Chapter 4

It was almost dark outside, and she had lost all sense of time and space while crying her heart out.

Loukas had left her alone after delivering that devastating news. He seemed to want to offer comfort, but no words could ease the pain she felt.

There was simply nothing that could mend the loss of a loved one.

Her heart ached with a profound sense of regret as the words echoed in her mind. "Your father has passed away."

The weight of those words hit her like a tidal wave, leaving her gasping for breath. She couldn't help but imagine her father's devastated expression when he learned the truth, the pain etched across his face forever haunting her thoughts.

Why hadn't there been another chance? Why couldn't she have seen him one last time, heard his voice, or felt his reassuring presence?

She couldn't accept it. This was a horrific nightmare, something that couldn't be happening.

‘Wake up, Christine! You're just having a bad dream!’ she kept telling herself, but this was not a dream. This was the cruel reality. Still, why did her father die so suddenly?

Unless...

Unless his heart gave out. He had always struggled with heart issues since birth, which was why she had tried to shield him from the truth, from knowing that she wasn't his biological daughter. She had been afraid that the revelation would cause him to suffer another heart failure. That was why she had agreed to Martha's proposal to take her place on the wedding night.

But it had all been in vain. He died because of her, because of a broken heart.

Christine had no doubt that her gold-digging stepmother had wrapped him in a web of deceit, poisoning his mind with lies about her late mother. That wicked woman had finally achieved her goal—getting her hands on the Carter family fortune, or at least half of it.

Her mother had never been unfaithful. She had been a victim of rape, and she had carried the burden of guilt her whole life.

Diane had confided in Christine, sharing what she could remember about that traumatic event and assuring her daughter that, despite the circumstances of her birth, she loved her more than anything.

If her father had ever discovered the truth, he would have perished long ago. That's why her mother had chosen to suffer in silence. She had also trusted Elenora enough to confide in her about the details of that dreadful incident, something that Christine couldn't quite comprehend.

But who was she to judge? Her mother must have had her reasons.

She couldn't bear it any longer. The need to see her father, to find some semblance of closure, overwhelmed her.

Without a second thought, she reached for her phone and ordered an Uber. Removing the IV, she hastily dressed in the clothes she found in the room, strangely fitting her perfectly.

"If you have to go, take my driver," Loukas suggested as he noticed her attempt to leave. "This way, your baby will feel relieved knowing his mother is safe."

His words struck a chord, making it difficult for her to refuse. With a nod of gratitude, she agreed, canceling the Uber reservation on her phone. After what felt like an eternity, she arrived at what used to be her home, the place she had been cast aside from, as if it were just yesterday.

Making a stop at the cemetery first, she discovered that her father had been cremated instead of being laid to rest beside her mother. Confusion and anger filled her as she knew her father's will explicitly stated his desire to be buried next to her mother. She had seen the testament with her own eyes, and now Elenora had some explaining to do.

Walking towards the door, her knees grew weak, and a hollow emptiness gnawed at her stomach.

Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Could she truly face what awaited her inside? The unknown weighed heavily upon her, but she pushed forward, fueled by determination.

Yet nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her. Her stepmother and stepsister stood among a group of people, laughing and celebrating. Elenora's jaw dropped at the sight of Christine's arrival.

"Who are all of you?" Christine's voice trembled with anguish. "What are you doing in my home? Why are you so joyous when my father has just passed away?"

They turned around, confusion mixed with hints of apology in their eyes as they set down their glasses of champagne. One of them attempted to speak, but faltered, glancing at Elenora, who responded with a menacing glare. Finally, the person managed to speak up.

"We... We just purchased this house. We were celebrating the signing of the contract. Why do you claim it's yours?"

‘What?’

All her strength flew out the window, and she dropped herself on the cold floor.

"Miss!" Another one of them came and extended his hand to help her rise to her feet.

She rejected his offer. "Stay the hell away from me!"

"Please excuse my stepdaughter, Oscar! She took her father's death really badly. She was hospitalized in a mental institute. In fact, I don't even know how she managed to escape from there," Elenora spat her venom, feigning kindness in front of those who didn't know her as well as Christine did.

"Oh..." Oscar let out, before turning his attention to Christine. "I am so sorry for your tragic loss. My condolences."

"Then, for now, we will let you deal with your daughter, Elenora," said the one who had offered to help her get up.

"You're such a sweetheart. I appreciate it," her stepmother flashed her long eyelashes, making her sick to the stomach.

