of that pervert?"
"He wasn't just any man. He definitely had the power to make your mother miserable."
"Then why did my mother's debt reach five million dollars if the fine she had to pay was only four million dollars?"
"All those expensive jewelry and dresses weren't free. She was supposed to marry me, but she died, and the marriage failed."
"You d**n ba**ard," I clenched my fists in my lap.
"This world is crazy. The rich oppress the poor like us. And you, you're no different. You take advantage of my mother's weakness for your own pleasure."
"Just take your fate as the poor."
Da**it!
I hate this Craig guy.
I wanted my life back in peace. I wanted my mother back. The diamond ring on my finger was like mocking my bad luck. I had just married a psychopath in a bl**d-stained dress, and my wedding was witnessed by bodies strewn across the church floor. Wow. This wedding should be in the Guinness World Record. This was the scariest wedding of all time.
"I don't know who you are. Are you something? Someone famous? A billionaire? What?"
"Lident. Ever heard of that name?"
I shook my head. Forgive my limited knowledge. My twenty-four hours were spent studying at college, working at an ice cream shop, and working on papers from my professors. I didn't have time to think about anything else. Especially about a name like Lident.
"This is the first time I've heard that name."
"Chicago Outfit."
Wait. I think I know that. I saw a documentary in college about mafia clans around the world. One of them was the Chicago Outfit.
What?
Did he just say Chicago Outfit.
"I guess you already know who I am."
My neck stiffly turned to face him. This Craig guy was smirking at me with a very thick arrogance emanating from his entire body.
"You. Don't tell me you're a Don."
"Congratulations, baby. You just married a Don."
Chapter 5 FIVE. FIONA
I wished this was April Fool's Day. I wished it was all a dream. The worst nightmare ever. I wished it was just part of a reality show prank where the crew likes to create weird prank scenarios and set up hidden cameras on street corners.
I waited for them all to come out of hiding, laughing and showing off some of their cameras. And the guy next to me would probably be the one laughing the hardest because he managed to f**l me in his annoying charade. But after almost an hour of driving in silence, not a single member of the TV crew came forward to tell me that this was all a prank. There were no hidden cameras. There were no bad actors assigned to f**l their target, which was me.
"We're here."
"Where are we?"
"Home. Get off."
Home? This place didn't look like a home at all. It was a beach house built on a steep cliff. Down below, I could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. It was the perfect place for a vacation or a way to unwind from the stresses of life. However, this place was definitely not the home I had imagined.
"I have my own house and life. I have to finish my final paper before my graduation in six months. I can't stay here."
"I don't have time to talk about your life right now. Come on."
Joshua grabbed my wrist tightly and half dragged me up to the porch of his house. This place was very quiet. There were no men in black suits with full weapons guarding this place. Joshua took the key from under the pot, then opened the door in a hurry. He was very alert. Joshua always looked back to make sure none of the masked men were following us.
I was pulled into the house before Joshua closed the door with the tip of his heel. The humid air mixed with the scent of new furniture infiltrated my sense of smell. This place seemed like a vacation home. There were no photos or decorations on the walls. The living room was standard with a set of sofas, a coffee table, and a Persian rug.
"I want to go back to my own house. There are many things we need to talk about."
"I believe there is. But like I told you earlier, I don't have time to talk about your s**t life right now. And about the house, you're my wife now. So you'll be staying at my house."
"Haha, funny. Don't tell me I'll be sl**ping in your room too," I folded my arms across my ch**t.
He didn't laugh at all. He stared at me coldly, as if I were a flat freak from Mars.
So am I right? I'm going to sl**p in his room? With him?
No s**t!
"Let's go."
"Hey, where are you taking me?"
I struggled as Joshua dragged me toward the stairs. I was gripped by fear at the thought of what was going to happen next. There was no one in this house but the two of us. And the location of this house was so remote. I didn't even see another house within a mile radius. No one would help me if Joshua ra**d me, then ki**ed me, and threw my body into the sea.
"Hey, you're hurting my arm. You've been holding it so tight since the church."
"I have a name, and I'm your husband. Show me some respect."
"You don't deserve my respect at all. I don't want this marriage. Give me back my peaceful life. Give me back my mother!"
I don't know where the urge came from, but I hit Joshua's arm hard. He didn't flinch at all. His body was three times bigger than mine with very hard muscles. I was only as tall as his neck with my hellish ten-centimeter pointed heels. He was like a giant compared to my petite body. My punches barely had any effect other than tickling. But at least, I tried to defend myself. I wouldn't just stand by while someone else crushed my life into dust.
"Enough, Fiona!"
Joshua grabbed my wrist before throwing me onto the bed.
"You stay here. Don't try to escape or you will face the consequences."
"Where are you going? Joshua?! Don't leave me here."
I stood up with difficulty and almost tripped over the train of my dress as I tried to chase Joshua who had just locked the door to this room. I banged on the door loudly, screaming and cu**ing as hard as I could, but Joshua still didn't respond to me. I heard his loud footsteps moving away from this room and down the stairs.
"Da**it! You d**n ba**ard! Get me out of here, Joshua Craig!"
I ran to the window. Joshua's car left the beach house yard and disappeared around the corner. I was completely alone in this house. That d**n man probably wanted to k**l me slowly here.
But no. I wasn't going to give up so easily.
I banged on the window so hard that my palms turned red. The d**n window was locked. I rushed to the bathroom to find another escape route, but again I had to swallow my disappointment because the bathroom had no windows. The ventilation came from a vent with iron bars the size of a mouse. My body couldn't possibly fit in there. This house seemed like it was prepared to lock someone up.
Was Joshua going to lock my mother up here once they were officially married?
Da**it
That man was truly terrifying. I didn't understand why Mom had to deal with a man like Joshua and even intended to marry him. Mom never even told me about the debts.
I fell down on the bed. Suddenly, I felt incredibly tired. I leaned my back against the headboard and hugged my knees to my ch**t. I had just had a long and bl**dy day. I never imagined that such a terrible thing would happen to me.
"Mom. Why did you leave me like this? I love you."
Tears streamed down my cheeks. Memories of my mother for the past ten years flooded my mind. I wanted to see her and hold her hand. I wished I could give her a proper burial. I wanted to bury her next to my father's grave.
"Rest in peace, Mom. I love you."
&1&
"Mom, you look so beautiful."
My mother smiled. "You look beautiful in your new dress too. I wish I could see you in dresses more often, instead of jeans and a plaid shirt or a hoodie."
"Mom. You promised not to comment on my style anymore," I snorted.
My mother laughed, and the makeup artist almost smeared lipstick on her cheek because she moved around.
"Sorry. But seriously, you look so beautiful in that white satin dress."
"Thanks, mom. I feel like a princess today."
I stared at my mother's reflection in the mirror. She looked so happy in her white wedding dress with a train that hung very long on the floor. My mother wore a diamond tiara on her head. A makeup artist was applying nude lipstick to her full, exotic lips. This was the first time I had seen my mother this happy since my father died ten years ago. I almost thought my mother would never be happy again after my father died, but I was wrong. After ten years of draining emotions and tears, my mother finally got her happiness back.
"Fiona, you go to church first. Joshua's driver will pick me up and take me to church."
"Aren't we going to church together?"
"Seriously, there's no way I'm going to church in your beat-up Ford."
"Yeah, even though it's beat-up, it's been with me for three years. And so far, I'm fine with it," I snorted.
My mother always scoffed at my car, but she couldn't even afford to buy me a new one. I bought the car with my own money, the money I earned from working part-time for three full years. My mother had been working as a barmaid since my father died. Her salary wasn't much and was only enough to meet our daily needs.
But ever since my mother started dating Joshua Craig, her life started to change. I often saw my mother coming home with lots of paper bags from famous boutiques. Sometimes, my mother would come home with a lot of food, which I am sure she would not be able to afford with her salary. The food came from a five-star restaurant, which could cost more than three months salary.
Last week my mother also showed me a diamond necklace and a ring. My mother was very happy to have a rich boyfriend. I had never met her boyfriend, because he never got out of the car every time he took my mother home. But I was sure he was very rich because he always came in a luxury car. No wonder my mother made fun of my old car.
"Fiona, why are you daydreaming there? Go to church."
I blinked twice. My mother looked at me in annoyance. The woman who did my mother's makeup had already left the room. She was very quiet. She didn't say a word while doing my mother's makeup.
"Okay, I'll go to church now."
I walked over to my mother and hugged her. Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged her tightly.
"I'm happy for you, Mom."
"Thank you. I hope you'll stay with me after I marry Joshua."
"No, I'm fine staying here. This is Dad's house full of memories."
My tears dripped down my cheeks. This felt like my last hug with my mother, even though we would still see each other after she married her lover. My mother said she would see me often. However, I was a bit unsure about that. If her husband was that rich, Mom would definitely have a lot of new activities after marrying him.
"Let me know if you change your mind. Joshua doesn't mind you staying with us."
I released my hug and smiled softly at her.
"I want to be an independent woman. After I graduate from law school, I will apply for a job at a law firm and become a lawyer like I have always dreamed of. I might move out of town. Maybe LA, New York, I don't know."
"I am proud of you, honey. I am lucky to have you. If your Daddy were with us, he would say the same thing. You are the light of his life."
God!
Her words were like onions, making my tears well up in my eyes. My tears flowed even faster down my cheeks. And I didn't want my mother to get married today. I wanted to take back my words last week when my mom told me that Joshua proposed to her and that he wanted to marry her as soon as possible.
"Don't cry. Go to church now. Joshua's driver will be here any minute."
I wiped my tears with a tissue and nodded. I waved at my mom at the door, then walked straight to my car parked in our yard.
There it was, my beat-up car. The red 2008 Ford Edge that I loved so much. This car had taken me to many places and witnessed countless naughties. I was once ticketed by the police for driving over the speed limit.
"Hey buddy, even though Mom called you a beat-up car, you're still the best. Let's go."
I climbed into the car and started the engine. Before leaving, I looked at my house and sighed softly. The house would be so quiet without my mother's voice.
-00-
My car entered the yard of the largest church in Miami. This church was built with white marble and looked very striking among the luxurious hotels that stood on the beach. According to rumors, only certain people could get married in this church. And it seemed that my mother's future husband was one of them.
Two burly men dressed in black from head to toe stopped my car in front of the church gate. Each of them carried a long-barreled g*n. And I just realized that all the men standing in the yard of this church were carrying guns in their hands. They were all wearing the same clothes. All black. Their faces were cold and stiff.
"Open the window."
I lowered my window and looked at the burly man with a frown.
"I'm Fiona Osborn. I'm going to attend the wedding of Katherine Osborn and Joshua Craig."
"She's her daughter," another man spoke to the man who knocked on my car window.
"She's on the guest list. The boss told you to take her straight into the church."
"Okay."
I snorted at how rude they were. They talked about me as if I wasn't there.
"Hey, can I park my car and go inside the church?" I asked in exasperation.
"Leave your car here. I'll take you inside the church."
"Why can't I park my own car?"
"Please just do as I say. Get out of your car now."
I huffed and grabbed my white purse from the passenger seat. These people were weird. I'd never been to a wedding with such strict rules. What kind of man was my mom going to marry? I probably made the right decision to stay at Dad's house after she married Joshua Craig because my future stepfather was a weirdo.
"Stretch out your arms."
"What?"
Before I could process what the man was saying, someone suddenly stretched out my arms from behind. I let out a startled yelp and turned around. Another man in a suit came over and started scanning my entire body with a red laser wand.
"What the h**l?"
"This is standard procedure."
"Get your hands off my body. You're stealing the opportunity to grope me, huh?"
The man said nothing. His expression remained cold as he groped my hips, even my bu**ocks. I felt like I was being violated.
"I'll report you to the police for this rudeness."
"She's clear. Bring her in."
"Do you think I'm carrying a weapon, huh?"
The man who had knocked on my car window earlier grabbed my elbow and half dragged me towards the main door of the church. The men who had checked me had already dispersed. They returned to their respective places and stood stiffly like statues.
"I don't understand, why did you have to do all that?"
"You'll understand later."
The man released his grip on my elbow once we were standing right in front of the church door. He spoke through the walkie-talkie, and soon the giant door swung open.
I was stunned to see the magnificent interior of the church. The interior was a combination of white marble and gold plating. The ceiling of the church was decorated with paintings with a giant dome made of pure gold. Yeah, I'm sure it was pure gold. It was so dazzling to my eyes from where I was standing now. A long red carpet stretched all the way to the altar. A giant crucifix became the background of the priest's pulpit with various intricate carvings decorating every wall. I thought the carvings were the entire story of Jesus's life before he was crucified by his traitorous followers.
"Your seat is on the second pew on the right."
"Excuse me?"
"Go to your seat and don't make any noise."
I thought the man would escort me to my seat, but he just left after saying a series of words thick with a commanding tone.
He was so annoying.
This marriage sucks.
Mom never told me that her wedding would be this strange. Yeah, mom also never told me in detail about her future husband. All mom showed me so far were expensive gifts from him and all the luxuries that man had.
I walked to my seat awkwardly. The armed men standing in every corner of the church stared at me as if I was the most dangerous prisoner in the world.
"Are you Fiona? Katherine's daughter?"
A pair of the shiniest black shoes I had ever seen stopped in front of me. I looked up and found a man in a tuxedo staring at me intently. His eyes were deep blue, like the ocean at night. My gazes shifted to the left, to the small flower pinned to his jacket pocket. My breath hitched as I realized who the man I was talking to was. He was my future stepfather! He was Joshua Craig.
Chapter 2 TWO. FIONA
"I am. You must be my mother's future husband."
"Go to your seat. The wedding is about to begin."
I gaped in disbelief at his friendliness. On the contrary, he was very cold and even more annoying than his men. He turned around and gave me a view of his straight back as he walked towards the priest.
This was the most sh**ty wedding in my life. I don't know what was going through my mother's mind when she accepted that cold man to be her husband. My father was a warm and humorous man. I was pretty sure my mother's ideal type was a man like my father, not an icy man with ocean-blue eyes like Joshua Craig. Something must be wrong here. Maybe my mother was under the influence of al**hol when she said yes to him. Or maybe my mother was under the threat of a g*n. It seemed very possible considering all the armed men filling this place.
My b**t landed right on the pew that had my name written on it. I sat next to a middle-aged woman who was busy with her cellphone. From her style, she looked like old-money. She was wearing a black long-sleeved dress with swarovski stones sprinkled on her ch**t to waist. Her fingers were full of diamond rings and she wore a gold bracelet that was very dazzling. The other guests looked just as glamorous as the woman next to me. They were wearing expensive tuxedos or expensive dresses with flashy jewelry adorning their bodies. Maybe I was the only poor girl here. The dress I was wearing was even a gift from my mother's future husband. There was no way I could afford this expensive dress with my salary as a waitress at an ice cream shop.
"Boss, the bride has arrived."
"Let's start the wedding now, father."
Everyone straightened their backs and put their phones into their bags or pockets as Joshua Craig spoke to the priest. Classical music began to be played by an orchestra in the right corner of the hall. The atmosphere instantly turned silent and sacred.
I turned to see my mother walking down the aisle holding a bouquet of white lilies. Her face was beaming, and her gaze was only focused on Joshua Craig, who was standing stiffly beside the priest. I began to doubt if my mother said yes to him under threat. My mother would not look that happy if this was a forced marriage.
I wished I could wave at my mother and give her a flying k**s. I was happy for her, even though she married a strange man like Joshua Craig.
Bang!
Bang!
It happened so fast. The white dress that my mother was so proud of this morning suddenly turned red. Bl**d seeped all over her dress. The happiness on her face quickly faded, replaced by a blank stare before my mother fell to the church floor with a thud.
"Mom!"
My voice was drowned out by the deafening sound of gunfire around me. Someone grabbed my wrist and forced me to duck under a pew. The gunfire didn't stop. I saw people being shot dead in cold bl**d. The beautiful marble floor turned into a horrific sea of bl**d.
"Let go of me!"
My heart was pounding so hard in my ribcage. A man who was hiding under a pew, six feet away from me, was suddenly pulled out of his hiding place. He was shot right in the forehead by a masked man before being thrown to the floor.
My palms covered my mouth tightly before I screamed hysterically. The shooting scene was real. Everything that I usually only saw in action movies suddenly really happened before my eyes.
"We've ki**ed the bride. What else should we do?"
"Our boss will be very happy if we can k**l Craig Junior. Get him now."
The masked men were standing very close to where I was hiding. My heart was pounding so hard. Most of the guests had fallen victim to their brutality. The middle-aged woman who had been sitting next to me was nowhere to be found. I hoped she was okay and did not become one of the victims of the shooting.
"Look, what I found down here?"
I gulped nervously. A voice came from behind my back. I didn't have time to turn to see who it was because suddenly he grabbed my elbow and forced me to stand up.
"Let me go. You d**n cruel people. You ki**ed my mother."
I struggled as the masked man dragged me to the altar. I just realized that the condition of this church was worse than terrible. From under the pews, I saw a sea of bl**d, but from the altar, I saw a sea of bl**d with piles of corpses. Many were dead and many were injured. Joshua's surviving men looked overwhelmed by the attacks of the masked men. No one looked at me, or even intended to save me from these masked men. The few guests who survived and were hiding under the pews could do nothing but look at me sympathetically.
"What did my mother do wrong? Why did you k**l her?"
"Who is your mother?"
Tears welled up in my eyes. My mother's body lay in the aisle, in a pool of her own bl**d. The bouquet of white lilies she was holding was thrown a few inches from her hand and turned red.
"You ki**ed her on her wedding day."
"Oh, so you're the bride's daughter, huh? Too bad your mother had to die in the middle of this war. She probably never did anything wrong to our boss. Her only mistake was marrying Joshua Craig."
"If you have a problem with Joshua Craig, settle it with him instead of killing my mother!"
I tried to j**k free from the man's grip on my elbow. He squeezed harder, even pulling my hair. The braid I had worked so hard to make this morning broke, and my hair tie fell to the floor. My dark hair fell in a mess down my back and face.
"Listen, you don't know anything. Joshua Craig has caused trouble with our boss. He deserves this. You'll be joining your mother in h**l soon."
"Let me go, you ba**ard!"
Tears welled up in my eyes. But this time it was from the pain that was shooting through my scalp. The ba**ard was pulling my hair hard and pressing the muzzle of his g*n to my temple.
"Look at all this horror. Record this event well in your head before you meet your maker."
"Ba**ard. If I become a ghost, I will haunt you and k**l you."
I closed my eyes as I heard the soft click of the g*n pressed against my temple. I was going to die. It wouldn't be so bad because my father and mother were waiting for me in heaven. We would be together again and become the most harmonious family in heaven.
Bang!
Something warm splashed onto my face and the man's grip on my hair was released. I hurriedly opened my eyes and was shocked to find the man collapsed at my feet with a gaping hole in his head.
He died? How could that be?
When I turned to my right, I found Joshua Craig standing about five feet away from me. His hand was holding a g*n. He didn't look as shiny as he did a few minutes ago. His suit was wrinkled and stained with bl**d. He stared at me with his blue eyes for a few heartbeats before gripping my arm tightly.
"Move. You have to hide. They're still roaming around here."
"What exactly happened? Why did they sh**t all of us?"
Joshua didn't answer, instead, he pushed me behind the pulpit. The priest was surprised to see us. He was cowering in fear behind the pulpit while muttering a prayer.
"Pray with Father Robert here. Ask God for their death."
Joshua pressed my shoulder to duck under the pulpit before leaving me with the priest.
I rarely pray. I didn't know what the priest was chanting in his mouth. He was still muttering while holding the cross hanging around his neck. I wanted to ask him what he was chanting, but he seemed too frightened to make a sound. I was afraid the priest would faint from fear. His face was so pale. And I was sure his hands were very cold.
I didn't know when it would end or who would win. Joshua wasn't coming back. He hadn't even promised to come back. The masked men had probably already shot him and were celebrating his death.
Chapter 3 THREE. FIONA
Gunshots rang out several times before it suddenly went silent. I was te**ted to peek, but the priest shook his head and motioned for me to stay behind the pulpit.
"Do you think it's over, father?"
"I don't know. May good triumph and evil disappear from the earth forever."
It was hard to tell who was good and who was bad. The masked men had said that Joshua had angered their boss. That meant Joshua had made a very fatal mistake before the men were sent to k**l him.
"Stand up."
I yelped in surprise as someone grabbed my elbow and forced me to stand up.
"Wh-what happened? Are they dead? Is it over?"
Joshua pulled me out of my hiding place. I limped along following his wide steps. My heels stepped on the puddle of bl**d on the floor and it splashed onto the hem of my dress.
Yikes. I wanted to take this dress off and throw it away as soon as possible.
"Stand here."
"What are you going to do?"
"Father Robert, come out. You're safe. Those people are dead."
Father Robert came out of his hiding place hesitantly. Like me, he was horrified by the chaos that had occurred in his church. This holy place had been turned into a bl**dbath.
"Come here, father. We need you."
"What are you going to do? Let me go."
"Shut up," he snapped at me loudly.
I saw anger, exhaustion, and pain, mixed together on his face. He had a bruise under his chin. How many of his men were ki**ed in the firefight today? How much material damage did he suffer?
Tch, why should I worry about him? I had many more important things to worry about. It started with what would happen to me in the next second? How would I cope with my grief over my mother's tragic death?
"We're getting married, father. Please do it quickly."
"Marry? Are you crazy? I don't want to marry you. You should be my stepfather, not my husband."
"I don't accept rejection."
"And I also don't accept coercion. I don't want to marry you."
Something cold suddenly pressed against my ribs. I looked over my shoulder and found the muzzle of his g*n pressing even tighter against my ribs.
"You have to replace your mother as payment for the debt."
"What debt?"
"As expected, your mother didn't tell you," Joshua grinned.
"I-I don't understand."
"Your mother owed me three years ago. She couldn't pay it when it was due. This marriage is a means to pay the debt."
"Bulls**t. That's impossible. My mother doesn't owe anyone."
"Really? What about your education costs all this time? Where do you think your mother got the money to pay for it, huh?"
No. That's impossible. Mom said the money was from her hard work all this time. Mom couldn't possibly owe this horrible man.
"So, you have to replace her to pay her debt to me. You have to marry me today."
-00-
I was still processing what Joshua had just said to me when he roughly pulled my arm to stand at the altar. Father Robert stood in front of us with a thick book in his hand. He looked at me and Joshua in turn.
"Do it now, father. I want to take my bride away from here immediately."
"I'm not your bride."
"Don't make me regret saving you from those ba**ards."
My ribs hurt. Joshua deliberately pressed the muzzle of his g*n tightly. He glared at me.
"Now, father."
"No. I don't want to marry you. Are you deaf, huh?"
Joshua stared at me sharply. His blue eyes turned darker and scarier. I refused to tremble under his intense gaze. Even though this man had saved me from this massacre, it didn't mean I would obey his orders.
"Fine. You have to learn that every rebellion you make will have a price."
Bang!
I screamed in surprise and covered my mouth with my palm. Joshua had just shot one of his men in the leg. The man groaned loudly and fell to the floor holding his bl**ding right leg.
"You see that? He will die if you try to reject me again."
"What are you doing? Why did you sh**t your own men?"
I stared at his palm, which was holding the g*n, in horror. He could sh**t anyone and anytime because of me.
ME!
Oh my God, how could this happen to me?
"This is just the beginning. Next time I won't hesitate to sh**t someone who means something to you. Your lover, maybe. Or your friends on campus."
"Stop. Don't do it again, please."
"You have to marry me now."
I took a deep breath. I've had enough of today's horrific massacre. I didn't want to see any more bl**d. Especially if it was because of me.
"Okay. I'll marry you."
"Good choice."
I watched Joshua lower his hands to his sides. But the g*n was still in his grip. He wasn't letting down his guard one bit. And that meant he was likely going to sh**t someone else if I tried to ruin this wedding.
S**t!
I was caught up in this bl**dy drama.
"Now, father."
Father Robert's voice was shaking as he began to read from his thick book. I barely caught a word of it. My mind was elsewhere. I replayed the memory of waking up this morning with renewed vigor and happiness for my mother. I was so proud to wear this white dress. My first fancy dress. I had intended to keep it and wear it to my graduation party in six months. But right now, all I wanted to do was take this bl**dy dress off my body and throw it away. I would not keep the dress that had been a silent witness to my mother's mu**er.
"Fiona."
Joshua looked at me coldly. He gestured for me to say my piece after Father Robert repeated his words.
"I. I."
My tongue was numb. I couldn't. This was wrong. So wrong. I shouldn't have married my future stepfather.
"Say it," Joshua hissed in my ear.
"I. I do."
Chapter 4 FOUR. FIONA
What had I just done? I had just made the most fatal mistake of my life.
"I pronounce you husband and wife."
There was no applause. There was only a tense silence between us.
"You may k**s your wife," Father Robert said hesitantly.
At that time He clearly knew that I married Joshua Craig at gunpoint and in front of dozens of corpses, one of which was my mother's corpse. Ironic.
"I will k**s you."
I turned my face away. Joshua gripped my chin tightly and forced me to look at him.
"We need to seal our vows with a k**s."
"Bullshit."
I wasn't an innocent girl who would be scared or have her heart pounded when a stranger ki**ed my lips. I felt nothing but anger and sadness mixed together in my heart. I remembered Joshua smirking at me, and I hated it. I hated his lips ki**ing mine.
"F**k! You bit me."
Joshua's head snapped back. He cursed at me as he wiped his bl**ding lip.
"I told you I don't want to be ki**ed by you."
"I'll make you pay dearly for what you did to me. I don't have time to deal with a spoiled girl like you right now. There are bodies to shovel and bury. Let's go."
"Where are you taking me?"
"Home. You're not safe here."
"In fact, I'll never be safe with you."
"You'll be safe as long as you use my last name. I'll make sure they won't touch a single hair on your head."
"Really? What happened to my mother showed otherwise."
"Too bad, Katherine no longer has my last name. And you, you're Fiona Craig now."
I snorted in disgust, hearing my name come out of his mouth along with his last name. It was the most disgusting and ridiculous name ever.
"What about my mother? I need to give her a proper burial."
"Someone will take care of it. We have to go now."
God. I stepped on the bodies that were strewn along the church aisle. Tears filled my eyes again as I passed my mother's body.
"Mom."
I wanted to stop to hug her, but Joshua kept dragging me out of this place.
"At least, let me see my mother one last time."
"She's dead. It won't make any difference to your mother."
"But it does make a difference to me. I want to hug her one last time."
"Get in the car."
Joshua jerked open the car door before shoving me into his shiny sports car. Before closing the door, he took something out of his pocket, then threw it into my lap.
"Your wedding ring. I want you to wear it right now."
And he slammed the door shut hard right in front of my face.
Tsk, so romantic. How could my mother look so happy when she was about to marry a cruel monster like him?
"Are you deaf? I want you to wear the ring right now."
"Can't you just not force me or yell at me for once? I don't want to wear this ring. The marriage is invalid. You threatened me with a g*n."
"The marriage is valid and has been registered in the civil registry. You will get a copy of the document tomorrow afternoon, at the latest."
Joshua grabbed my left hand, then quickly put the diamond ring on my finger.
Da**it!
The ring was perfectly attached to my finger and could not be removed. I was sure the ring was supposed to be for my mother and fit her finger size. However, my and my mom's dress sizes were about the same for the past two years. I assumed our fingers were the same size too.
"Never take off that ring as long as you are my wife."
"Or what?"
"Or I will make you regret challenging me."
The car roared softly before speeding away, leaving the churchyard in chaos. I was sure Joshua's car had run over several bodies on its way out of the churchyard.
I hoped all of this was just a nightmare that would disappear when I woke up. I hoped my mother never met Joshua and owed him.
"My mother never told me about the debt."
"I bet she didn't."
"How much did my mother owe you all this time? I will pay it off."
"Your mother couldn't even pay it off until she decided to sell herself to me."
"I will pay it off in installments. I promise, I won't run away. How much does my mother owe you?"
"Five million dollars."
I was shocked to hear the amount Joshua mentioned. Five million dollars. What did Mom do with that much money?
"You must be lying. My college tuition wasn't that much. If my mother had five million dollars, she wouldn't work in a club day and night."
"She screwed a customer three years ago. The customer reported her to the police. Your mother would be in prison unless she paid nearly four million dollars in fines and penalties."
"That's crazy. What did my mother do wrong to have to pay that much?"
"She hit him over the head with a beer bottle while he was groping her a*s."
"And they sentenced my mother instead of that pervert?"
"He wasn't just any man. He definitely had the power to make your mother miserable."
"Then why did my mother's debt reach five million dollars if the fine she had to pay was only four million dollars?"
"All those expensive jewelry and dresses weren't free. She was supposed to marry me, but she died, and the marriage failed."
"You d**n ba**ard," I clenched my fists in my lap.
"This world is crazy. The rich oppress the poor like us. And you, you're no different. You take advantage of my mother's weakness for your own pleasure."
"Just take your fate as the poor."
Da**it!
I hate this Craig guy.
I wanted my life back in peace. I wanted my mother back. The diamond ring on my finger was like mocking my bad luck. I had just married a psychopath in a bl**d-stained dress, and my wedding was witnessed by bodies strewn across the church floor. Wow. This wedding should be in the Guinness World Record. This was the scariest wedding of all time.
"I don't know who you are. Are you something? Someone famous? A billionaire? What?"
"Lident. Ever heard of that name?"
I shook my head. Forgive my limited knowledge. My twenty-four hours were spent studying at college, working at an ice cream shop, and working on papers from my professors. I didn't have time to think about anything else. Especially about a name like Lident.
"This is the first time I've heard that name."
"Chicago Outfit."
Wait. I think I know that. I saw a documentary in college about mafia clans around the world. One of them was the Chicago Outfit.
What?
Did he just say Chicago Outfit.
"I guess you already know who I am."
My neck stiffly turned to face him. This Craig guy was smirking at me with a very thick arrogance emanating from his entire body.
"You. Don't tell me you're a Don."
"Congratulations, baby. You just married a Don."
Chapter 5 FIVE. FIONA
I wished this was April Fool's Day. I wished it was all a dream. The worst nightmare ever. I wished it was just part of a reality show prank where the crew likes to create weird prank scenarios and set up hidden cameras on street corners.
I waited for them all to come out of hiding, laughing and showing off some of their cameras. And the guy next to me would probably be the one laughing the hardest because he managed to f**l me in his annoying charade. But after almost an hour of driving in silence, not a single member of the TV crew came forward to tell me that this was all a prank. There were no hidden cameras. There were no bad actors assigned to f**l their target, which was me.
"We're here."
"Where are we?"
"Home. Get off."
Home? This place didn't look like a home at all. It was a beach house built on a steep cliff. Down below, I could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. It was the perfect place for a vacation or a way to unwind from the stresses of life. However, this place was definitely not the home I had imagined.
"I have my own house and life. I have to finish my final paper before my graduation in six months. I can't stay here."
"I don't have time to talk about your life right now. Come on."
Joshua grabbed my wrist tightly and half dragged me up to the porch of his house. This place was very quiet. There were no men in black suits with full weapons guarding this place. Joshua took the key from under the pot, then opened the door in a hurry. He was very alert. Joshua always looked back to make sure none of the masked men were following us.
I was pulled into the house before Joshua closed the door with the tip of his heel. The humid air mixed with the scent of new furniture infiltrated my sense of smell. This place seemed like a vacation home. There were no photos or decorations on the walls. The living room was standard with a set of sofas, a coffee table, and a Persian rug.
"I want to go back to my own house. There are many things we need to talk about."
"I believe there is. But like I told you earlier, I don't have time to talk about your s**t life right now. And about the house, you're my wife now. So you'll be staying at my house."
"Haha, funny. Don't tell me I'll be sl**ping in your room too," I folded my arms across my ch**t.
He didn't laugh at all. He stared at me coldly, as if I were a flat freak from Mars.
So am I right? I'm going to sl**p in his room? With him?
No s**t!
"Let's go."
"Hey, where are you taking me?"
I struggled as Joshua dragged me toward the stairs. I was gripped by fear at the thought of what was going to happen next. There was no one in this house but the two of us. And the location of this house was so remote. I didn't even see another house within a mile radius. No one would help me if Joshua ra**d me, then ki**ed me, and threw my body into the sea.
"Hey, you're hurting my arm. You've been holding it so tight since the church."
"I have a name, and I'm your husband. Show me some respect."
"You don't deserve my respect at all. I don't want this marriage. Give me back my peaceful life. Give me back my mother!"
I don't know where the urge came from, but I hit Joshua's arm hard. He didn't flinch at all. His body was three times bigger than mine with very hard muscles. I was only as tall as his neck with my hellish ten-centimeter pointed heels. He was like a giant compared to my petite body. My punches barely had any effect other than tickling. But at least, I tried to defend myself. I wouldn't just stand by while someone else crushed my life into dust.
"Enough, Fiona!"
Joshua grabbed my wrist before throwing me onto the bed.
"You stay here. Don't try to escape or you will face the consequences."
"Where are you going? Joshua?! Don't leave me here."
I stood up with difficulty and almost tripped over the train of my dress as I tried to chase Joshua who had just locked the door to this room. I banged on the door loudly, screaming and cu**ing as hard as I could, but Joshua still didn't respond to me. I heard his loud footsteps moving away from this room and down the stairs.
"Da**it! You d**n ba**ard! Get me out of here, Joshua Craig!"
I ran to the window. Joshua's car left the beach house yard and disappeared around the corner. I was completely alone in this house. That d**n man probably wanted to k**l me slowly here.
But no. I wasn't going to give up so easily.
I banged on the window so hard that my palms turned red. The d**n window was locked. I rushed to the bathroom to find another escape route, but again I had to swallow my disappointment because the bathroom had no windows. The ventilation came from a vent with iron bars the size of a mouse. My body couldn't possibly fit in there. This house seemed like it was prepared to lock someone up.
Was Joshua going to lock my mother up here once they were officially married?
Da**it
That man was truly terrifying. I didn't understand why Mom had to deal with a man like Joshua and even intended to marry him. Mom never even told me about the debts.
I fell down on the bed. Suddenly, I felt incredibly tired. I leaned my back against the headboard and hugged my knees to my ch**t. I had just had a long and bl**dy day. I never imagined that such a terrible thing would happen to me.
"Mom. Why did you leave me like this? I love you."
Tears streamed down my cheeks. Memories of my mother for the past ten years flooded my mind. I wanted to see her and hold her hand. I wished I could give her a proper burial. I wanted to bury her next to my father's grave.
"Rest in peace, Mom. I love you."
&1&
After being cruelly cast aside, she returned as the long-lost daughter of a billionaire. Her ruthless ex-husband demanded she donate bone marrow to save the son she'd never met. Risking reopening old wounds, she saved the boy. But after it was done, the man wanted to remarry.
=====
My body ached in ways I couldn't describe, and in places I couldn't name. My skin was sticky with perspiration and my muscles were trembling from hours in labor.
'I'm a mother now,' I thought, though my heart still hurt as I lay in the hospital bed, gazing at what could possibly be my greatest fulfillment as a woman.
My heart filled with joy and pride as I watched them-my beautiful boy and girl swaddled beside me. My newborn twins.
But the feeling was almost completely eclipsed by a gnawing sense of unease-one I had become all too acquainted with over the years.
Despite the air conditioner, the sterile room still felt. stifling.
But the coldest presence loomed over me with his broad shoulders and cruelly handsome, emotionless face.
My husband.
He just stood there, regarding me as if I were something to be discarded. Maybe I was.
I mean, I had just delivered our babies, our future, and he couldn't even offer a smile. No words of comfort.
I held my breath, waiting for something-anything-to break the silence, but what came next was the last thing I expected.
When he moved, it wasn't to cradle our children or to brush a tender hand against my hair. Instead, he wordlessly tossed a stack of papers onto my lap.
"Sign them." He ordered, cold and detached.
His words took a moment to register.
I blinked- my eyes still hazy from the exhaustion of pushing two little humans out of me. Sign what? I looked down at the papers, then back at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, what-"
"The divorce papers," he cut in harshly, as though it should've been obvious.
My heart dropped - my stomach twisting painfully.
What?
"Here," His voice was clipped as he tossed me a pen.
His movements were so impatient; one would think all this was an inconvenience to him and not me-who'd just spent the last few hours in labor.
"What-" My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the papers again in disbelief. What was going on? I had literally just given birth to his children. He couldn't be serious.
A divorce?
"I- I don't understand, I just gave birth-" My voice cracked.
"And you're damn lucky those kids are even mine!" His tone oozed with venom.
"I had the doctors run a DNA test the minute they were born." My mouth fell open.
"Had the results shown otherwise. believe me when I say I'd have made you and your lover's life miserable."
I reeled back in shock-the feeling so acute, it was dizzying. He'd done what? My what?
The accusation hit me like a physical blow. My brain scrambled to make sense of the words as I struggled to breathe-my pulse thundering in my ears.
"Alex, what." I choked out. "What lover?" Did he think I'd cheated on him? After I'd spent, practically every second showing him how much he meant to me? "What are you talking about?"
"You're not fooling anyone, Raina." He spat, stepping closer. "Now, sign them."
Tears pricked my eyes.
"Is this some kind of joke?" It had to be! "I don't know what-"
"Oh, spare us the theatrics, Raina! We all know what's been going on." Vanessa, his sister, snarled from a corner of the room, stepping forward-I hadn't even noticed her.
"So do us a favor and stop.f**king.pretending!"
My mind raced. This wasn't happening. No, it really couldn't be happening. Was I in a coma and living my worst nightmare?
"I'm not-" I started, but she flung a pile of photographs at me-some landing haphazardly on the b*d, some fluttering to the floor.
Wincing, I pushed myself into a sitting position and reached for one with trembling hands.
Seeing was difficult through the blur of tears. My breathing was labored, coming out rapid and shallow. "A-Alexander, listen-"
"Enough!" He barked furiously, before I'd even had a chance to see the glossy images. "Stop wasting my time and sign the damn papers, you wh**e!"
A wh**e? Me-his wife?
Where was this from? What was happening?
His words stung-like a needle lodging itself painfully in my ch*st.
Oh God, was he being serious then, about. ending this? Ending us?
Panic clawed at the insides of my throat as I began hyperventilating-my body shaking uncontrollably as the room began to spin.
I clenched the sheets, gasping for air-the heart monitor beeping erratically beside me.
The warning sound of the machine competed with the sharp ringing in my ears and the voice that boomed from the doorway.
"Step back!" A man in scrubs rushed to my side, and a female nurse ushered Alexander and his sister away.
Through my tears, I searched Alexander's face for some flicker of emotion. However little.
Compassion. Concern. Love.
There was none.
All I found was the coldness in his hard features.
'Had I loved the wrong man?' The thought shattered me.
For years, I'd ignored the signs.
His family had hated me from the onset, believing I wasn't good enough for him and undeserving of their prestige. I'd endured their ins*lts and constant belittling.
Several times, his mother had offered me money to disappear before the wedding and I'd declined-my love for him has been just that: Love. Pure and undiluted. I didn't want money.
At every juncture that they'd maligned me and I'd told Alexander, he'd just shrugged.
"That's just the way they are, Raina. They'll come around."
But they never did. And he never defended me.
Not when his sister called me a g*ld-d**ger during our engagement. Not when his father suggested he annul the marriage after our first year.
I stood by him, loving him more despite his family's contempt, their bribes, and verbal ab*se, making excuses all the way for his silence.
But now, he was completely gone.
Or perhaps, he'd never been mine at all.
I'd been forcing myself on him the whole time.
It was painfully clear in that moment how he'd really never loved me. Not the way I'd loved him, anyway.
'What a f**l I've been,' I thought, as the darkness claimed me.
~~~~~
I woke up to the same nightmare.
The beeping of the heart monitor was slower now-more controlled. I blinked slowly, my gaze settling on Vanessa in the far corner of the room-She looked bored.
And my. Alex- Alexander, standing once again at the foot of my bed. Watching. Waiting.
Vanessa, always the Viper, was the first to speak, "Oh good, you're up," She sneered, her eyes gleaming with malice as she pushed away from the wall.
"Now, stop delaying and sign the papers. I have places to be."
My eyes stung. No. it couldn't be real. It couldn't be real. I had to be dreaming.
A tear dropped from my eye and her snarling face became clearer. Why was she even here? She was sure to make matters worse.
"Alex," I whispered, turning to him instead. "Please, can we talk alone? I. This is all a misunderstanding, I'm sure." Desperation choked my words. "Just hear me out."
"No." He glanced at his watch, dismissive. "There's no need. I know all I need to know. We'll talk when our lawyers are involved, so you can save your lies for then."
Oh God. What had happened? In the time between my labor and now. What had changed? My throat constricted as tears welled up in my eyes, my heart shattering into more pieces.
"Please, Alex. You know me. You know I wouldn't do any of this. I've always loved you-only you. I've never been unfaithful."
But he didn't care. He didn't even look at me as he spoke. "Just sign the papers. We're done."
God. He wouldn't even give me an audience after everything?
"Alex." I choked out, my lips trembling, begging him with my eyes to hear me out.
But he just stared hard at me, unflinching, heartless and immovable.
"Please don't make me repeat myself." He ground out, looking as though he was restraining himself from spitting on me.
Tears blurred my vision as I picked up the pen with hands that shook so badly, I could barely scrawl my name-but I did.
What choice did I have? As I finished, I looked over at my newborn twins, finding solace in the fact that I would still have them, at least.
But then in a cruel twist of fate, his mother, whom I had not seen because she'd been right beside me, behind the machines, stepped forward and gestured to my babies, "Take him and let's leave."
My head snapped up in alarm. What?"
"Read the papers." Alexander drawled coldly. "You signed away your parental rights to my son."
My bl**d ran cold. "Alex, no." I couldn't breathe. "H-he's just a baby, you can't take him away from me! You can't-!"
"He's my heir!" His jaw clenched. Then leaning forward, he continued lethally.
"The girl. You can keep her. As a favor. I could take them both, but this way I won't have to worry about her becoming a sl*t like her mother."
I gasped, recoiling. "Alex! How can you say that about our daughter, about me!"
"Your daughter. Yours alone, from henceforth," he said flatly.
"The doctor has said she's unhealthy and may not survive long. I have no need for a liability. Especially one that might turn out to be anything like you."
With that, he turned his back on me-on everything we've had together-and walked out with our son in his arms.
I screamed after him, sobbing uncontrollably, too weak to even get out of b*d. "Alex! Alex please! Alex, don't take him!. Please!"
But he didn't look back.
I collapsed, clutching my baby girl to my chest as the sobs racked my body, the weight of the betrayal crushing me.
Rejected and deserted, I was alone.
Completely and utterly alone.
Chapter 2 ALEXANDER'S POV 002
Five years later.
Exhaustion was eating me alive, gnawing at me day after day.
I'd endured it for five years-five goddamn years of this misery, and it wasn't letting up.
No matter what I did, or how much I tried to drown myself in work or distractions, it lingered.
The divorce papers were signed and filed away like a bad dream, and that was the last time I'd seen her-but her absence was like an open wound that refused to heal.
Don't get me wrong-I didn't miss her. Not like a man missed his woman. H*ll, I didn't even love her anymore.
I just wanted-no, needed to know she was out there, suffering. Raising her child alone, without a penny.
That would've been my only satisfaction in this mess. Instead? I had nothing but f**king silence!
The real issue wasn't even that she'd left after ruining everything-that was a blessing, I'd wanted her gone.
What gnawed me most was her complete disappearance. As if she'd never existed, and that pissed me off more than I could express.
I glanced at the papers on my desk-contracts and reports that once demanded my full attention. Now, they were just a blur.
My focus had been shot for weeks.I rubbed my temples, feeling another headache coming on.
It was the same every day-I went through the motions, pretending to function, but the man I used to be was gone. The job got done, but the p**sion? She'd taken that with her.
I tried day in and day out to lay any thoughts of her to rest, they were toxic as fuck, but I couldn't let it go.
It felt like I couldn't be happy if there was a slight possibility that she could be as well. I needed to know she was hurting like she'd hurt me.
It was even more crazy how she was still f**king me up long after I'd gotten rid of her filth. Her absence was like a ghost haunting me.
My phone rang, the sound pulling me from my bitter thoughts. Silas. My private investigator.
I'd spent a fortune on him over the past three years, trying to track her down, but each time he called, the results were the same.
I picked up the phone, already knowing what he'd say but bracing myself anyway.
"Tell me you have something," I said, skipping the pleasantries. There was a pause, and his hesitation spoke volumes. D**n it.
"Nothing. I'm sorry. It's odd. almost like she's dropped off the face of the earth."
I bit back my frustration. "Then you won't mind joining her, would you?"
I knew I was out of line, but I was desperate.
Silas sighed, already accustomed to my outbursts. "I'm sorry, Alex. I've checked every lead. She's gone. No trace of her or the child. It's like they vanished off-"
"-the face of the earth?" I snapped, slamming my fist on the desk. How infuriating.
The sharp pain momentarily distracted me from my rage. "If you mention that nonsense to me one more time, Silas, I swear."
"I'm telling you, man, I've checked every record-her tracks are covered so well. Maybe she had help. Look, I'll keep digging, but you might want to start considering other options. getting another woman pr**nant so-"
"Don't." I warned, my jaw tightening. I closed my eyes-my grip on the phone almost crushing-breathing through the storm in my ch*st.
"I don't know you to be this incompetent. How hard can it be to find an orphaned woman and a child?" I seethed.
"There's something-find it! I don't f**king pay you to tell me what to do. Do your job! I don't care what it takes. Just find her!" I hung up before he could respond.
Anger surged, filling the hollow space where my heart used to be.
How was it possible that in five years, I hadn't found a trace of her? It felt like she'd wiped herself off the map, and I hated that she'd had the last word like that.
Whereas, I had been left with nothing but a hollow ache in my ch*st and a son in a hospital bed, slipping away with each second.
It wasn't supposed to be this way. She should be out there, struggling-God knows she deserved it. And me?
I deserved the satisfaction of watching it all, knowing she was paying for destroying our family.
Instead, I was stuck in limbo, with my son dying and no sign of the one person who could help him. I hated that such power lay in her hands once again.
Liam needed a sibling-a donor. And only she could provide that.
My hands clenched into fists. I didn't want to father another child just to save one. How would I look at them? Tell them they'd been born just because-
F**k!
I shoved the papers off my desk, sending them flying. None of it mattered. Work didn't matter. Only Liam did.
I decided to leave for the hospital.
I called my assistant in, barely glancing at her as I instructed, "Cancel the rest of my appointments." There was no point in staying. I wasn't going to accomplish anything in this state.
She nodded and left the room quietly. At least someone around here knew when to keep their mouth shut.
I headed straight to the hospital, the familiar smell of antiseptic hitting me as soon as I stepped inside. It made me sick. I'd spent so much time here-three years.
As I approached the corridor leading to Liam's room, I could already hear raised voices-My mother and fiancee, Eliza were arguing again.
"I am not going to spend my productive days babysitting a comatose child, Vivian! I am not his mother! I've said this a hundred times, if you want me to step into that position, you know what to tell your son to do-" Eliza's shrill voice grated on my nerves. God, I was sick of hearing her talk.
My mother, ever the pillar of righteousness, snapped back. "You knew what you were getting into when you got engaged to Alexander! However you act towards Liam now is testament to how you will act when-."
My jaw hardened as I walked past them, not bothering to mask my irritation but definitely not in the mood to get in the middle of their spat.
"You can't keep ignoring this, Alex!" Eliza yelled after me, turning away from my mother as she saw me walk past.
"We've been engaged for three years! Do you really think waiting for Liam to get better is going to change anything?"
I stopped for a moment, then turned to look at her. My jaw working, my eyes piercing into her. She seemed to get the message and her comportment changed from challenging to pleading.
"Alex, please-"
"Alexander, to you." I snapped. I didn't care what she thought she was to me; only important people to me got to shorten my name like that.
It irritated me when she did-and it reminded me too much of the only other woman who'd dared to do so and how much of a phony she turned out to be in the end.
"Your mother keeps pressuring me to step into the role of a mother when we're not even married yet. Liam isn't my responsibility, Alexander. He's yours, he'll only become mine when-"
"Then leave!" I barked. How dare she?
Her eyes widened, "Y-you don't mean that."
I almost laughed. She had no idea.
"I'm sure you know I do," I said, my tone devoid of any warmth. "Yet here you are, still engaged to me. No one's forcing you to be, Eliza."
Her eyes flared, fury rising in her. "You think this is easy for me? You've strung me along for three years. We should've been married by now, but instead, we're stuck in this. this limbo!"
I shrugged. "Liam got sick."
It was my go to response every time she brought this up. I knew how it infuriated her. I derived some pleasure in it.
"You know you're just using him as an excuse to avoid the wedding," she snapped.
"Mind your words," I said coldly. "Like I said, if that's how you feel, perhaps it's time you get out. You're not obligated to stay." The words were sharp, intended to cut.
I didn't love her. Hell, I never had. Eliza was convenient; beautiful, wealthy in her own right, and willing to play the devoted fiancée. But love wasn't in the equation.
She scoffed, turning away, arms tightening around herself in self-comfort. "I'm not going anywhere, Alexander. But you can't keep avoiding this."
I didn't respond-there was no point. I wasn't avoiding anything. In truth, I didn't give a damn about the wedding. Liam was all that mattered.
I pushed past them wordlessly, stepping into Liam's room where the doctor stood beside his b*d.
My son looked so small, so fragile-it killed me to see him like this, hooked up to machines, barely clinging to life.
"How is he?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
The doctor sighed, flipping through the chart. "His condition is worsening, Mr. Sullivan. We need to think about the next step. Without a compatible donor. Well, the prognosis isn't good."
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure. "What about the fetal donor option?"
"It's still the best chance we have without his mother present. She would have been his savior. If you decide to go down that route, we can begin preparations."
I glanced at Liam's pale face, the machines beeping rhythmically, and my chest tightened.
I wasn't sure how I felt about bringing another child into the world under these circumstances. But if it meant saving Liam. considering I couldn't find his wh**e of a mother.
I nodded-my decision made. "We'll move forward."
As I left the room, my resolve hardened.
"Mother, Eliza," I addressed them, expressionless, "You may move forward with wedding preparations. I'm ready."
Eliza would get what she wanted wedding, a child. But for me? It was all for Liam. I would do whatever it took to save my son, even if it meant marrying a woman I didn't love.
Chapter 3 ALEXANDER'S POV 003
Watching Eliza practically bursting with joy made me sick. Her being over the moon, like this wedding was a dream come true, was something I'd expected, but it was still annoying to behold.
I didn't want this marriage-not now, not ever-but she was too blind to see that, of course. She never did. To her, this was the beginning of some grand fairytale. But to me, it was a burden.
A charade.
I wouldn't be marrying out of love, but because it was expected.
If I wanted to get her pr**nant without a ring, I knew she'd agree without hesitation.
But the blowback. the whispers in society, the looks from people I cared about-even those I despised at times-would be enough to corner me into marrying her anyway. My reputation was worth more.
As much as I didn't care about her or the wedding, my name mattered. So I'd do what I had to, even if it meant chaining myself to a. woman such as Eliza.
My phone buzzed, and I inwardly sighed in relief. A call. Finally, an escape from the room filled with too many wide smiles and Eliza's empty chatter.
"Excuse me," I muttered, barely glancing at either of the women as I left them to the excited conversation they were having, after practically clawing at each other's throats a few minutes ago.
It was my assistant on the other end, reminding me of the Golden Ball Charity event I was to attend that night. Shit. I had completely forgotten.
"Right, thanks. I'll be there."
Returning back to the women, I announced curtly, "I hope you didn't forget we have the Golden Ball charity event this evening. I think it's time we left to start preparing." I didn't wait for their reactions, already moving to the door and then out to my car.
Eliza, of course, squealed with excitement-probably already imagining herself announcing to everyone there that we had fixed a date for the wedding-and the shrill sound followed me outside. I shook my head.
The drive home was quiet, for the most part. Eliza, thankfully, stayed glued to her phone, likely ordering another overpriced gown she didn't need.
Vanessa was grinning like a Cheshire cat when we arrived."Excited for the ball?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I hadn't seen her this animated in months.
"Oh, very," she said, winking.
"I might meet my future husband tonight. You know, Alexander, this event is for elites, the one percent. The kind of place paupers and wannabes-like Raina-would never dream of attending." She spat my ex-wife's name with such venom it actually startled me.
Raina.
I clenched my jaw but said nothing, a familiar irritation creeping into my chest. No matter how hard I tried to push her out of my mind, she always found a way to worm her way back in. My family-they all hated her.
Despised her. She had become the villain of my family's soap opera, and they loved to remind me at every turn.
The thing was, I didn't give a damn about Raina as my wife anymore. The divorce made that clear. But I was tired of hearing their slander, of watching them twist the knife, over and over again.
She was still Liam's mother, and despite everything, I was the one who had been left with unanswered questions.
What had happened to her? Where the hell did she go after the divorce? Was she alive? Was she suffering, struggling like she deserved to be?
And the child. the one she had run off with. What was her name? Was she still sick? Did she still. look like her mother?
I sighed inwardly.
But then, I'd never stood up for Raina back then-there was no point doing so now.
When we got home, Eliza trailed behind me into the room, prattling on about how excited she was for tonight.
She hadn't worn her engagement ring in weeks, a silent protest against my coldness, but tonight, she'd be flaunting it like a prize, as if the glittering diamond could fix everything wrong between us.
I sighed, tuning her out-only half listening. I just wanted some peace.
That was the one thing I had taken for granted in my marriage with Raina-she knew when to leave me be when silence was necessary.
Eliza, on the other hand, didn't have a clue when to shut up and seemed incapable of understanding just that.
Shaking my head, I forced thoughts of Raina away. I couldn't afford to let her ghost haunt me this evening-not when I had more important things to think about.
Namely, securing the Graham family-New York's most influential elites-as business partners, and tonight, they would finally be in attendance.
For years, I had tried to penetrate their inner circle or gain their favor, to close a deal that would elevate my standing, but each time I thought I was close to garnering their attention, something always got in the way.
Canceled meetings, vague excuses. but tonight, I felt different. I was almost certain they'd take notice of me.
The Vince Project. It was my golden ticket. I hadn't sacrificed it for nothing, and tonight was the night it would all pay off.
I could feel it.
~~~~~
The Golden Ball was everything I knew it would be-and everything the women in my life had dreamed it would be-luxurious, dazzling, filled with the who's who of high society.
And to my chagrin, Eliza clung to me like I was some trophy, her manicured nails digging into my arm, posing for pictures as if we were already on the front cover of a glossy magazine.
Her laugh was too loud, too rehearsed, and the media swarmed up, taking pictures of New York's most glamorous couple. Every photo the media took made her grin wider.
It irritated me. Everything about this charade irritated me. But I kept up appearances, nodding and smiling in all the right places.
Then came the whispers-the Graham's had arrived. They began quietly at first, but soon increased as the anticipation of the powerful family's entrance rippled through the crowd.
I could feel my heart pounding as the announcement echoed through the hall that the Grahams would be present in a matter of minutes.
This was it. My chance to finally break through, to secure the deal I'd spent years chasing.
Suddenly, a hush fell, and then real excitement buzzed through the room.
The Grahams had arrived.
Vanessa and my mother were instantly by my side, whispering with barely contained glee. "Did you hear?" Vanessa gushed, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"The Grahams' long-lost daughter has been found, Alexander! She might even be here tonight!" Sure, that had been what she was excited about. Not the prospect of bagging one of New York's most eligible bachelors.
I felt the urge to roll my eyes. She'd probably realized that having her eyes on Dominic was a lost cause. I hadn't wanted to be the one to tell her she was being delusional and I was glad she'd come to her senses.
I nodded absently through their chatter, barely registering their words; my mind was racing, too focused on the thought of meeting Dominic Graham and making the right impression tonight.
If I could do just that, my reputation would be set for life. For that reason, I couldn't afford to let anything-or anyone-distract me.
The Grahams were untouchable.
If this mysterious daughter were here, it could change everything. Vanessa was already fantasizing about befriending her, and I had to admit, any connection to the Grahams would cement our family's status permanently.
But then the whispers around us grew louder, and I turned to see Dominic Graham-heir to the empire-walking into the room, the epitome of power and control.
But it wasn't him that made my heart stop. It was the woman on his arm.
The woman Dominic Graham had entered hand in hand with.
Raina.
No way.
She looked. different. Better than she ever did with me, I must say, and the sight of that nearly had me winded.
My ex-wife.
The woman I had been searching for-no, desperately trying to track down for years.
Vanessa's shriek pierced through the air. "What the hell is she doing here? With Dominic Graham, of all people! I can't believe she hasn't quit her wh**ing around!"
Her voice continued in an angry tirade, calling Raina every foul name she could think of-a sl*t, a social climber-but I didn't hear any of it.
Her voice faded to background noise as I stared at Raina, my pulse roaring in my ears.
She hadn't just vanished into thin air, she had resurfaced here-with the Grahams. And not just anyone from the family, but Dominic, the crown prince of high society himself.
How long had she been with him? What was she doing, cozying up to the Grahams after disappearing like a ghost?
Standing beside Dominic like she belonged there?
Questions swirled in my mind, none of them making sense. Raina was in a place she didn't belong, with people I'd only dreamt of associating with.
The anger simmered, burning slowly and steadily in my ch*st. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. I had spent years imagining her suffering, broken, raising that child alone and struggling like she deserved.
But instead, here she was-draped in a luxury gown and attached to the arm of the most powerful man in the country.
So f**king beautiful, it hurt my eyes to see.
And I hated her for it.
Chapter 4 Raina'S POV 004
I was finally ready for the world to see me. Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself as I sat in the backseat of my brother's car, anxiety twisting in my gut like a feral animal, gnawing at my resolve.
"Hey," Dominic said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.
His grip was firm and steady, a lifeline in the storm of emotions crashing inside me. "Everything is going to be fine."
But would it? The question echoed in my mind, drowning out the soft music playing in the background.
I should have felt confident, but the truth was, fear clawed at my insides like a hungry beast, ready to devour me whole.
I had prepared for weeks for this moment, telling myself I was ready to face my past, ready to confront my ex-in-laws.
But standing on the precipice of that reality made me doubt everything I had convinced myself of.
And then there was the thought of my son. That part hurt the most. I wondered how Liam was doing, whether he missed me, or if he had learned to hate me for leaving.
What if they had poisoned his mind against me? The very idea twisted the kn**e deeper in my heart.
I had envisioned all the ways I could explain to him that I never wanted to leave--that circumstances had forced my hand.
As the car came to a halt, I gripped my purse tightly, taking a deep breath. It was too late to back out now. I had made my choice, and I had to see it through.
Stepping out of the car, the flash of cameras momentarily blinded me. Reporters shouted questions at Dominic, but I was just a shadow beside him, someone meant to stay in the background until the right moment.
I had told him to keep my identity a secret until I was ready-until I had found Liam first.
Dominic smiled, but it was like a mask he wore for the world. He didn't answer their questions, and together we walked into the grand hall.
The air was thick with anticipation and whispers, and as we stepped inside, the room fell silent.
I could almost hear their thoughts, the judgment hanging heavy in the air. Gold digger. Social climber. An outsider trying to infiltrate their world.
A chill ran down my spine as I sensed the hostility from the corner where my ex-in-laws lurked, their glares piercing through me like d**gers.
"Are you okay?" Dominic asked, concern etching his features as he leaned slightly closer.
I nodded, forcing a smile, though my heart raced. Would it ever get easier?
Just then, people began to approach Dominic, the respect and fear evident in their eyes. I knew he wasn't just here for me-he was here to choose his business partners, a ritual he performed with impeccable poise.
I watched, curious, as Alexander approached Dominic, his expression shifting, trying to be polite.
But I could see the effort it took-Alexander was not a man accustomed to being second to anyone, and his pride made him wear a cool, almost rigid mask.
"Dominic Graham," he greeted, his tone dripping with forced courtesy.
"It's an honor to have you here tonight." His gaze flicked to me, something akin to amusement glinting in his eyes. "And Raina-always a surprise to see you."
I bit back a response, my heart beating faster, but Dominic wasn't about to let him set the tone.
"I understand you're interested in partnering with us." Dominic raised an eyebrow, his hand resting comfortably on my shoulder. "But that decision won't be up to me alone."
He leaned closer, his voice warm and slightly teasing. "What do you say, Raina? Should I hear him out?"
I could feel Alexander's gaze burning into me, waiting to see what I would say. This moment felt surreal, the tables had turned in a way I never imagined possible.
I took a breath, allowing myself to meet Alexander's eyes, and held his stare without flinching.
Alexander's expression remained stony, but I could see his frustration momentary flash of doubt, his gaze flickering between us, piecing together something he hadn't anticipated.
He masked his reaction quickly, replacing it with that familiar, indifferent coldness, but it was enough to tell me that I'd unsettled him.
For the first time in years, the power between us was balanced, and I didn't plan on letting it tip back in his favor.
What happens next?
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&5&
A message lit up Stella's phone, and along with it came a bunch of photos.
Clothes scattered carelessly, two people holding each other tightly, messy b**sheets.
This kind of thing wasn't new to Stella.
One look at the big hand holding that woman's wrist, and Stella knew it was Marc's. Her husband. The same man she'd been married to for four years.
Then her eyes caught the date on the pictures, and her stomach sank. It was the same day as their wedding anniversary.
Marc had promised they'd spend the evening together, but he'd vanished for three days.
All she got was a message from his assistant, saying he had some urgent business to handle.
"Urgent, huh?" Stella let out a cold chuckle. Clearly urgent--in someone else's b*d. She then closed the message and called someone from her contact list.
The person picked up almost immediately.
"Stella," came the voice on the other end.
"I've made my decision to join the classified research project," she said calmly.
A heavy silence stretched on the other end of the line, and then came a sharp, unwavering voice.
"Don't joke around, Stella. Once you're in the classified research project, there's no turning back. You'll be officially listed as missing, and everything about your past will be wiped clean. A new identity will be created for you. So ask yourself--are you really ready to walk away from your family? From Marc?"
Stella's eyes fell on the framed wedding photo hanging nearby.
Marc's promises, which used to sound sweet, now felt cold and empty.
"I've made my decision. I'll come by tomorrow to fill out the forms."
Stella once savored Marc's devotion, yet his covert cruelty cut deep.
Then she deleted her identity, signed onto a classified research mission, vanished without a trace, that same dawn Marc's empire crumbled.
All he unearthed was her death certificate, and he shattered. When they met again, a gala spotlighted Stella beside a tycoon.
Marc begged her to forgive. With a smirk, she said, "Out of your league, darling.".
&7&
Free from her ex-husband, she unveiled her hidden identities, dazzling the world and thriving. The regretful ex chased after her, a diamond ring in hand, pleading for reconciliation. But a business tycoon had him dragged away, saying, "Piss off. She's my wife."
=====
"Let's end this marriage."
That single sentence was all it took to plunge Christina Jones into a woman unwanted by a wealthy family.
Three years of loyalty to her husband, Brendon Dawson, had bought her nothing but heartbreak.
On the day that should have marked a joyful third anniversary, Christina had gone to Brendon's office, eager to invite him out to celebrate.
Stepping inside, her eyes fell immediately on an ornate necklace gleaming atop his desk. She had believed the necklace was meant for her.
However, Brendon noticed her stare and snapped the jewelry box shut with a careless hand.
"Yolanda's come back. This is her present," he explained, his words sharp and cool, making sure there was no room left for misunderstanding.
Everything became painfully clear in that instant. Christina dropped her gaze, thick-rimmed glasses doing little to mask the ache and disappointment swimming in her eyes.
Brendon's old flame, Yolanda Mitchell, had returned and reclaimed her place in his heart.
Meanwhile, Christina realized that after three years at Brendon's side, she'd never really belonged there--never held his love, always on the outside, now set aside like something worn out and unnecessary.
Irritation creased Brendon's brow, his patience fraying as he watched Christina stand silently, shoulders slumped.
"I'll make sure you're compensated. Let's get this over with and move on. Don't kid yourself into thinking you belong where you never did," he said, his voice cold and final.
Honestly, Brendon had never found fault with Christina's appearance, figure, or way of managing the household. The thing was, she simply bored him.
In his eyes, she was flavorless--a meal that left him unsatisfied, easy to set aside. Efficiency in the home didn't make her the woman he longed for.
Christina's silence only deepened the lines in Brendon's forehead. His tone grew cold. "You've got three days to make up your mind. Don't test my patience--I won't wait forever."
Without a flicker of hesitation, Christina replied, "No need for more time. I'll sign right now." She calmly picked up the pen and wrote her name on the divorce papers.
Together, they went through the motions at court, and soon every legal formality was behind them.
Walking out, Christina felt a heavy ache in her ch*st, yet a strange sense of freedom crept in as well.
The hope of ever reaching Brendon's heart was gone--she would no longer waste her life in a one-sided relationship.
From now on, there'd be no more oscillating between hope and heartbreak, no more self-inflicted wounds from loving a man who couldn't love her back.
Lingering pain had felt like dying by a thousand tiny cuts; best to finish it all at once. Now, at last, it was done--irrevocably finished.
A sudden ring from Brendon's phone broke into Christina's reverie. He answered, worry quickly sharpening his features. "What? Yolanda's been hospitalized? I'm on my way
With no farewell, Brendon rushed to his car and sped away, never pausing to offer Christina a ride or even a second glance.
Whenever Yolanda was involved, Brendon would abandon everything, swept up in thoughts of her alone.
As soon as Brendon disappeared, a sleek black-and-red Bugatti rolled to a stop right in front of Christina.
Out hopped Davina Morris, Christina's closest friend, sporting a bold outfit and a wide, mischievous grin.
"Freedom looks good on you, Christina. Congratulations on finally escaping that mess."
With a flick of her wrist, Davina tossed the keys to Christina, eyes twinkling. "How about something a little crazy tonight?"
Catching the car keys with effortless charm, Christina simply walked over and sat behind the wheel. "Hop in," she said, no hesitation in her voice.
Davina wasted no time in settling into the passenger seat. With a stomp on the accelerator, Christina left the courthouse--and the past--far behind.
The Bugatti tore down Azure Highway, the engine's roar mixing exhilaration with a sense of release.
"We really ought to hit a b*r to celebrate. If you hadn't held me back, I would've uncorked a bottle and doused that j**k with it right then and there," Davina said, her indignation bubbling over.
"You pick the place. But first, I need a stop at the salon," Christina answered, her calm belying her need for a bit of reckless fun.
Davina shot her a side glance. "Three years off the radar, and people are still searching for you. When are you going to reclaim your crown and turn the medical world upside down again?"
A shrug was all Christina offered. "Haven't made any plans yet," she replied, voice cool and detached.
A sharp, almost mocking laugh slipped from Davina.
"Word is, your ex is tearing up the city trying to track the legendary doctor King down, desperate to save his precious sweetheart. Imagine his face if he ever learns you're actually King."
Not a word left Christina's lips. She just stared ahead, her expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, Brendon's car raced through traffic, his nerves raw with worry. He dialed his secretary mid-drive. "Still no progress on King's whereabouts?"
King's reputation echoed around the globe, a healer wrapped in legend and secrecy, vanished without a trace for three years.
All attempts to locate King had led nowhere. The doctor's true identity remained a puzzle--no one had ever seen King's face, nor even confirmed their gender.
The secretary's voice crackled through the line. "We've contacted everyone we know, Mr. Dawson, but King is still missing."
Brendon's brow furrowed. "Don't stop until you find King. I don't care what it takes!"
"We'll keep at it!"
Restlessness gnawed at Brendon as he pulled into the hospital's parking lot and bolted toward the entrance.
No matter how high the price, he wouldn't stop searching for King--Yolanda's life depended on it.
Chapter 2 Raise The Stakes
In the Vertbrook B*r, Christina slid off her black-rimmed glasses and tucked them into her hands. Without them, her eyes sparkled with mischief and warmth.
Gone was the flat, straight hair she always wore like armor. Now it flowed in waves, framing her face like she belonged on the cover of a magazine.
With that red lipstick and confident glow, she turned heads without trying.
She moved like someone who'd shed a skin. Whatever plain, quiet version of herself used to exist at home--she wasn't here tonight.
Davina leaned in, swirling the straw in her c**ktail. "Hey, there's a shooting match next week. You thinking of signing up?"
"Not a chance," Christina replied without missing a beat. "It's been forever. My hands aren't as steady as they used to be."
"Come on, who cares?" Davina flashed a teasing grin. "Use it to blow off some steam. Picture Brendon's face on the bullseye and go full demolition mode."
A low chuckle slipped out as Christina brought her glass to her lips. "That's t**pting."
"Right?" Davina grinned, her tone rising with excitement.
"Oh--and guess who's going to be there? Dillan. The guy who almost knocked you out four years ago. You bailed, and now he's been hogging the spotlight ever since."
Davina didn't wait for Christina to respond as she added, "And get this--the prize this year is a custom Bugatti. Not a model you can just go out and buy. One of a kind."
She passed her phone to Christina without missing a beat. "Here. Take a look at the competition."
Christina flipped through the details in seconds. The prize money wasn't the only thing catching her attention.
What really stood out was the twist--contestants would be hidden behind masks and aliases. But whoever came out on top? They'd get to force the others to show their real faces.
"If you enter and win, you have to make Dillan take off his mask. I need to know what that guy looks like!" Davina exclaimed.
"Okay." Christina gave her w**eglass a gentle swirl. The corners of her mouth curled into a teasing grin. "If I show up, I'm not just going to play. I'm going to raise the stakes.
Davina tilted her head, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Alright then, tell me--what exactly are you thinking?"
Christina shot Davina a sly grin. "Let everyone know--whoever takes the crown this year gets a personal session with King. No expiry date, either. As long as they meet King's terms, the deal stands."
Davina nearly spilled her d**nk. "You're kidding! If that gets out, people are going to crawl over each other just to sign up. This thing's about to blow up."
"I'm heading to the restroom." Without another word, Christina rose from her seat.
She didn't make it far before a small crowd of men stepped into her path, their swagger loud enough to silence the room.
"Well, look what we've got here," one of them said, grinning. "You look like you could use some company. How about a drink?"
They l**red at her, scanning her from head to toe like she was something they could own.
Ice filled Christina's gaze. Her voice dropped like a warning. "Move."
That only seemed to encourage them. "Feisty," one of them said with a chuckle. "We like a girl who makes things interesting."
Christina didn't flinch. "Last chance. Get out of my way."
Instead of stepping out of her way, one of them whistled, reaching out a hand toward her ch*st with a l**d grin.
That was all it took. Christina snapped his wrist before his fingers even brushed her. The sickening crunch made the whole group freeze.
The man yelped, "What the h*ll--"
The other men didn't get the chance to retaliate. Christina moved like a storm. A kick to the knee. An elbow to the jaw. One by one, she dropped them with cold precision.
Within moments, the entire group lay sprawled across the floor, gr**aning and clutching bruises they'd remember for weeks.
Above them, the second floor balcony overlooked the chaos.
"That woman's a knockout," one of Brendon's buddies said, his jaw practically on the floor. "Cool, confident--exactly my type."
Brendon's gaze drifted to the woman with the wavy hair, and the longer he stared, the stronger the sense of recognition grew.
There was something in her face--something uncanny--that made him wonder if he was looking at Christina, his ex-wife.
After spending the afternoon at the hospital with Yolanda, Brendon had agreed to hit the bar on her suggestion. Blowing off steam sounded harmless--until now.
"Hold on a second," Yolanda murmured, squinting at the woman downstairs. "Isn't that Christina?"
"Wait, you're telling me that knockout is actually Christina? Get out of here. That can't be the same dull housewife who barely spoke."
Curiosity sparked in the group as they leaned in, squinting for confirmation. Recognition settled in fast--it really was Brendon's ex-wife, and the shock hit them like a sl*p.
Katie Dawson, Brendon's younger sister, didn't hide her disdain. "Look at her--dressed like she's auditioning for attention. I guess getting dumped made her desperate. Bet she's prowling for a s**ar daddy."
The group laughed, quick to follow her lead.
"Typical," someone sneered. "Women like that only know how to latch onto a man."
"Brendon dodged a bullet. With that look? She's practically advertising herself."
"Take the man away and she's got nothing left. Just another gold-digger trying to act like she's someone."
Their voices scratched against Brendon's patience like nails on glass. He'd had enough. "Cut it out!" he snapped, his tone sharper than they'd heard all night.
Without waiting for a reply, Brendon gave them one final glare and stormed off in Christina's direction.
Chapter 3 Her Indifference
"Brendon!"
"Wait, Brendon!"
Katie and Yolanda both called out, their voices overlapping as they rushed to stop Brendon.
Before Brendon could move any farther, they stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop.
"Please tell me you're not about to run to that b**ch," Katie said, disbelief tightening her voice.
A flicker of anger crossed Brendon's face. "Watch your mouth, Katie. That attitude isn't just rude--it's disgraceful. You're carrying our family name. Try not to drag it through the mud."
Yolanda gently placed a hand on Katie's shoulder, her tone sweet and measured.
"Brendon, please don't be so harsh on Katie. She's still young and doesn't know better. If you still care about Christina, just be honest with me. I won't make things difficult for you. I'll go quietly."
Yolanda's eyes were red with tears as she made a move to turn away, her face full of hurt.
Seeing her like this made Brendon's heart twist. "Yolanda, no--don't go," he said quickly, stepping forward and grabbing her hand. "You're misunderstanding. There's nothing left between Christina and me."
"Then be straight with me. Is there still a part of you that loves her? Because… If there is, I can handle it. I won't hold it against you." Yolanda's voice was small and trembling as she met his eyes.
Brendon couldn't ignore the way her face twisted with hurt and hastily said, "You're overthinking it. Whatever Christina does now has nothing to do with me anymore."
Yolanda reached for his hand, her voice gentle but firm as she said, "Perhaps Christina has a reason to dress like that. Maybe she's struggling to fend for herself. We should help her."
Brendon was impressed by Yolanda's apparent kindness.
"You've always had a golden heart, Yolanda. But don't fret over Christina. She's not struggling the way you think. I gave her enough to live comfortably, and if she chooses to be a gold-digger and discards her self-respect, that's on her."
Yolanda seemed like she wanted to say more, but suddenly lost her footing, her body leaning back as her balance faltered.
Brendon moved fast, catching her before she hit the floor. "Yolanda!" His voice cracked with pani
"I. I'm fine. It's just too noisy here. I feel a bit dizzy. Let's go back to the private room." Yolanda's voice came out faintly as she leaned against him.
Holding her steady, Brendon frowned. "You should've stayed in the hospital and rested a few more days. You shouldn't have insisted on leaving."
Turning toward Katie, he instructed, "Katie, take her back to the private room. I'm going to the restroom and I'll be back in a minute."
Suspicion danced in Katie's eyes like a match to dry paper. "You're not seriously planning to sneak off and meet Christina, are you?"
Before Brendon could respond, Yolanda gently placed her hand on Katie's arm.
"It's alright. If Brendon wants to speak to Christina, let him. She's not just some stranger--she was part of his life once. Pretending she doesn't exist won't make her disappear. And if her inappropriate attire tonight stirs up gossip, it won't just fall on Brendon--it could drag down the Dawson name too."
"You're always so thoughtful, Yolanda, even considerate of that bit--" Katie stopped herself just when she caught Brendon's cold stare. She froze, swallowing her next words.
A beat later, Katie's tone shifted. "Brendon, you see, Yolanda's still not in the clear. If something happens while you're out here wasting time, that's on you!"
With an exasperated sigh, Katie latched onto Yolanda's hand. "Come on, Yolanda. We're leaving.".
Downstairs, Christina exited the restroom. She gave her hair a casual toss, a small gesture that turned every head in the b*r.
Men watched her openly, eyes trailing her c**ves with a hunger that didn't even try to hide itself.
From a short distance away, Brendon stood rigid. His jaw tightened as he watched the scene unfold, those men's stares igniting something bitter inside him.
They weren't just looking--they were un**essing her with their eyes. And he hated it.
"Christina Jones!" Brendon called out, voice low but taut with irritation.
Christina's head turned slowly, her gaze meeting his with a cool detachment. She gave him a slow, deliberate once-over before answering, "What do you want?"
Her tone was casual. Distant. Like he was just another stranger in the crowd.
That chill in her voice struck a nerve. It rattled something in Brendon he wasn't ready to name.
Without thinking, Brendon marched over and seized her wrist. "You're coming with me."
Chapter 4 At Least I'm Not Delusional
With a swift j**k, Christina yanked her wrist free from Brendon's grasp, eyes narrowed and voice sharp. "Try that again, and you'll regret ever laying a finger on me."
Instead of backing down, Brendon found his irritation boiling over. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like control--something he'd always taken for granted--was slipping through his fingers.
"This place doesn't suit you!" he snapped, voice cold. "No need to play dress-up just to make me look your way."
That made Christina laugh--sharp, humorless, and laced with contempt.
"Wow. You think this is about you? Don't delude yourself. We're finished. Whatever you think you still have a say in, you don't."
"Is that really what you want?" Brendon asked, his stare hard and searching. "To erase everything just like that?"
"Don't you want the same?" Christina retorted flatly. "Don't forget, we've already divorced."
Brendon's hand twitched, and before he could stop himself, he reached for her again. But her reflexes were faster. With a crisp sl*p, she knocked his hand away.
"Sh*t!" Brendon recoiled, holding his wrist, fury flashing in his eyes. "Are you insane?"
"If I am, at least I'm not delusional," Christina said casually, her gaze drifting down to his g**in and back up with a derisive smirk.
"Though you might want to get yourself checked for any functional problems."
Rage twisted across his face. "You've got a real mouth on you!"
"Appreciate the compliment," Christina replied with a shrug, completely unfazed.
Brendon's anger flared even hotter. "I came here to warn you because I didn't want to see you crash and burn. But if this is what you want, go ahead. Make your mess. I'm done trying."
Without saying another word, Brendon spun on his heel and stormed off, his frustration echoing in each step.
Christina's transformation hadn't gone unnoticed. Still, in his mind, it was nothing more than a flashy attempt to draw his attention.
Across the room, more than a few men couldn't stop staring, their eyes tracking Christina like prey.
She met their gazes with a look so sharp that it could cut glass, and whatever boldness they carried dissolved on the spot.
Every spine stiffened. Whatever fantasy they'd been brewing got snuffed out before it even formed.
No one in that b*r forgot what had happened earlier. Those foolish enough to touch her were left broken--one of them, quite literally, had his manhood destroyed. Nobody dared try again. Not after witnessing that brutal reminder.
Elsewhere, inside a private, soundproof room tucked away from the crowd, two men silently observed the commotion.
Dylan Scott leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly as the striking Christina strode away from the scene, her presence drawing focus like gravity.
Something about her brought back a name he hadn't spoken aloud in years--Rose.
The masked woman who had nearly shattered his pride at that shooting match four years ago. He could still picture the glint of her eyes behind the mask.
"She's got bite," Ralphy Graham, Dylan's friend, commented, his gaze flicking from the bar to Dylan. "If Brendon picked a fight with her, he'd be eating dirt."
The quiet authority in Dylan's posture was undeniable. He didn't need to speak to make his presence felt--his energy did the work for him.
Ralphy caught the flicker of interest in his friend's eyes and said, "Don't tell me she's cracked that cold wall of yours. You thinking of pursuing her?"
A shift in Dylan's expression sobered the air. "Finding any leads on King is all I care about," he said evenly.
A crease formed on Ralphy's brow. "Still nothing?"
Dylan's features were drawn tight. "Not a trace."
"It's like King disappeared off the face of the earth," Ralphy said, a note of frustration slipping into his voice. "But King is the only one who can treat your sister. That hasn't changed."
At those words, Dylan's grip tightened around his glass. "Exactly. That's why I'll keep looking--no matter how long it takes." Without pause, he downed the entire drink.
A shrill ring sliced through the room, breaking the tension.
Without missing a beat, Ralphy reached for his phone and answered, looking composed at first. But within seconds, that calm shattered.
His eyes lit up with sudden, electric excitement, and his posture shot upright.
Dylan raised an eyebrow, voice steady. "What could possibly rattle you like that?"
The call ended with a sharp tap. Ralphy turned to him, breathless with disbelief. "It's about King. The sh**ting competition!"
Confusion flickered across Dylan's face. "What are you talking about?" He hadn't expected King's name to be tied to a sh**ting competition.
Ralphy explained, nearly bursting, "King just released a statement. Next week's champion of the shooting competition gets an opportunity for treatment--no expiry, just has to follow King's terms."
Ralphy almost bounced in his seat. The competition he hosted had just become the hottest event of the year because of King's announcement.
"No sh*t! Seriously?" Dylan leaned forward, his voice dropping, but the edge in it sharp. "Say it again."
With unwavering certainty, Ralphy said, "Whoever wins the sh**ting competition earns a treatment session from King. And Dylan, you've been on top of the shooting competition for three years straight under the alias of Dillan. If anyone's walking away with that prize, it's going to be you!"
Chapter 5 Beat Him Once Again
Dylan didn't wait for Ralphy to say another word. He turned sharply and walked away without hesitation.
That sudden exit made Ralphy blink. "Where are you headed?" he called out, still riding the high of the news.
"I'm heading back to train. If I want that win, I can't leave anything to chance," Dylan replied, his voice cold, eyes set like flint on the future.
Finally, there was hope--his sister might get the treatment she needed. So long as that phantom from his past--Rose--didn't show up, victory was within reach.
Still, he couldn't afford to gamble on luck. He'd push harder, train longer. Failure wasn't an option.
Elsewhere, Brendon stood frozen with his phone in hand, staring at the notification of King's statement.
"It's real! King's giving out treatment! You're going to be okay!" Katie gasped from across the room and rushed forward, pulling Yolanda into a tight hug.
Uncertainty clouded Yolanda's face. "But… Isn't Dillan still undefeated? I heard no one's even come close to beating him in years."
Katie waved the concern off with a confident smile. "It doesn't matter who wins. We'll make an offer they can't refuse. There's no way anyone will refuse money."
"That's right. Yolanda, you have my word--I'll do everything in my power to get King to treat you," Brendon said, his voice steady with conviction.
"No matter what it takes, I'll find a way to ease your pain and make this illness less of a burden."
Tears welled up in Yolanda's eyes as she clutched his sleeve. "You're always doing so much for me. I don't even know how to thank you."
Brendon held her close, one hand soothing her hair. "You don't have to. I'm not doing this for thanks--I'm doing it for you."
Moved beyond words, Yolanda buried her face against his ch*st. "Brendon, thank you."
And so, the long-awaited day of the shooting competition finally arrived.
By morning, the sh**ting grounds were packed tighter than ever.
The rare luxury car was a flashy incentive, but it was King's offer of treatment--more precious than gold or any fancy car--that pulled the crowd in like gravity.
Barely had the opening round finished before contestants began dropping like flies.
As each round grew more demanding, the numbers thinned fast, only the most skilled sh**ters hanging on.
Brendon held his own long enough to break into the top ten, but his run ended when he pushed too hard for the top five. The disappointment etched itself clearly across his face.
"It's alright, Brendon. We've got more than enough money to work with," Katie said, fully prepared to use their wealth to secure the championship by any means necessary.
Yolanda offered a softer response, her voice warm and gentle. "You did everything you could, Brendon. Making it that far was amazing. Please don't be so hard on yourself."
One look at Yolanda's calm, supportive smile eased some of the tension knotted in Brendon's ch*st.
Even so, her grace only deepened the self-reproach for not being skilled enough to win the prize of King's treatment twisting inside him. He hated coming up short.
Now, only two names remained on the board. One man. One woman.
Everyone recognized Dillan--the reigning champ with a perfect track record. The woman standing across from him, Chrissy, was a mystery to most.
The final challenge came with a twist--contestants had to sh**t while blindfolded.
Dylan had already pieced it together. Chrissy wasn't some unknown competitor. She was Rose--the same Rose who had disappeared without a trace three years ago.
She hadn't just returned. She had reinvented herself under a brand-new alias.
Standing across from the very woman who had once crushed him in the past, Dylan felt the weight of that memory press down hard.
Even so, three years of relentless training had reshaped him. This time, he believed he could take her down.
With steady steps, Dylan walked onto the stage. A black mask concealed his face, but the resolve in his stance said everything.
The staff tied the blindfold tightly, and the final showdown began.
First sh*t--direct hit. Right through the center.
Second sh*t--another bullseye.
Then came the third.
All around him, the crowd leaned in, the arena holding its breath like one giant lung.
When that final sh*t struck dead center, the silence shattered into wild cheers. The audience leapt from their seats, the roar deafening.
"Dillan is amazing! If I fl**t with him and win him over, I bet I can talk him into giving up that prize once he wins!" Katie exclaimed from the front row, clapping her hands together and beaming.
"You're smitten with him, aren't you?" Yolanda tilted her head, an amused sparkle in her eyes.
Flushing, Katie quickly waved it off. "Absolutely not! I'm just trying to secure King's treatment for you, that's all."
Yolanda chuckled. "You've always looked out for me, Katie. I'm so lucky to have you."
Brendon crossed his arms. "This match is Dillan's to take. No question."
Brendon hadn't taken Chrissy seriously since she walked in. In his mind, women just didn't belong in the upper tier of this sport.
The name Rose still lingered in his memory--her win years ago felt more like a lucky strike than a real triumph. If she had the skill, she wouldn't have vanished three years ago.
Now blindfolded and standing center stage, Chrissy--who was actually Christina--made no move to sh**t.
Instead, she turned her body slowly, letting the eyes of the crowd follow her every motion.
Whispers broke out almost immediately. "Is she giving up?"
"Maybe this is her way of backing out without saying it outright."
"I said it from the start--women just can't hold their own in a match like this."
But as the noise grew louder, Christina raised her w**pon behind her back and, without adjusting her stance, pulled the trigger. The sh*t rang out sharp and clean.
"Direct hit!" the announcer shouted.
Gasps rippled through the audience. She had landed a bullseye--and under conditions that were harder than earlier rounds.
"How is that possible?"
"No way. That was pure luck!"
While the crowd clung to doubt, Dylan's confidence began to slip. It was happening again. He was about to lose to Rose.
From her second sh*t to her last, Christina never missed. Each movement was fluid, each sh*t dead-on.
She moved like she had eyes in the back of her head. Sh*t after sh*t, bullseye after bullseye.
The difficulty of Chrissy's round surpassed Dylan's, leaving no room for dispute--Chrissy had won. Cheers erupted, c*rses followed, and stunned silence filled the gaps in between.
Those who bet everything on Dillan were left stunned and broke. Meanwhile, Davina couldn't stop grinning.
She had bet on Chrissy from the start--and now she was walking away with more money than she knew what to do with.
Dylan remained rooted to the spot, his disbelief anchoring him in place as Christina strode straight toward him.
"You will peel off the mask yourself, or should I do it for you?" Christina said casually, determined to see his face as per the privilege that came with the winner.
The voice modulator built into her mask disguised her tone, keeping the crowd guessing.
But Dylan didn't need a voice to recognize her--he knew. This was Rose. No doubt. With no hesitation, he reached up and pulled off his mask.
Gasps swept through the arena as his face came into full view.
Revealed beneath the mask was none other than Dylan Scott, head of the city's most powerful dynasty and the silent force behind the very competition they were watching.
Brendon exhaled in quiet relief. Had Dylan come out on top, not even the Dawson name would've held any weight to sway him into giving up the prize of King's treatment.
Compared to Dylan's influence, the Dawson family would've been brushed aside like a rumor.
Masked and silent, Christina moved past Brendon and his crew, her steps aimed at Davina--until Katie suddenly stepped in her way.
"Hold it right there!" Katie planted herself in front of Christina, eyes narrowed with smug defiance. "That reward--sell it to us. Just say how much you want."
"Nah, not for sale," Christina said, her voice dry and unmoved. Helping Yolanda had never been on her agenda. Not now. Not ever.
"You seriously think refusing us is smart?" Katie snapped. "Do you know what happens to people who go against the Dawson family?"
"I don't," Christina said with a shrug. "And I don't care. I said it's not for sale."
"You arrogant--" Katie's words failed her as rage took over. In one furious motion, she lunged forward and yanked the mask off Christina's face..
What happens next?
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&5&
To avenge his beloved, her husband cast her away overseas, leaving her to fend for herself. Years later, when they met again, she had become the star of the dance floor, with countless men willing to pay a fortune just to see her. The domineering CEO couldn't take it anymore--he cornered her, begging for forgiveness. Just then, a child who looked just like him ran up, hugged him, and called him "Daddy"!
=====
"Someone help me! I'm being attacked!" The desperate screams of Linda Harris filled the air, drawing an increasing crowd of onlookers to the scene.
With today marking the Flynn family's grand banquet, those who heard the commotion quickly encircled Linda, who was sprawled out from her fall down the stairs.
Hadley Pearson was poised at the top of the staircase, her gaze fixed on Linda who lay crumpled below.
"How could this have happened." A look of utter confusion washed over Hadley as she stared down at her own hands, completely bewildered.
Why did Linda collapse so suddenly?
"What's going on? How did she end up falling?"
"Look up there. She."
Struggling through her pain, Linda managed to lift her head and look up towards where Hadley stood.
It was then that the gathered crowd pieced together the apparent events.
"Hadley pushed Linda!"
"Good heavens! Hadley, regardless of your feelings towards Linda, such harshness is unthinkable! And she's expecting a child!"
"You've crossed the line!"
"No, that's not true."
As accusations flew, Hadley's complexion blanched, and she vehemently shook her head in denial.
She tried to assert her innocence, insisting she hadn't pushed Linda.
However, her pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Make way!"
A commanding male voice disrupted the gathering, asserting his presence authoritatively.
That voice belonged to Eric Flynn, Hadley's new husband for only a brief period.
"Eric."
A wave of relief washed over Hadley as she turned to him for support.
Yet, as Eric's eyes met hers, they were sharp and accusing. "You hurt her!"
"I didn't!" Hadley protested, her denial forceful as she shook her head desperately. "I wasn't the one."
"Then who did?" Eric asked, his disbelief apparent.
His look of disdain and anger was directed squarely at Hadley, his features twisted in revulsion.
"Are you suggesting Linda threw herself down the stairs? You're known to be overbearing. Haven't you been antagonizing her all this time? Must I remind you of all the incidents?" Eric continued.
Hadley remained motionless.
The severity in her husband's voice rendered her speechless.
"Ah."
Cradling her stomach, Linda leaned on Eric, her voice faint. "Eric, it's so painful. It really hurts!"
"Linda?" Eric's grandmother, Nyla Flynn, approached, alarmed. "What has happened here?" she demanded.
"There's bl**d!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
"Look, she's bl**ding!"
Beneath Linda, a crimson stain was expanding steadily.
Clutching at Eric's neck, Linda broke down in tears. "Eric! My baby! Help my baby."
"Don't worry!"
Eric tried to reassure her, but his face betrayed his own fear as panic set in.
"We need to get to the hospital immediately!" Swiftly lifting Linda into his arms, Eric's eyes met Hadley's with a harsh, accusing stare.
"If anything happens to the baby, you'll regret it."
He left the sentence hanging, and then swiftly turned away, carrying Linda towards help.
At that moment, ensuring Linda and her unborn child's safety was his only concern.
Nyla looked at Hadley with a mix of disappointment and disbelief, struggling to find the words. "Hadley, how could you--"
"Nyla."
Hadley barely started to respond when Nyla turned her back and walked away.
Suddenly, the crowd began to thin out.
Ignored by everyone, Hadley found herself aimlessly returning to her room, lost in a fog of confusion.
She waited anxiously for Eric to return. She hadn't pushed Linda and needed to clear the air with him.
As hours passed into the deep of night, Eric still hadn't come back.
As the first light of dawn crept in, sounds echoed from below.
"Eric!"
Hadley leapt from the sofa and hurried towards the door.
She paused at the top of the stairs, hesitating, as she heard his voice.
"Grandma, I want a divorce!"
Eric's declaration cut through the air, his tone bitter and decisive.
"Get back here!"
Nyla reached out to her grandson, her voice firm and commanding.
"What are you saying? I made a promise to Hadley's grandmother to protect her. You're barely married, and now a divorce? She's just twenty. Do you want to ruin her life?"
"Am I the one ruining her life? Ridiculous!"
Eric's laughter was harsh, his gaze piercing with resentment.
"Grandma, we've lost Linda's baby! Do you hear me? My brother's child is gone! And yet, Hadley is untouched! Tell me, who is truly causing despair here?"
Nyla was left speechless.
"I never wanted to marry her. You pushed me into it!"
Eric's frustration was evident, and he seemed on the verge of losing it over his marital situation.
"I was willing to accept her if she made you happy. But I can no longer tolerate such a wife now! If this continues, I fear I might do something drastic. I'm losing my grip!"
"Stop this!" Nyla shouted, her voice filled with panic as she clutched Eric's arm tightly.
With the recent loss of her great-grandchild weighing heavily on her, Nyla's expression hardened with determination.
"Fine, you won't have to see her anymore. I'll send her away, overseas, away from all this. Is that acceptable?"
Eric was silent for a beat before nodding in agreement. "If that's what you think is best."
Hadley, overhearing the exchange, turned and hurried back to her room. Once inside, she shut the door and her knees buckled beneath her. Slumping to the floor, tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"Eric, Eric."
The revelation that he resented their marriage--that it had been against his will--was overwhelming.
Hadley had been unaware, utterly oblivious to the depth of his reluctance.
Having lost her parents young and raised by her grandmother, who herself died in a car crash when Hadley was just fifteen, she was left to navigate the world alone.
Nyla had welcomed Hadley into her home because of her close friendship with Hadley's grandmother.
Nyla cherished her, often playfully asking, "Hadley, will you become my granddaughter-in-law when you're older?"
"Of course," Hadley would always respond.
Thus, Hadley grew up dreaming of marrying Eric and becoming his wife.
She centered her life around Eric, tailoring her education to his interests, dressing to catch his eye, and always staying by his side, warding off any potential rivals.
In her heart, she was already his bride; he was meant to be hers.
Yet, these were merely her own fantasies.
He criticized her as overbearing and expressed his desire not to see her again.
Overwhelmed, Hadley finally broke down in tears.
Knock, knock.
Someone was at the door.
"Hadley, are you awake?" It was Nyla calling through the door.
"Yes, I'm here!"
Rapidly drying her tears, Hadley rose, smoothed her hair, and opened the door.
With a forced smile, she said, "Nyla."
Nyla examined Hadley, noticing her red, swollen eyes--evidence of a night spent crying.
Despite understanding Hadley's distress, Nyla struggled to overlook her recent actions.
Nyla seated herself on the sofa, gesturing for Hadley to sit too. "Sit with me."
"Alright." Hadley braced herself for what was coming; she sensed a change in Nyla's demeanor towards her.
Nyla said, "Remember you once mentioned wanting to study abroad? I'm arranging that for you. You'll leave as soon as possible."
The decision to send Hadley away was clear.
Hadley's gaze dropped, and once more, tears started to fall.
Nyla looked at the girl with pity, her affection for Hadley genuine.
Yet, with Linda still hospitalized, Nyla felt compelled to act in Linda's defense.
Nyla steeled herself, took a deep breath, and said firmly, "You must learn to moderate your behavior. At times, you are overly assertive. It's one thing to be protective, but your jealousy even towards Linda is uncalled for. She's engaged to your brother-in-law!"
Struggling to contain her emotions, Hadley whispered, "I."
Did Nyla also doubt her sincerity?
"It's time for you to pack."
Nyla rose from her seat, giving Hadley a lingering look.
"Once you've shown some improvement, I'll arrange for someone to bring you back, okay?"
With these words, Nyla walked away.
Hadley quickly got up to walk her out.
Left alone, Hadley felt a hollow emptiness inside her.
Out of nowhere, she was hit by a wave of nausea so intense it made her stomach churn.
Catching her breath, Hadley clasped her hand over her mouth.
Hastily, she made her way to the bathroom.
Chapter 2 Pain To The Max
After relentless waves of nausea that felt like a storm raging inside her, Hadley ended up in the hospital.
"Doctor, what's happening to me?"
She sat nervously in the waiting area while the doctor examined her test results.
Pausing for a moment, the doctor looked at her curiously and inquired, "Are you married?"
There was a pause before Hadley responded affirmatively, "Yes, I am."
"Congratulations," the doctor finally announced. "You're p**gnant."
The news momentarily took Hadley's breath away, her eyes widening as she processed the information.
The recent summer heat had been oppressive, causing her to lose her appetite and frequently feel nauseous.
Hadley had assumed it was the heat or perhaps the greasy food.
Now, she questioned, "Is this what morning sickness feels like?"
Had this revelation come before the events of the previous night, it would have been a joyous occasion for Hadley. But now, everything had changed.
Hadley paused, and then voiced her concern to the doctor. "Is there any chance this is a mistake? Could there be an error in the diagnosis?"
"When did you last have your period?"
Upon thinking back, Hadley's expression changed as she made the connection. "I'm. a week late."
The doctor gestured expansively as he handed over the test results.
"Here's your answer," he said, pushing the document towards her. "See for yourself. The bl**d test is quite clear. You're definitely pregnant."
Hadley's eyes were drawn to the bolded words "early p**gnancy" showed on the report, underscored by the doctor's signature.
She took a deep breath, picked up the report, and softly said, "Thank you, doctor."
Leaving the hospital, the harsh rays of the summer sun prompted tears to gather in her eyes.
With her eyes closed, Hadley whispered to herself, "What am I going to do?"
Her marriage to Eric was still new, barely two months old, and their physical relationship had been limited--quick and infrequent.
Hadley had previously thought that Eric simply wasn't interested in being intimate, and frankly, she didn't much enjoy their encounters; they were just too painful.
Now, the painful truth hit her.
It wasn't the intimacy he was averse to. It was her.
The rare occasions they had been intimate were probably just to fulfill Nyla's wish to produce a Flynn heir.
Now, Hadley found herself p**gnant at the most unfortunate moment.
"What should I do?" Hadley pondered once more.
Was it right to keep the baby?
At only twenty, the gravity of such a decision overwhelmed Hadley. She felt too inexperienced to handle it on her own.
She decided she must speak with Eric.
He was, after all, the father.
Currently, Eric was at the hospital where Linda was recovering from her miscarriage, having set up a makeshift office in her room.
When Hadley tried to enter, she was halted by Eric's security, Xander and Theodore Todd. "Mrs. Flynn, you must stop here. You're not allowed inside."
Confused, Hadley blinked and asked, "Why?"
"The order comes directly from Mr. Flynn," they replied.
Eric's orders?
Did he think she would harm Linda again, or was he concerned Linda might be distressed by her presence?
Hadley bowed her head, feeling a mix of defeat and desperation, yet a trace of resolve lingered.
Hadley pleaded, "I don't need to enter. Just let him know I must speak with him. It's urgent."
The two bodyguards looked at each other. "We'll relay your message."
Theodore went inside to inform Eric of her request.
Eric dismissed the request coldly once Theodore delivered it. "I won't meet with her," he instructed. "Make sure she doesn't come near this room and disturb Linda."
"Understood, Mr. Flynn," Theodore responded before returning to deliver the news to Hadley.
Upon hearing the stern rejection, Hadley's face lost all its color, and her hands began to shake uncontrollably.
"Mrs. Flynn, it's best you leave now. Miss Harris might awaken any moment, and it would be problematic if she saw you here."
"I'm going now."
Hadley's lip quivered as she bit down hard, drawing bl**d, though she hardly noticed.
Exiting the hospital, Hadley paused abruptly, rooted to the spot.
She couldn't just walk away!
Tomorrow, she was scheduled to fly overseas, to a place where everything would be strange and unfamiliar, leaving her even more isolated.
Determined, Hadley chose to stay by the entrance, hoping to intercept Eric as he left the hospital.
As the hours ticked by, her legs grew stiff with cold. Darkness fell, and a sudden downpour drenched the evening.
Hadley began to fear that Eric might spend the night in the hospital, but then he appeared.
The soft illumination from the streetlights enhanced Eric's striking appearance as he walked out.
"Eric!" Hadley called out, dashing towards him.
Eric's expression turned into a deep scowl. "Stop her!"
"At once, sir!"
Hadley was halted halfway by the guards, her path to Eric blocked.
"I need to speak with you--it's urgent!" Hadley yelled, her voice laced with desperation.
Eric continued forward, ignoring her plea.
As his car pulled up, he entered without a backward glance.
"Eric! Please, just listen!" Hadley's voice broke with despair and disbelief as she called after the departing car.
Eric disregarded her completely, shutting the car door and commanding the driver, "Let's go."
As the vehicle began to move, Hadley's expression turned to one of shock and desperation.
"Eric!" Hadley yelled, mustering every ounce of her strength to break free from Xander and sprint after the car.
"Eric, please! Stop the car!"
Tears mingled with her cries as she pursued the car relentlessly.
The cold air burned her lungs, yet she continued.
However, the car accelerated, quickly distancing itself from her. Just as she neared the hospital gate, Hadley's foot caught, and she tumbled to the pavement.
"Ah."
The pain elicited a sharp cry from Hadley.
From the car, Theodore looked back and murmured to Eric, "Sir, she fell."
Did she?
Eric casually checked the rearview mirror and saw Hadley lying on the wet ground, drenched and helpless. His expression briefly showed concern.
However, he quickly dismissed the sentiment. "She's tough. She'll recover. Drive faster. Let's ensure she doesn't follow us and complicate things further."
"Understood, sir."
Accelerating, the vehicle quickly vanished into the distance. Helplessly, Hadley watched as it disappeared, the spark in her eyes dimming.
Struggling to rise, Hadley noticed her arms and palms were scraped and bl**ding, the bl**d diluting in the rainwater.
The pain she felt was sharp, almost soul-deep.
Tears mixed with the rain as Hadley shut her eyes, overwhelmed by the moment.
Later at Silver Villas, completely spent both physically and emotionally, Hadley collapsed onto her sofa still in her damp attire, too exhausted to change or shower.
What options did she have left? Who could help her now?
A sudden memory prompted her to grab her phone. She bypassed her contacts, dialing a number she remembered well.
As she hit the call button, a surge of hope briefly animated her.
The phone rang, and she held her breath in tense anticipation.
"Hello?" A female voice answered.
Immediately, the flicker of hope in Hadley's eyes faded.
"Hello, who is this? Speak up!" The woman on the line warned, "If you don't respond, I'm hanging up."
Shortly after, the line went dead.
Her expression hardened, Hadley clutched her phone tightly as tears streamed down her face.
She realized the call had been a mistake. Frustrated, she threw the phone aside and buried her face in a pillow, her cries muffled.
The night dragged on in a blur of anguish.
She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but she was jolted awake by the incessant ringing of the doorbell, each ring sharper than the last.
Possibly tired of waiting, the person stormed in as the door burst open.
Eric entered, irritation evident on his otherwise striking features.
Chapter 3 Asking For Money From Him
Upon seeing Hadley on the couch, Eric's expression grew sharp with annoyance. "Why wasn't the door answered?"
Silently, Hadley muttered to herself, "I lacked the strength to even get up," but she left her thoughts unspoken, simply shaking her head in response.
Hadley was acutely aware that any attempt to explain herself would merely be seen as an excuse by Eric.
To someone who harbors disdain for you, even the act of breathing could seem like a fault.
Overwhelmed by an uncomfortable feeling, Hadley went directly to the heart of the matter. "What brings you here?"
She thought he wanted nothing to do with her.
"Do you actually think I came here willingly?"
With a sneer, Eric made no effort to mask his contempt as he glanced coldly at Hadley. "Grandma sent me to escort you to the airport."
That was how things stood.
Hadley asked herself bitterly, "Why did I even harbor any hope?"
"Is your luggage upstairs?"
The impatience in Eric's voice was unmistakable. Spending even a moment with Hadley was clearly something he found almost unbearable.
Hadley nodded, but then quickly added, "It's upstairs, but I haven't finished packing yet."
She had planned to finish packing the previous night, but overwhelming fatigue and sickness had caused her to fall asleep prematurely.
"What?"
A shadow crossed Eric's face as his irritation flared. "You've had all day and still haven't managed to pack your bags?"
He fixed a stern gaze on Hadley, who appeared bewildered and unresponsive. Eric guessed bitterly. "Is she trying to delay her departure?"
"Don't just stand there; get moving and finish your packing!"
"Alright," Hadley responded with a vacant nod, turning to ascend the stairs swiftly.
Making her way up, Hadley felt each step caused her to break out in a cold sweat. She sensed that something was amiss. Hesitantly, she touched her forehead.
It was unmistakably hot, her breathing labored as if each breath scorched her lungs.
Clearly, she was running a fever.
The fever was probably a result of being soaked in the rain yesterday.
Hadley's initial reaction was to search for some cold medicine in her room. Just as she was about to take one, she hesitated.
Remembering her p**gnancy, she knew she couldn't take the medicine.
Although she hadn't decided whether to keep the baby, she felt a responsibility to protect it while it was still part of her.
"Ugh."
A wave of nausea hit Hadley hard, causing her to g**an.
She clutched her mouth and hurried to the bathroom, where she retched into the toilet until she felt completely empty.
Afterward, she turned on the tap, rinsed her mouth, and splashed her face with cold water to soothe her burning skin.
"Hadley!"
Eric's voice, deep and slightly raspy, echoed with a note of exasperation.
Impatient from waiting, he had come upstairs to check on her progress.
Noticing she still wasn't ready, he demanded, "Hadley, what's taking so long? Get out here!"
"On my way," replied Hadley, dabbing her face with a towel. She emerged from the bathroom, her complexion ashen, her voice a faint murmur.
"Eric," she whispered. "Might I request to leave a day later?"
Her health was so precarious that she worried about becoming sick on the flight.
Should she fall ill on the plane, she would be entirely alone, without assistance.
"Why for?" Eric asked, his expression clouding with suspicion.
"What's your scheme now? Yesterday, you tried to see Linda at the hospital, and I had to stop you. Are you attempting something else today?"
Did he truly have such a low opinion of her?
"It's not what you think." Hadley replied, her eyes widening with the effort to restrain her tears.
"I feel very sick. I need to consult a doctor."
"Enough of this!" Eric interjected sharply, not allowing her to explain further.
He examined her face briefly before a slight smirk appeared. "Feigning illness again? You expect me to believe that?"
His voice took on a cold edge. "Even if you are sick, how serious could it be? Linda has just lost a child and is still in the hospital, while you're here, perfectly upright! You'll cope. It's not the end of the world!"
Hadley reeled from his words, her face a picture of astonishment. "I."
Eric paid her no mind, moving swiftly to the closet to retrieve the already packed suitcase.
"Leave whatever isn't packed. Just buy what you need when you get there! It's all coming from my family's funds anyway. I can't afford to linger here with you."
With that, he grabbed the suitcase and stormed downstairs.
Hadley's lip quivered as pain gripped her heart. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, which she smeared away with the back of her hand.
She might as well leave.
Whether here or somewhere foreign, did it really matter?
Isolated, unloved--her plight seemed invisible to others, her existence negligible.
At the airport, Eric was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his assistant, Phillips Brown, took care of the check-in process and walked Hadley to the security checkpoint.
"Have a safe trip, ma'am," Phillips said as he handed her the passport and boarding pass. "Please call Mrs. Flynn upon your landing. Your living expenses will be forwarded to you each month."
Hadley responded with a subdued nod, "I understand. Thank you."
She then proceeded through the boarding gate.
A month had passed. Now, deep into the night in an apartment in downtown Blathe, Hadley was hunched over in bed, too terrified to turn on any lights or make noise.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sound of forceful knocking jolted the door. Outside, her fat, middle-aged landlord shouted, "Senorita! Are you there? Your rent is overdue! I know you're inside! Respond!"
Hadley pressed her hands over her ears, squeezed her eyes shut, and shook her head, silently wishing the landlord would just go away.
After enduring the quiet for a while, it seemed the landlord finally gave up. "Thinking you can avoid paying by hiding? Oh, sweetheart, that's just naive! Are you really not there?"
He continued muttering to himself, "It's getting late. I hope she's safe."
The pounding at the door eventually ceased, and the sound of the landlord's footsteps slowly faded away.
Hadley took her hands away from her ears, breathing out a lengthy sigh of relief.
She had managed to avoid the landlord today, but the question of what to do tomorrow lingered in her mind.
Gently pulling her phone from beneath her pillow, Hadley scrolled through her contacts to find Nyla's number.
It had been nearly a month since she arrived in Blathe, yet the living expenses she was promised had not been sent. She had been trying to reach Nyla for days now, but all her calls had gone unanswered.
She inhaled deeply and pressed the call button once more.
Still, no one answered.
Feeling more isolated, Hadley wondered who else she could turn to.
Eric was her only option left.
With a moment's hesitation, she found Eric's number, dialed, and the call connected.
"Hello."
The familiar deep and slightly hoarse voice of Eric answered.
Nerves made Hadley's mouth dry. "I. it's me."
"What do you want?" Eric asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.
Surprised by his harsh tone, Hadley stuttered, "I tried to reach Nyla, but her number seems to be disconnected."
Eric responded coldly, "Why do you need Grandma? You just left, and you're already trying to pull her back into your problems?"
"No." Hadley quickly clarified. "That's not it."
Eric didn't let her finish. "Don't bother trying to contact Grandma. I've changed her number to keep you from disturbing her."
Hadley stood speechless, tears starting to form in her eyes.
She knew Eric couldn't stand her, but wasn't her leaving the country enough?
Did he really have to cut her off from Nyla too?
Nyla had always shown her kindness, and she cherished their bond.
"Anything else?" Eric's voice was losing patience. "We sent you abroad to become more self-reliant, not to continue relying on us like you've done all your life. I'm going to hang up now!"
"Wait, please!" Hadley interjected quickly, desperation clear in her voice. "It's regarding the living expenses. they haven't been sent yet."
Chapter 4 She Had No Right To Give Up
"Really?"
Eric's smile was cold, dripping with scorn.
"So, this is about money, isn't it? Not even a month has passed. What's the hurry? Rest assured, you'll receive your due. Just be patient. Surely, you don't think we'd let you go hungry?"
He paused briefly, his tone becoming terse. "Avoid calling me unless it's urgent. I'll get in touch if there's any need."
With those final words, the conversation abruptly ceased.
Clasping the phone tightly, Hadley's shock was evident.
To such an extent, Eric despised her.
"Absurd."
With a frail chuckle, Hadley's face turned ashen. Requesting money from him had left her feeling profoundly demeaned.
In silence, she lifted her hand to her unchanged stomach, closed her eyes, and allowed tears to escape quietly.
Eight months had passed.
Hadley was sleeping peacefully in her modest room, her p**gnant belly prominently displayed.
The arrival of her child was approaching. Despite the doctor's recommendation for an early hospitalization due to the baby's backside position, Hadley merely smiled and remained silent.
Her pockets were empty.
Eight months earlier, following that call with Eric, he had spewed nothing but cruelty.
Yet, the financial support he promised never materialized.
Hadley had drained her savings. With no way to afford her apartment anymore, she ended up in a run-down neighborhood.
She never reached out to him for financial help again.
The thought of being labeled a p**asite was unbearable.
After moving, Hadley managed to secure some part-time work, balancing it with her studies.
Her earnings were limited, but through careful budgeting, she made enough to sustain herself.
As she drifted in sleep, the night erupted with cries of alarm.
"Fire!"
The shout pierced the air.
"Escape!"
Roused abruptly, Hadley leaped from her bed and threw open her door to a scene of utter chaos. Sm*ke engulfed the corridor as flames danced violently.
Her complexion drained of color in an instant.
"Hadley!"
Her neighbor, a fellow student, was frantic with worry as he caught sight of her.
"Why haven't you fled? It's a fire! Get out now!"
"Right, got it!"
In a rush, Hadley spun around to snatch her backpack.
She moved to venture deeper into her apartment, but her neighbor's firm grip stopped her. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you heading back in? Leave immediately!"
"I must!"
Hadley's frustration was clear as she stamped her foot.
Inside, her savings lay--every single penny she had painstakingly gathered for her baby's future needs: hospital bills, diapers, and baby formula.
"I need to retrieve it!"
Hadley moved to step further, but at that moment, a flaming beam from the ceiling crashed down in front of her.
"Ah!"
Hadley instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding injury.
The way forward was now obstructed by debris.
"Hadley! Escape now!"
"No!"
With a desperate shake of her head, she couldn't consider leaving. Breaking away, she made a reckless dash into the danger.
"Ah!"
A fierce blast of wind propelled the fire closer to her. Turning swiftly, Hadley felt the flames lick at her lower back, eliciting a sharp wince of pain.
"Hadley!"
Her neighbor reached out and yanked her to safety. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." Hadley dismissed his concern with a shake of her head, even as coughs wracked her body, spurred by the engulfing sm*ke.
"Let's go, now!"
Clutching her arm, her neighbor pleaded, "You can't return inside!"
"But."
"Consider your child! The sm*ke alone could k*ll you both! If you go back, it might cost both your lives. Escape now!"
Led almost forcibly by her neighbor, Hadley managed to flee from the blaze.
At that moment, the flames had already seared Hadley's back, and she had failed to retrieve her savings. Powerless, she watched as her modest home was consumed by fire, crumbling to mere ashes.
What was she to do next?
"Ah!"
A sudden, intense pain struck her, causing Hadley to grasp her abdomen tightly.
"What's the matter? Are you okay?"
A crowd formed around Hadley.
"She's having her baby!"
"Someone call for an ambulance! We need to get her to a hospital now!".
"Ah!"
"Stay strong!"
In haste, Hadley was transported to the hospital and positioned on a delivery table. She withstood a harrowing and dangerous labor for more than ten hours.
Eventually, she delivered her child.
A nurse tenderly placed the newborn in her arms, and tears welled up in Hadley's eyes as she beamed with joy.
Here was her child.
Her own family.
She wasn't alone in the world any longer.
Then, overwhelmed by the outrage of the moment, she let her eyes fall shut and lost consciousness.
One afternoon, Hadley held her infant close, her gaze fixed silently downward.
A nurse, empathetic in her demeanor, was nearby, observing Hadley. She had come to discuss the outstanding hospital bills. Hadley had managed to pay a fraction, yet it was far from sufficient.
Silently, Hadley lowered her head, at a loss for words.
She felt utterly defeated, with nothing left to offer.
The nurse, moved by compassion and noting Hadley's youth, assumed she had been abandoned by an uncaring partner.
"Isn't there someone in your family, or perhaps friends, who could assist you? Call them," the nurse gently suggested, and then moved away, careful not to press too firmly.
Hadley's eyes began to brim with tears.
Family? Friends? She had no one.
Yet now she was a mother and could not ignore her obligations, as if she were irresponsible.
Rummaging through her bag, she retrieved her phone.
She called Eric.
The phone echoed unanswered rings.
At last, the call was picked up.
"Eric."
"Hello?"
It was Linda's voice that responded, smooth and slightly mocking.
"Is this Hadley? Do you need Eric? He's unavailable at the moment. But feel free to talk to me," Linda continued, her voice carrying a hint of provocation.
Could Linda truly offer assistance?
Didn't Linda harbor resentment toward her?
At this point, however, Hadley had no room for such concerns.
Options were non-existent for her.
With a swallowed pride, Hadley hesitated, and then said, "I was wondering if he might. possibly help with some financial support?"
She framed her request carefully, not as charity but as a loan.
"Please, I promise to repay it as soon as possible!"
"Understood," Linda responded, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "I'll pass on the message. Bye."
"Thank."
Hadley's words of gratitude were cut short as the line went dead.
Clutching her phone, she felt a knot of anxiety tighten within her.
Could Eric possibly extend the financial help? Perhaps for Nyla's sake, or given their unresolved divorce. He would help, right?
Yet, as days passed by, no help arrived for Hadley.
Two days later, there she was, standing outside the hospital, cradling her baby and a bag.
Eviction had come due to unpaid bills.
She looked up, squinting against the harsh winter sun, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Don't cry, Hadley."
Her lip quivered as she bit down hard.
"Why should you cry? You're a mother now. You've got a child to care for! No time for tears!"
Nevertheless, she found herself poor, her previous home lost to the fire, with no place left to go.
Two weeks had passed.
Hurrying down the sidewalk, Hadley held her baby close.
"Thief! Stop that woman!"
"Seize her!"
Footsteps thundered behind her.
Realization dawned on her; escape was impossible.
Tripping over, Hadley fell forward, twisting instinctively to protect her baby from the impact.
"Caught you!" exclaimed a store clerk, securing her before she could rise.
"Where are you headed in such a hurry? What did you steal? Hand it over!" demanded the clerk, forcefully pulling her bag and emptying its contents on the ground.
"Is this baby formula and diapers? You took these?"
"See this? She's carrying an infant!"
Hadley closed her eyes tightly, overcome with shame. She wished she could just vanish. She'd lost it all. Her dignity was shattered beyond repair.
Yet, as she clutched her baby tighter, she realized surrender wasn't an option. She had no right to give up.
Chapter 5 Take Her Back
Time had swiftly flown by; it had been three years.
At Srixby International Airport.
As she navigated her way through the terminal, Hadley's appearance was noticeably vibrant. Her gaze was alert, her eyes serene with an unwavering peacefulness that belied her age.
She soon noticed Sebastian Mitchell, the Flynn family's driver, holding up a sign bearing her name.
Approaching him with a reserved smile, Hadley said, "Sebastian."
Upon observing Hadley, a flicker of astonishment crossed Sebastian's features. "Are you really Mrs. Hadley Flynn?"
"That's me," Hadley replied, her smile softening.
The transformations in her over the years were not lost on her; she had slimmed down and even shot up a bit, thanks to a late growth spurt.
"You've undergone quite the transformation."
Sebastian's initial shock gave way to a warm grin. "You look even lovelier than you did before."
"Your flattery is generous, Sebastian."
"Let's head out."
Following their brief conversation, Sebastian escorted Hadley from the airport. "The vehicle's parked right up front. Mrs. Nyla Flynn has been eagerly anticipating your arrival and has mentioned you several times over the past few days."
Hadley proceeded to the car and settled inside.
As they drove away, it dawned on her that only Sebastian had come to meet her; Eric was notably absent.
Soon, they arrived at Tranquille Sanatorium.
Nyla was dealing with a serious heart issue and was due for an impending surgical procedure.
It was this grave health concern that necessitated Hadley's return after three years. The surgery carried significant risks, and Nyla was bracing for all possibilities.
Her wish, before undergoing surgery, was to reunite with Hadley.
Upon reaching Nyla's room, Nyla's anxious voice could be heard questioning, "Is she here yet? What's taking them so long?"
Knock, knock.
Advancing towards the door, Sebastian knocked lightly.
"Come in!"
He then moved aside, making way for Hadley. "Please, Mrs. Flynn, go ahead."
"Thank you."
Hadley gave a nod and gently pushed the door open.
"Hadley?"
Peering from her bed, Nyla tried to make out the figure at the doorway. The resemblance was there, but uncertainty lingered.
"Nyla."
With swift steps, Hadley approached.
"Is it truly you, Hadley?" Nyla extended her hand with a burst of joy. "Come closer, my dear. Let's have a proper look at you."
Submissively, Hadley grasped Nyla's hand, permitting a close inspection.
"Excellent, just excellent."
Emotion surged within Nyla; her eyes began to tear up and her voice wavered. "You've grown up into such a stunning young woman."
Three years ago, Hadley had departed with a youthful, rounded face. But now, her appearance had changed dramatically.
"Eric insisted on your independence, forbidding me from reaching out. It appears independence truly molds a person, doesn't it?"
At these words, Hadley halted, her smile broadening as she agreed. "Indeed, you're absolutely correct."
Nyla's pride grew as she observed Hadley's composure, softly patting her hand while exhaling a tender sigh.
"The years have truly transformed you, haven't they?"
Hadley hesitated, and then said in a hushed tone, "I was reckless back then. I'm sorry for the worries I caused you."
With a deep sigh, Nyla responded, "You were indeed a bit spoiled, and that's on me. My overindulgence might have led to those errors."
Hadley chose to remain silent, simply pressing her lips tightly together.
Running her fingers through Hadley's hair, Nyla sighed again. "Look at you now, so different. Please understand why I was so stern; it was all out of love. Going forward, be a good girl. You will always be my dearest granddaughter-in-law, understand?"
"I do."
Hadley nodded, her fingers clenched in her lap.
They continued their conversation for a bit longer until Nyla, clearly fatigued, indicated her need for rest.
"I'll let you go now. You've just arrived today. Have the driver take you back to rest."
"Okay."
Leaving the sanatorium behind, Sebastian drove Hadley back to Silver Villas, where she resided with Eric after they got married.
"Get some rest. I'm off."
"Much appreciated, Sebastian."
Hadley paused at the threshold of Silver Villas, inhaling deeply before she nudged the door open and crossed the threshold.
Her fingers shook slightly as she turned the handle.
Given a choice, she would never have returned to this house.
Choices, however, were luxury she couldn't afford now. Wealth was not in her cards.
She had only just come back to Srixby and was yet to secure her own place.
Consider staying in a hotel?
That was out of the question.
Her finances were so strained she would prefer sleeping outdoors rather than squandering money on hotel bills.
Residing in Silver Villas meant tolerating Eric, who obviously detested her.
Yet, fear was no longer part of her vocabulary.
She had faced more than enough judgment over the years. By now, she had learned to weather the worst of it.
Entering the foyer, she placed her suitcase to one side.
Hadley extracted her toiletries and a clean outfit to change into later.
Just then, a noise from the foyer caught her attention.
She stiffened. It was him--Eric had come home..
What happens next?
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&5&
Debido a la obsesión de su esposo con la am**te, ella renunció a todas sus fantasías y solicitó el divorcio. Tras esto, se convirtió en una exitosa empresaria. Sin embargo, cuando él la sorprendió charlando alegremente con amigos varones, ¡rompió el acuerdo de divorcio en público!
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'No había nada más irónico que estar sentada sola en una amplia mesa de mármol frente a un montón de sobras, mientras tu marido se divertía con su am**te el día de vuestro s**to aniversario de boda.'
El corazón de Julianna lloró. Julianna sintió que su corazón se enfriaba como la comida que tenía frente a ella en ese momento.
Alguna vez creyó que su esposo al menos recordaría su deber en ese día especial, pero eso se hizo añicos cuando recibió las fotos de su investigador privado.
Él y su am**te cenaban a la luz de las velas junto a un ventanal que iba del suelo al techo. Con la mujer en sus brazos, tenía una sonrisa cariñosa en el rostro.
Durante los seis años que duró su matrimonio, Franklin nunca le había mostrado esa suave sonrisa suya. Siempre la trataba con una expresión fría y seria.
Sabía que nuestro matrimonio no había comenzado con amor, sino con un contrato. Sin embargo, desde el primer momento en que lo conocí, siendo adolescente, se ganó mi corazón.
Franklin William Arnaud, un nombre muy conocido en este país. Además de su excelente apariencia, su cerebro inteligente lo hacía aún más encantador.
Innumerables mujeres soñaban con un dulce romance con el heredero perfecto de Laberinto, pero él se casó joven.
Y lo que fascinaba aún más a las mujeres era que también era un esposo devoto.
Desde su matrimonio con esa misteriosa esposa, nunca había tenido un solo escándalo. ¿Qué mujer no querría a un hombre así?
Pero sólo Julianna sabía cuál era la verdad. Su matrimonio era sólo un adorno para su buen nombre.
Necesitaba un matrimonio estable para construir una imagen de confianza hacia el exterior, sin embargo, cuando estaban solos, no se molestaba en mirarla ni una vez más.
Ella nunca se apropió de su cariño, y mucho menos de su amor. El amor de Franklin sólo quedaba para esa mujer.
La mujer de la foto y su primer amor, Camilla.
Y eso fue lo que destruyó a Julianna. No importaba cuánto se hubiera sacrificado por él, él no podía sentir amor por ella.
Sin embargo, todo lo que hacía falta era una sonrisa o una lágrima de Camilla y él volvería a ella, sin importar cuánto lo había lastimado hacía seis años.
Al ampliar la foto, Julianna intentó buscar incluso un atisbo de culpa en su rostro, pero fracasó una vez más.
Julianna sabía que su matrimonio enfrentaría desafíos desde que Gustavo, el abuelo de Franklin, falleció, pero no esperaba que fuera tan pronto.
Franklin estaba ansioso por recuperar a su primer amor, incluso si eso significaba un golpe para su reputación ganada con tanto esfuerzo.
¿Cómo se siente quedarse solo en el aniversario de bodas?
De repente, recibió un mensaje de texto desconocido en su teléfono celular, y por el tono largo y mezquino, Julianna no tuvo que pensar para reconocer que era de Camilla.
[Pensaste que habías ganado después de que tus patéticos trucos obligaran a Franklin a dejarme, ¡ahora el anciano se ha ido y nadie estará de tu lado! Esperemos y veremos, Julianna. ¡Tus buenos días han terminado!]
[¡Aprecia tu último momento como señora Arnaud, porque pronto me pertenecerá!]
Apretando los dientes, Julianna podía imaginar la expresión de suficiencia que tendría Camilla.
¿Cómo podía esa pe**a tergiversar la verdad tan descaradamente? Ella nunca obligó a Franklin a romper con Camilla y fue la propia Camilla quien abandonó a Franklin por una gran fortuna.
¡No pasó la prueba de Gustavo y ahora la culpó de todo esto! ¿Cómo se atrevía?
Julianna aún recordaba lo que Gustavo le había dicho en su lecho de muerte.
El anciano quería que ella cuidara de su nieto, que se aferrara a este matrimonio.
Julianna no sabía lo que Gustavo había visto en ella, pero hasta el último momento, él todavía creía que Julianna era la única que podía traerle felicidad a Franklin.
A Julianna le resultaba difícil decirle que no a este amable anciano.
Gustavo era el único que trataba bien a Julianna en la familia Arnaud y si no le hubiera proporcionado un lugar donde quedarse, Julianna difícilmente habría sobrevivido hasta el día en que se reunió con su familia.
Julianna dejó de pensar y le envió un mensaje de texto a su esposo. Estaba segura de que Franklin volvería a casa de inmediato.
En menos de media hora, Franklin abrió la puerta de su dormitorio con fuerza y lo que encontró fue su cara enojada.
Franklin se acercó a ella y la empujó hacia la c**a mientras con su mano le qu**aba el camisón.
-¡Franklin! -gritó ella, intentando detenerlo. No le estaba pidiendo que volviera a te**r s**o, lo había llamado solo porque quería hablar.
Si estaban destinados a fallarle a Gustavo, esperaba que su matrimonio terminara de forma decente.
Sin embargo, el hombre que estaba encima de ella no se molestó en responder y, en cambio, comenzó a mo**isquearle la oreja.
-Ah, Franklin -lo llamó con voz en**ecortada mientras intentaba empujarlo.
Él gruñó, claramente disgustado por sus intentos, y sin dudarlo, sujetó sus brazos sobre su cabeza, sosteniendo sus muñecas con una mano mientras la otra bajaba por su cuerpo.
Y mientras todo esto sucedía, Julianna sentía que sus sentimientos chocaban.
Antes, estaba herida, irritada y enojada por todas las acciones de Franklin, pero ahora, con su cálido cuerpo cubriendo el suyor, no podía encontrar la voluntad para permanecer enojada o sentirse herida.
Más bien, se sintió amada.
Fue una to**ería, pero ella quería creer que tal vez, sólo tal vez, Franklin no volvió a casa por el mensaje de texto que ella le había enviado, sino porque era su aniversario y quería hacerla sentir amada y deseada.
Con ese pensamiento en mente, envolvió sus piernas alrededor de su cintura, atrayéndolo más cerca.
Después de mucho tiempo, agotado, él se dio la vuelta, quedando tendido en el espacio a su lado.
Por un momento, lo único que Julianna pudo oír fueron sus ja**os combinados y el sonido de sus latidos cardíacos.
Sin embargo, sus siguientes palabras se sintieron como un cu**illo afilado clavado en su corazón.
-Ya no tenemos por qué seguir manteniendo esta ve**üenza matrimonial, Julianna. Divorciémonos.
Capítulo 2
-¿Qué? -Julianna finalmente logró preguntar, después de un largo silencio entre ellas. Esperaba que lo que había oído antes fuera solo una broma que le había jugado su mente.
-Ya me has oído. Ahora que el abuelo ya no está aquí, creo que es hora de que nos divorciemos -respondió Franklin sin dudarlo-. Y no olvides que tú lo mencionaste primero.
Las lágrimas le corrían por el rostro y a Julianna le costaba respirar. Sí, en ese mensaje de texto mencionó el divorcio y el testamento del abuelo.
Si terminan divorciándose, Julianna podría quedarse con la mitad de su propiedad.
Pero, en realidad, la propiedad nunca fue lo que Julianna quería.
Incluso planeó devolvérsela si un día Franklin encontraba a alguien con quien valiera la pena pasar el resto de su vida.
No podía quedarse sentada y ver cómo el legado de Gustavo se veía empañado por alguien como Camilla
Por eso quería que Franklin volviera y hablara con él.
Ella eligió algunas palabras para irritar a Franklin a propósito y estaba preparada para enfrentarse a su ira.
Pero tan pronto como él regresó, la derritió con su dominio. Fue él quien la tejió con la ilusión de que todavía había esperanza para su matrimonio destrozado.
-¿Quieres el divorcio? -Su voz se ahogó-. Entonces, ¿por qué hi**ste el a**r conmigo ahora mismo?
Su voz sonaba quebrada mientras hundía la cabeza en las sábanas.
El aroma del otro aún permanecía en ellos.
-Es solo s**o -su tono era despiadado, completamente ajeno a su dolor-. Además, ¿no era eso lo que querías? Lo disfrutaste, pero lo hice solo para decirte la verdad, aunque du**ma contigo, no significa que esté enamorado de ti.
Sus palabras fueron como un cu**illo afilado que se le clavaba en el corazón. Su rostro palideció y sus ojos se humedecieron.
Sí, su vida se**al siempre había sido maravillosa y eso también fue lo que la hizo seguir con el matrimonio durante tantos años.
Julianna supuso ingenuamente que él tenía al menos un poco de sentimientos por ella, o su de**o no se despertaría tan fácilmente.
Una vez pensó que era amor. Pero estaba equivocada. Muy equivocada.
Él la quería solo para sus necesidades. Ella era solo una muñeca se**al para él. Cuando su verdadero amor regresara, solo podía abandonarla.
-Vamos, Julianna, no actúes como si fueras una paloma inocente. ¡Tú sabes cómo surgió nuestro matrimonio! Salvaste a mi abuelo y usaste esto para amenazarlo. Por eso me obligó a casarme contigo. ¡Esa es toda la verdad sobre nuestro matrimonio!
-¡No, Franklin! ¡No es así! -Julianna sacudió la cabeza desesperadamente-. No amenacé a mi abuelo. Me casé contigo sólo porque te amo.
-¡Basta! ¡Deja de molestarme! -Franklin se puso los pantalones y la camisa blanca, claramente dispuesto a irse-. Haré que te envíen los documentos del divorcio lo antes posible, así que fírmalos en silencio y sin armar un escándalo.
Julianna no podía creer las palabras que estaba escuchando. Sus ojos se agitaban furiosamente, tratando desesperadamente de contener las lágrimas que se habían acumulado en el fondo de sus ojos.
La escena anterior a la muerte de Gustavo le vino a la mente.
El anciano moribundo juntó las manos de Franklin y de ella diciéndoles amablemente que se amaran y tuvieran una vida feliz.
"Julianna, mi niña, sé que has sufrido mucho, pero por favor, cuida bien de Franklin por mí. Sé que sólo tú puedes lograrlo".
Sus últimas palabras quedaron en sus oídos, alimentando su determinación de intentarlo una última vez.
Sin embargo, Franklin no le dio la oportunidad. Le arrojó una tarjeta negra a la cara mientras se ponía la corbata sin mirar atrás.
"Tomar la mitad de la propiedad de mi familia es demasiado. Aquí tienes 50 millones de libras, suficiente para varias vidas. Toma el dinero y firma el papel de divorcio obedientemente, o no me culpes por ser grosero".
Dicho esto, se dio la vuelta y salió por la puerta. La firmeza de su postura y de su movimiento acabó con la fe que Julianna aún tenía en ella.
En silencio, se sentó en la cama, con lágrimas corriendo por su rostro. ¿Cómo había terminado así?
Si no hubiera sido por el accidente automovilístico, Julianna nunca pensó que su vida se habría cruzado con la de Franklin.
Por esa casualidad, ella salvó al anciano Gustavo. Para agradecerle, Gustavo quiso que su nieto se casara con ella y ella nunca esperó que su nieto resultara ser Franklin, su obsesión desde la adolescencia.
En ese momento, creyó que ella era su novia destinada.
Sin embargo, ella no esperaba que Franklin ya tuviera su primer amor.
Julianna le había pedido a Gustavo que desistiera de su decisión, pero el anciano desesperado le contó sobre su cáncer y le dijo que su único deseo era ver feliz a su nieto. Julianna ya no podía negarlo.
Por otro lado, Julianna no sabía cuánto había hecho Gustavo para que Franklin se enamorara de ella.
Incluso amenazó con dejar a Camilla y a su familia sin hogar si Franklin no trataba bien a Julianna.
Nadie se atrevió a dudar de la palabra del hombre a cargo de la familia, Camilla literalmente desapareció de sus vidas y Franklin aceptó su matrimonio.
Para Julianna, Franklin era un marido responsable. Hasta el mes pasado, solía volver a casa a tiempo y cenar con ella con regularidad.
Ella seguía confiando en su matrimonio hasta que se enteró de que Camilla había vuelto y Franklin pasó la mayor parte del tiempo con ella durante el último mes.
Ahora, ella se dio cuenta de que todo era una venganza de Franklin contra ella.
De repente, su teléfono celular silencioso sonó y era su mejor amiga Lauren. Inmediatamente tomó el teléfono y la voz ansiosa de Lauren sonó desde el teléfono.
-Julianna, ¿por qué Franklin retira de repente su inversión en mi empresa?
Julianna se dio cuenta inmediatamente de que era una amenaza de Franklin.
¡Él le estaba advirtiendo que se divorciara! Si ella se negaba a firmar los papeles, él usaría la compañía de Lauren como moneda de cambio. Julianna no podía soportarlo más.
Nunca en su vida se había sentido tan humillada. ¡Sentía un fuego ardiendo en su interior!
¡Así que Tobia era el verdadero personaje! ¡Qué descarado!
Ya no tenía motivos para seguir con ese matrimonio. Creía que Gustavo comprendería su decisión, así que llamó a Franklin de inmediato.
Antes de que él pudiera hablar, ella inmediatamente dijo: "¡Estoy de acuerdo con el divorcio y no aceptaré ni un centavo de tu asqueroso dinero! ¡Solo prepara los papeles del divorcio! ¡AHORA MISMO!"
Después de decir eso, no esperó que Franklin respondiera y colgó el teléfono.
Inmediatamente editó un mensaje de texto para tranquilizar a Lauren. Incluso sin Franklin, a su empresa no le faltarían inversiones.
Tras empacar sus cosas, abandonó la finca Arnaud.
Fue solo después de sentir una pequeña gota húmeda caer sobre su frente, que salió de sus pensamientos y se dio cuenta de su entorno.
Estaba lloviendo.
Las lágrimas corrían por su rostro, mezclándose con la lluvia, mientras el cielo parecía reflejar el estado de su corazón. Pero ni un solo sonido escapaba de sus labios.
Se quedó allí, dejando caer tranquilamente las lágrimas, con los hombros caídos y el pelo mojado. De repente, sintió que la lluvia se detenía allí donde estaba.
Se giró y vio el rostro de un individuo familiar, un rostro ridiculizado y preocupado.
-Señorita Roche -saludó Raiden, el mayordomo exclusivo del Roche.
Julianna no respondió.
En lugar de eso, dejó que el hombre le pusiera un abrigo sobre los hombros, amortiguando el frío de su vestido mojado, antes de continuar.
"El plazo que te dieron estaba a punto de expirar. Es hora de que te divorcies del señor Arnaud y vuelvas a casa para gestionar el negocio familiar".
"El Maestro está llamando a tu regreso como el único y legítimo gobernante".
Capítulo 3
-El negocio familiar. -murmuró Julianna, riéndose amargamente.
Bueno, un poderoso Grupo Familiar la estaba esperando para que regresara y ella lo manejara, pero ella seguía retrasándolo por alguien que no era digno de su amor en absoluto.
¿Cómo la llamaba Franklin? ¿Una cazafortunas? Si tan solo supiera qué apellido le correspondía por nacimiento. Los Roche tenían negocios en todas partes del mundo.
Si no hubiera sido por el inesperado naufragio, su destino nunca se habría cruzado con el de Franklin.
¿Por qué tenía que seguir por el camino equivocado? Era hora de volver a casa.
Sentada en el GMC Yukon negro, Julianna atendió la llamada de su abuelo, Nasir Roche.
-Abuelo, buenas noches -saludó cortésmente, inclinando sutilmente la cabeza aunque el hombre no podía verla.
-Buenas noches, Julianna -preguntó el anciano directamente-. ¿Por fin has decidido dejar de jugar a las casitas?
-Sí -respondió Julianna con firmeza, con el tono de una élite que había sido entrenada por los mejores tutores.
"Me divorciaré de Franklin Arnaud y volveré a casa pronto. Pero tengo una petición: quiero más tiempo para ocuparme de algo aquí primero".
El otro extremo de la línea quedó en silencio después de sus palabras, lo que le hizo sudar las palmas de las manos.
Julianna arrugó la cara. No quería desaparecer como el viento y hacer que Franklin y Camilla pensaran que estaba derrotada.
"Por favor, abuelo, respeta mi decisión. No voy a volver a casa ahora. No quiero irme como un perdedor. Quiero construir mi nombre aquí antes de volver a casa".
Pareció que había pasado una eternidad antes de que Nasir hablara: "Sabes que odio especialmente cuando me desobedeces".
-Lo sé, abuelo. Te pido disculpas. -Se aburrió la cabeza en tono de disculpa, dispuesta a aceptar cualquier palabra que su abuelo le lanzara. Sabía que estaba siendo obstinada otra vez.
-Pero tienes razón, en nuestra familia no hay ningún cobarde. Te daré un año para que te quedes allí como gerente de la sucursal de Londres.
"Y a cambio, debéis haber aumentado el beneficio de la empresa en un treinta por ciento en un año".
-¡¿Qué?! ¡Abuelo, treinta por ciento, son tres mil millones!
"¿Y? ¿Eres incapaz de hacerlo?"
"No."
"Bien, pero seamos francos: no hacerlo también traería consecuencias".
"¿Como?"
"Tengo un amigo cercano cuyo hijo está interesado en ti. Estoy segura de que ambos formarían una pareja maravillosa".
Julianna frunció el ceño. Entendía perfectamente el significado de las palabras de su abuelo.
"Un matrimonio arreglado."
-Te fue bien con el primero, ¿no? Y déjame decirte que, a diferencia de ese ba**ardo, ah, yo debería castrarlo -Julianna se rió levemente al ver cómo su abuelo se había desviado del tema-. A diferencia de ese ba**ardo, Reed es un buen hombre. Te trataría bien y.
-No será necesario, abuelo -interrumpió Julianna cortésmente-. Aumentaré las ganancias de la empresa en un treinta por ciento y entonces ya no necesitaré este matrimonio.
"Sí."
-Muy bien, trato -convino Julianna.
"He hecho mucho por mi nieta, así que por favor, deja de desobedecerme una vez que todo esto haya terminado".
-Sí, abuelo. Gracias.
"No me des las gracias. Ahora tengo que asistir a mi competición de golf. Descansa en paz".
"Que lo pases bien, abuelo."
Así, la llamada terminó, dejando a Julianna sola con sus pensamientos.
Un año, treinta por ciento de ganancia.
No creo que ella aceptara a la ligera, y solo ella sabía cuánta presión traería esto.
Durante los últimos seis años, Julianna había abandonado su identidad y sus talentos solo para ser la esposa de Franklin con todo su corazón. Pero todo resultó ser una ensoñación inútil.
Sí, era hora de despertar.
-Raiden -dijo, frotándose suavemente la sien con los dedos-. Prepárate para adquirir la empresa de cosméticos de Lauren Woods de inmediato y asegúrate de que seamos más rápidos que los Arnaud.
"Sí, mi señora", respondió respetuosamente el hombre del asiento delantero. "Definitivamente estaré a la altura de su confianza".
Julianna miró por la ventanilla del coche y una sonrisa se dibujó en sus labios. Sabía que su nueva vida había comenzado.
Y ella no era tan generosa como para perdonar todo.
¿Qué sucederá en adelante?
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&5&
On their anniversary, she caught her so-called incapable husband cheating with his first love. Furious, she demanded a divorce and half of their assets, leaving them to each other!
=====
"Hmm… Landen…"
The sultry voice from behind the firmly closed door froze Kaelyn Barnett's hand mid-knock.
A shiver raced down her spine, the chill creeping from her fingertips to her core.
For years of marriage, she and her husband, Landen Barnett, had never shared int*macy.
But now, hearing the voice from inside the room, she knew all too well what was going on.
Her breath hitched, disbelief clawing at her chest. Landen -- he wouldn't… no, he couldn't.
When they married, Landen had confessed that he had a condition -- something that made int*macy impossible. So she refused to believe the one inside to be him.
Kaelyn pressed a trembling hand to her temple, desperate to convince herself otherwise. But when deep male gro*ns followed, the shaky comfort she clung to shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.
That voice was his. She knew it too well.
Her legs wobbled, her back pressing into the cold wall for support. Tears blurred her vision, spilling freely as she cupped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sob threatening to escape.
Three years ago, after Landen's car accident left him in a coma, Kaelyn had thrown herself into his care, tending to him with unwavering devotion for two long years, completely brushing off the sneers and dismissive stares from others, solely because he had once saved her when she had an accident.
On the surface, she had just simply looked after him, but secretly, she had treated him with her excellent medical skill, which brought him back from the brink. She still remembered the day he woke up, the warmth in his hand as it wrapped around hers, the weight of his promise to marry her and cherish her forever.
That day was etched into her heart, as was the love she thought they shared.
She had sacrificed everything for him, pouring her heart and soul into becoming his caring wife. And yet, what had she gained in return?
Kaelyn clutched her chest, her breath shallow and jagged, as though a kn**e was carving into her heart.
Everything she had sacrificed, everything she had done for him, felt like a cruel joke.
She turned, ready to run from this nightmare, but her feet froze at the words drifting from the other side of the door.
"Landen, today's your wedding anniversary with Kaelyn," the woman purred, her voice dripping with mock concern. "She's probably sitting at home right now, waiting for you like the devoted wife she is. Isn't it… bad for you to be here with me instead of with her? What if she finds out…"
"Don't worry, Claire. I've told you before, my heart only has room for you. As for Kaelyn, she's just a placeholder. I've never touched her!"
Landen's voice was soft, almost tender, but his words struck like a d**ger, cold and merciless.
Kaelyn couldn't take it any longer. Her chest burned with betrayal, and with trembling hands, she pushed the door open with a loud bang.
"Landen, what did I do wrong? Why did you deceive me?"
The sudden outburst froze Landen mid-motion.
He hastily grabbed a coat, his frown deepened as he looked at Kaelyn, irritation flickering across his face. "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to wait at the Barnett Mansion?"
Kaelyn's knees felt weak. His indifference was like a sl*p in the face.
So this was it? He wasn't even going to pretend anymore?
Her lips curled bitterly, tears blurring her vision as they poured freely. "If I hadn't come, how long were you planning to keep lying to me?"
Landen said nothing. The silence between them was suffocating, his annoyance so blatant that it stole what little composure she had left.
The woman beside him broke the silence, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Don't blame Landen. It's my fault. If anyone's to blame, blame me."
Kaelyn's gaze shifted to this woman.
Ah, of course. She was Claire Hewitt, Landen's childhood friend.
Kaelyn had seen her photo once on Landen's desk when they first got married. Afterward, the photo disappeared, and Kaelyn foolishly assumed that he'd moved on.
But now, staring at the woman who had replaced her, she realized just how naïve she had been.
Kaelyn ignored Claire, her focus locked on Landen. Her voice came out hoarse, barely audible. "If you didn't want to stay with me, you could have just said so. Why do this… why on our anniversary?"
Landen's sneer cut through her like ice. "Humph, fine!" His tone was dripping with scorn. "Let's be clear now. I want a divorce. The position of Mrs. Barnett should have been Claire's all along."
Meeting his cold gaze, Kaelyn felt her heart twist painfully, but her voice remained eerily composed. "Fine, divorce then. But I want half of the marital assets. Not a cent less."
Landen's expression faltered, and Claire's jaw nearly dropped. They exchanged a startled glance, disbelief clouding their faces.
Kaelyn, the orphan with nothing, had the audacity to demand half of the Barnett family's wealth?
How absurd!
Claire quickly composed herself, lowering her gaze and adopting a tone of false sympathy.
"Kaelyn, isn't that a little unfair? Landen has been the one running the family business while you've stayed home enjoying your life. The Barnett family has given you everything -- how can you be so greedy and ungrateful? Please, don't turn the whole Barnett family into your enemy."
Kaelyn's lips curled into a sneer, her eyes sharp and unyielding. "A homewrecker has no right to lecture me about fairness. Let me be clear -- I'm not asking for permission. I'm making a statement. And trust me, if this goes public, it won't be my reputation that gets ruined."
Her words were like a whip, silencing the pair instantly. Without sparing them another glance, she turned and strode out of the villa.
The cool night air hit her face as she stepped outside.
Kaelyn pulled out her phone, her fingers hovering over the screen. After a brief hesitation, she tapped a number she hadn't dialed in years.
The call connected almost immediately, and the voice on the other end was filled with excitement barely restrained. "Kaelyn? Is it really you? You finally remembered me!"
"Yes," she replied, her voice steady. "I'm outside Landen's private villa. Can you come pick me up? I'll send you the address."
"Of course! I'll be there in no time."
Within ten minutes, the quiet street was disrupted by the roar of engines as several luxury cars pulled up in front of her.
The lead car came to a smooth stop, and the driver stepped out. Seeing the familiar face, Kaelyn felt an overwhelming sense of irony.
For years, she had buried her true self, shrinking into the shadows to support a man who didn't deserve her.
How ridiculous!
But now, the veil had lifted, and it wasn't too late to reclaim her life.
"Kaelyn," Sebastian Gill, Kaelyn's subordinate, said, his voice laced with concern as he approached her. "What happened? Why are you crying?"
He hurried over, his eyes widening in shock as they landed on the tear stains streaking her face.
Someone as unyielding as Kaelyn… was crying?
Kaelyn's face remained composed, her hand brushing away the remnants of her tears as she said, her voice steady, "It's nothing. I've just decided to divorce that sc**bag."
"Divorce him?" Sebastian froze, the weight of the word hitting him like a bolt of lightning. It took him a moment to process before a wide grin spread across his face, followed by a hearty laugh. "That's fantastic, Kaelyn! You've finally seen the light! Welcome back to being your true self!"
Chapter 2 You're The Other Woman Here!
Half an hour later, in the suburban villa.
Sebastian set down a steaming plate of spaghetti on the table, his voice laced with frustration. "That b**tard Landen! If it weren't for you treating him all these years, he would have died long ago! But instead of showing gratitude, he actually cheated on you. He's just--"
"Enough," Kaelyn interrupted, her tone flat but firm. She massaged her temples, her exhaustion evident. "I don't want to talk about him anymore."
Sebastian softened at the sight of her weariness, his anger ebbing into concern. "Alright, alright. Let's change the subject."
He paused before adding with a spark of interest, "By the way, during the three years you were out of the medical care, people were practically losing their minds trying to track you down for treatment. Now that you've divorced Landen, are you planning to make a comeback?"
Kaelyn leaned back, her gaze thoughtful. After a moment, she replied, "Spread the word. It's time for the renowned healer, Egret, to return."
Sebastian's face lit up with excitement, his voice almost cracking. "Finally! That's the best news I've heard in years!"
He couldn't help but smirk at the irony. The Barnett Group had been scrambling for any information on Egret lately, desperate for her skills.
And yet, Landen, married to her for three years, had been too blind to realize who she truly was.
The next morning.
Kaelyn was sound asleep when the shrill ring of her phone abruptly pulled her from her dreams. Groggy and disoriented, she fumbled for the device, pressing the answer button with a sigh.
On the other end, the sharp, scolding voice of Landen's mother Kathy Barnett blasted through the line. "You ungrateful wr*tch, where have you disappeared to this time? Get back here and do the housework!"
In the past, Kaelyn would have instinctively apologized, meek and submissive under Kathy's wrath.
But today was different. Things were different now.
She replied coldly, her voice void of emotion, "Landen and I have decided to divorce. I have no obligation to do anything for your family anymore."
"What? Divorce?" Kathy's sharp tone bristled through the line, followed by a mocking laugh as if she had just heard an absurd joke.
"I bet it's just your decision. Kaelyn, don't forget your place! You have no right to throw tantrums at me! Be back here within half an hour, or I'll throw all your things out!"
The line went dead with Kathy's decisive hang-up.
Kaelyn stood motionless for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Then, with deliberate calm, she got out of bed and dressed. There were still some important belongings left in her room in that house, and today seemed like the perfect day to retrieve them -- once and for all severing ties with the Barnett family.
A taxi dropped her off at the Barnett Mansion. As soon as Kaelyn stepped inside, a shrill voice greeted her from the living room. "Well, look who dares to show her face! Didn't come home all night? Must've been up to something shady!"
Kaelyn's gaze flicked to the sofa, where Kathy and her daughter Verena Barnett sat side by side, elegantly dressed yet exuding the petty arrogance of common shrews.
Kaelyn's expression hardened as she met their disdainful stares.
"Oh, quite shady indeed," she replied, her tone cutting. "After all, Landen was caught cheating with Claire -- on our wedding anniversary, no less, right before my eyes. If this gets out, the Barnett family's reputation will be in ruins!"
"What? Claire is back?" Kathy's eyes widened in shock, only for her surprise to quickly morph into a contemptuous sneer. "Well, what else can you expect? You've always been useless. Three years as part of this family and not even a hint of a child. Did you think Landen would just sit idly by and let the family line die out?"
Verena chimed in with venom, "Exactly! If it hadn't been for Landen's accident and Grandma's dying wish, do you really think an orphan like you would have had the chance to marry into the Barnett family? Compared to Claire, your background and talents are laughable! A barren woman like you deserves to be ignored by Landen."
Kaelyn almost laughed out loud at the sheer shamelessness of the mother and daughter. The audacity of their words both infuriated and amused her.
Without saying a word, she reached into her bag and pulled out an old medical report Landen had handed her years ago. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it onto Verena's lap.
"Landen never got int*mate with me, not even once. I can't have a child on my own!"
Verena, who had been ready to hurl more insults, froze when her gaze landed on the report. Her eyes widened, and her face paled as the bold word "impot*nt" stared back at her. "How… how is this possible?"
Her hands trembled as she clutched the paper, her disbelief evident.
Kathy, catching sight of the report, raised an eyebrow. But she was more composed than Verena, and her expression briefly flickered before she quickly regained control.
"Well, if Landen can be int*mate with Claire, it clearly proves there's nothing wrong with him," Kathy declared, her voice sharp. "It's your failure that pushed him to lie about being impot*nt rather than touch you."
"Is that so?" Kaelyn's lips curled into a cold smile, her eyes glinting with mockery. "Have you forgotten who stayed by Landen's side, stabilizing the chaos in the Barnett Group when he had his accident -- and when Claire fled abroad?"
Kathy's jaw tightened, her glare boring into Kaelyn. For a moment, she was speechless, but soon her expression hardened. "Don't think I don't know you planned all this! You had your sights set on marrying into the Barnett family from the beginning! You're no different from Claire -- both greedy for our wealth!"
Verena, who had always felt a strong camaraderie with Claire, stiffened at her mother's comparison.
She bristled, quickly defending. "Mom, don't lump Claire in with this woman! She went abroad back then to find doctors for Landen, not because she was running away. She is nothing like Kaelyn!"
Turning to Kaelyn with a self-righteous glare, Verena spat, "If you hadn't interfered and married Landen, Claire wouldn't have been heartbroken or stayed abroad all these years! She's back because she still cares about him. Kaelyn, you owe Claire. You're the other woman here!"
Kaelyn let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head as though she'd finally reached the end of her patience. Without another word, she reached into her bag, pulled out the divorce petition, and showed it in front of the two women.
"See this?" she said coolly, her tone dripping with finality. "I'm determined to divorce him. Have Landen prepared for this too and go to the courthouse with me. Then, he will be free, and this shameless couple can do whatever they want."
Not bothering to entertain further arguments, Kaelyn turned on her heel and made her way upstairs, leaving the stunned duo in her wake.
Chapter 3 The Unexpected Side Of Kaelyn
Until Kaelyn finished packing and walked out the door, Kathy and Verena remained rooted in place, their expressions frozen with disbelief. Their eyes fixated on the divorce petition lying on the table.
"Is she really going to divorce Landen?" Verena muttered under her breath, suspicion flickering in her tone. Picking up the divorce petition to examine it closely, her face twisted with rage.
"Ha! Just as I thought! She's only after the money! Look at this -- she wants half of the Barnett family's assets. Shameless!"
The sound of the front door opening broke their stunned silence. Landen stepped inside, his expression tired but composed.
Kathy and Verena immediately sprang into action, rushing to him like an ambush.
"Landen, you need to put a stop to this nonsense!" Kathy cried, her voice sharp with indignation. "That woman has drained the Barnett family dry, and now she's demanding even more! She's using this divorce to extort money from us!"
"Yes, and that's not all!" Verena chimed in, her voice trembling with outrage. "She disrespected Mom and me, throwing the divorce petition at us and acting completely out of line! I say we expose her to the public and let everyone know she's nothing but a disgrace! Once she's rejected by everyone, she'll have no choice but to come crawling back to us!"
Landen's frown deepened, his eyes narrowing as he processed their words. "No," he said firmly, his tone brooking no argument.
The Barnett Group was at a pivotal point, now recognized as one of the world's top 100 companies. With the support of Rodger Barnett, the current family head and a man of immense global influence in military and financial circles, their future could soar to unprecedented heights. At a time like this, any scandal could be disastrous.
Before he could respond further, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Landen pulled it out, irritation flashing in his eyes as he answered.
But within moments, his expression shifted. His irritation melted into urgency, his voice rising slightly.
"What did you just say? You've got a lead on Egret?" he asked, his eyes bright with interest. "Keep digging. Whatever it takes, I need to secure their help!"
…
Ten o'clock that night at Radiant B*r.
"Here's to Kaelyn's triumphant return!"
Sebastian raised his glass high, his grin wide for all to see, unhidden and infectious.
Sebastian's men, seated around him, enthusiastically followed his lead, raising their glasses and cheering loudly.
"Welcome back, Kaelyn!"
"Kaelyn, you're incredible! The moment word got out, people were scrambling to find out about the legendary healer, Egret!"
"Exactly! I heard the Barnett Group even offered a million! Can you imagine the look on Landen's face if he knew who you really were?"
At the mention of Landen's name, Kaelyn's expression turned frosty instantly.
Sebastian noticed the shift immediately and hurried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "A Million? That's pocket change. Someone else upped the ante -- fifteen million just to track Kaelyn down! And get this, they offered seventy million if she'd take on their case!"
Kaelyn swirled her drink lazily before taking a sip.
She didn't respond. Anyone willing to pay that much undoubtedly had a complicated condition, tangled in a web of power and influence. She had only just resurfaced and wasn't keen on diving into anything so demanding just yet.
Noticing her silence, Sebastian wisely dropped the subject and redirected the chatter toward lighter topics with the group.
Kaelyn stayed quiet, sipping her drink as her thoughts wandered.
But their lively group soon drew attention, and before long, strangers began approaching, eager to join in their conversation.
The interruptions grated on her nerves. With a frustrated sigh, she leaned toward Sebastian and tugged on his sleeve. "Let's go dance."
Kaelyn stepped onto the dance floor, her movements fluid and confident. After years of suffocating restraint within the Barnett family, tonight, she wanted nothing more than to revel in her freedom.
As the pounding rhythm of rock music filled the air, she let herself go, moving with effortless grace and power. The world around her blurred until nothing existed but the music and the motion.
Gradually, the dancers around her faltered, captivated by the magnetic presence she exuded.
Under the flashing lights, her black dress clung to her figure, accentuating her beauty. Every step, every turn was mesmerizing -- a blend of strength and elegance that left the crowd spellbound.
"Is that… Kaelyn?"
At the b*r's entrance, Landen stood frozen, his voice barely audible over the music. His gaze was locked on the radiant figure in the center of the dance floor, his tone tinged with disbelief.
He had brought Verena and a few friends to celebrate Claire's return from abroad, never imagining that he'd encounter Kaelyn in a place like this.
The usually dull and unremarkable Kaelyn had such an unexpectedly captivating side?
Claire, clinging to Landen's arm, felt his muscles tense the moment his eyes landed on Kaelyn.
Chapter 4 Arrival Of The Military Commissioner
"Ha, Kaelyn's not even divorced yet and already out here flaunting herself. Look at her, prancing around like a cheap dancer. What an embarrassment to the Barnett family!" Verena spat angrily, stepping forward with determination.
"I'm going to teach her a lesson right now!"
"Enough!" Landen's voice was sharp as he grabbed Verena's arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Do you want everyone here to know the Barnett family's private affairs? Look at yourself -- you're behaving no better than a common th*g. Where's your dignity as a Barnett?"
Verena froze, her cheeks flushing with humiliation.
Being chastised by her younger brother in public stung deeply, and she opened her mouth to retort.
Before she could escalate things, Claire stepped in smoothly, her voice soft and soothing. "Please, don't quarrel. We're here to have fun, not to create a scene. Let's not let something so trivial ruin the night."
Then she sighed, tilting her head slightly as if in thought. "Kaelyn might just be upset with Landen after last night. Why don't we apologize and see if she'll forgive us?"
At this suggestion, Landen's expression darkened, his jaw tightening in annoyance.
Catching his reaction, Claire lowered her gaze demurely, though a fleeting spark of satisfaction danced in her eyes.
Unaware of the drama unfolding near the entrance, Kaelyn stepped off the dance floor, her energy waning after several songs. Tugging Sebastian along, she began making her way back to their table.
Before they could sit down, a short, stout man with a greasy appearance and a noticeable receding hairline staggered toward her, his breath thick with alc*hol.
"Miss, why not join us for a drink?" he slurred, his beady eyes roaming over her shamelessly.
Kaelyn's face hardened with cold disdain. Without a word, she brushed past him, her head held high, refusing to even acknowledge his presence.
The man, undeterred and emboldened by liquid courage, trailed after her, his voice growing louder and more obnoxious. Reaching out, he tried to grab her waist.
"What are you pretending for? A woman like you coming to a bar is only here to sed*ce men! You should be grateful someone like me even noticed you!"
Kaelyn sidestepped his outstretched hand effortlessly, a sharp, mocking smile curving her lips. "Keep behaving like this, and you might lose more than just your hair."
"You." The man's face turned a deep crimson as he jabbed a finger at her, trembling with rage.
"Do you even know who you're messing with? I'm Kolton Dawson! My family owns this b*r. You better come over and behave, or I'll make sure you leave here on a stretcher!"
From nearby, Landen, who had just arrived with Verena and Claire, caught the confrontation. His expression darkened instantly.
No matter what, Kaelyn was still legally his wife, and seeing her harassed by some lowlife in public was a direct sl*p to his face.
Landen started to step forward, his jaw tightening, but Claire's soft voice stopped him mid-step. She leaned close, her tone dripping with concern. "Landen, there are too many people here. If this turns into a scene, the repercussions will be messy. And don't forget Kaelyn is still upset with you. Even if you step in, she might not acknowledge it. It could backfire."
Landen hesitated, her words cutting through his impulsive anger.
He realized that Claire was right. He rarely brought Kaelyn out, and people here might not recognize her. If he acted rashly, it could drag the Barnett family into a scandal. He had almost lost his head!
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain still, though his gaze remained locked on Kaelyn, unable to look away.
He saw that a tall, imposing man stepped forward, placing himself protectively between Kaelyn and Kolton.
Sebastian's commanding presence silenced the nearby murmurs, and with practiced ease, he flicked a business card onto Kolton's chest. "Before you throw threats around, think about whether you're qualified. Not everyone here is someone you can afford to offend, especially those from Starbright Group. I suggest you check yourself."
Kolton caught the card, his hands trembling as he glanced at the sleek, embossed lettering. His face went ashen as realization struck him.
"You. You're the vice president of Starbright Group?"
What?
At Kolton's trembling words, a ripple of disbelief spread through the onlookers, including Landen and his companions. They exchanged stunned glances, their shock evident.
Starbright Group wasn't just powerful -- it was one of the most influential corporations globally, dwarfing even the Barnett Group in reach and authority.
Landen's chest tightened with a sharp pang of anger and jealousy. How did Kaelyn know someone of such high status? And why hadn't he known about it before?
An ugly thought clawed its way to the surface -- was this why she readily agreed to divorce? Had she already found someone better?
Observing Landen's brooding expression, Claire understood what he was thinking. Her lips were curved ever so slightly into a satisfied smile. With a deliberately casual tone, she murmured, "Kaelyn seems to share a close bond with the vice president of Starbright Group. This could be a real opportunity. Maybe she could help the Barnett Group secure a collaboration with them."
"Humph, that shameless woman probably forgot about the Barnett family long ago!" Landen clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together as a surge of jealousy and frustration unwittingly twisted his insides.
Meanwhile, a crowd had begun to gather, murmurs rippling as more people turned their attention to the heated scene.
Kolton, flustered by the growing attention, raised his voice in defiance. "The executives of Starbright Group are notoriously secretive. Just because you claim to be one doesn't make it true. You could be a fraud!"
Despite his unease, Kolton refused to back down—this was his turf. Even if the man was who he claimed to be, Kolton couldn't afford to lose face.
"I'm telling you, girl, I don't care who stands in my way. I'll have you tonight," Kolton spat venomously, his words dripping with vulgarity. "You'll be begging by the time I'm done--"
Smack!
Kolton's words were abruptly cut off as Kaelyn's hand struck his face with a sharp, resounding sl*p.
The bar fell into stunned silence, all eyes shifting to Kolton's face, now red with the imprint of her palm. He turned to glare at her, his expression twisted in fury.
"You dare hit me?" he snarled, his voice laced with venom. "Seize her!"
The order was like a trigger. Security guards stationed nearby sprang into action, encircling Kaelyn and Sebastian with intimidating glares.
"Kaelyn, should we fight?" Sebastian whispered, his fists already clenched.
Kaelyn's lips pressed into a thin line, her mind racing. Her men were here, too, and if they really fought, it was hard to say which side would win.
Before she could decide, a deafening bang erupted near the b*r's entrance.
Chaos broke loose as patrons scattered in panic.
"It's the troops!" someone screamed.
"Run!"
The frenzied crowd surged toward the exits, but a voice boomed above the commotion, commanding and unmistakably authoritative. "The Military Commissioner is present! Cease your disorder immediately and be quiet!"
Chapter 5 A hundred And Fifty Million
The silence engulfed the bustling hall abruptly.
Every gaze was drawn to a single point.
Dozens of soldiers, donned in dark green and fully armed, appeared at the b*r's entrance.
They formed two lines, creating an unobstructed corridor.
An involuntary hush fell over the crowd.
A moment later, a young man entered, his steps measured.
Dressed in a military uniform, he stood tall, and his features sharply defined. His formidable presence was a silent warning to maintain distance, his mere look sending a chill through the onlookers.
Adorning his shoulder was a seven-star medal, globally unique and a symbol of unrivaled honor and authority.
Such distinction belonged solely to Rodger Barnett, the celebrated and valorous head of the Barnett family.
One spectator was quick to react. He bowed low and greeted Rodger, "Commissioner Barnett!"
His action triggered a ripple effect, with everyone in the b*r swiftly bowing in awe to Rodger.
Yet, Kaelyn and Landen stood unaffected.
Kaelyn watched Rodger, her eyes widening in astonishment.
Rodger, a figure of legends, had remained elusive. Since her marriage into the Barnett family three years prior, Kaelyn had only glimpsed him once from afar at a family gathering. His presence here was wholly unexpected.
Feeling Kaelyn's stare, Rodger gave her a fleeting look before diverting his eyes.
"Take him away," he commanded.
"At once, sir," came the immediate response.
Promptly, the soldiers moved to Kolton, who had been sprawled on the floor out of shock, and hoisted him to his feet.
Kolton shivered with fear, his voice quaking as he implored, "Commissioner Barnett, I beg of you, show mercy!"
Despite his pleas, they fell on deaf ears, his cries dwindling until they vanished into the silence.
The patrons of the bar were paralyzed with terror.
Wiping the perspiration from his brow, Landen managed to muster some courage as he stepped forward. "Uncle Rodger, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?"
Rodger gave him a brief glance but offered no reply. He continued forward to confront Sebastian. "I heard you have news about Egret?"
Sebastian, who usually stood tall, found himself shrinking slightly under Rodger's intimidating gaze.
He instinctively glanced at Kaelyn beside him.
Catching the unspoken dialogue, Rodger shifted his attention to Kaelyn and inquired, "You hold the details?"
Pausing, as though a memory was surfacing, he narrowed his eyes subtly.
"We've met before, haven't we? ".
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