The moment they were out of sight, Elenora snapped at her, leaning over and gripping her hair, pulling her head back roughly, making her scream in pain.

"What are you doing here after killing your own father?" she yelled. "Oh wait, he was not really your father. Nevertheless, you and your mother signed his death certificate! So don't you dare ruin my business!" she added before burning her face with a hard slap.

Christine touched her cheek; it stung. "Are you trying to sell my parents' house? You have no right!" she retaliated.

"I have no right? I HAVE NO RIGHT?" Elenora dissolved into evil laughter. "I have all the right in the world. He transferred me his entire fortune before dying."

Lies. All lies. Her father would never have done something like that.

Christine cried out, feeling helpless. "No, that can't be real. And this house belonged to my mother too, it belongs to me too!"

"No, it didn't belong to her, and it doesn't belong to you. It was your father's property entirely. I don't know what happened between the two of them, and it's not really my problem. You are my problem!" She slapped her again, on the same cheek.

Spitting out blood, Christine yelled, "You are a freaking monster!"

"Don't talk that way to my mother!" Martha kicked her in the stomach.

Christine let out an excruciating howl, but that didn't make her stepsister stop. Instead, she launched another kick to the liver.

"That's for getting pregnant with my husband, you stupid whore! You should have aborted that child!"

Closing her eyes, Christine mentally prepared herself for a third kick that never came. When she opened her eyes, both of them were gone.

She struggled to pick herself up from the floor, but her body didn't cooperate. Reaching for her phone, she called Michael, the driver. Fortunately, Loukas had given her his number before she left the house.

~~~~~

A few hours later, in the room she occupied at Loukas' residence, Christine stared at the box that had her name on it. It held a few of her personal belongings that she had begged the driver to take from her home. Well, it used to be her home, not anymore.

Elenora was surely planning to throw her things away. Although she wasn't aware of who packed her most treasured items, Christine suspected it was one of the housemaids. She had treated them with respect, unlike the other ladies of the house. Christine believed that every human being deserved respect, regardless of their status.

After staring at the box for a while, she decided to postpone going through its contents. She didn't yet have the heart to take a trip down memory lane.

Someone knocked at her door, and she turned around to face the nurse holding her baby boy. Loukas followed behind, and she could sense waves of rage emanating from him.

He was furious when she arrived home all bruised. Though he didn't ask what had happened, the look in his eyes implied that he had a clear idea. Perhaps Michael had relayed everything to him.

Loukas seemed like a really good friend, and she wondered why her parents had never mentioned him. Initially, she was reluctant to accept his helping hand, but that was natural. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what he might request from her later on.

However, she quickly brushed those thoughts away. Her beauty had attracted undesired attention more than once, so she was well-acquainted with the lustful gazes of predators. But Loukas was different. His eyes always held a fatherly kindness, and she had decided to allow herself to lean on him during these gloomy moments.

Truth be told, she was grateful that he was there for her. Only God knew how lonely she felt.

She reached in and took the baby boy in her arms. Poor thing, he had been discarded by his mother from the start.

After her earlier breakdown and recent injuries, Loukas had decided that the baby would be better off with the medical assistant, and she agreed. She didn't want him to witness his mother's pain. He was too young for that, and she had already cried a river in his first hours of life.

Wrath flickered in her eyes as she glanced at the TV. A show was running, and the main guest was none other than Martha, boasting about her perfect marriage to a billionaire and her emerging status as an actress.

A smirk crept onto Christine's lips as an idea formed in her mind.

"I'm sorry that you have a wreck as a mother! I promise I'll grow stronger, for you!" she whispered, gently rocking her baby. "Mommy will get revenge on anyone who tried to wound her body and stab her heart! Mommy will take everything away from them. Just wait and see!"

~~~~~

5 YEARS LATER:

A chuckle could be heard on the other side of the line. "Come back home to celebrate, my dear! You've got your BA in Economics, top of the class at Princeton! It took me a while to convince you to apply, but it was worth it, wasn't it?"

Christine rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her. "Yes, Loukas, but you already know that. Tell me, how is Ethan, my handsome little man?"

It was expected that she would name her child after her father.

Loukas's voice sounded proud. "Oh, he misses you, even though the two of you were separated only three days ago. I swear to God, Christine, I don't know how you managed to pull it off. Taking care of your child full-time while attending classes as well. You are something else!"

He had been like a father to her, and she could feel his warmth even over the phone.

"No, I had help. Julia spent all day watching over him while I was attending classes. Anyway, I have to hang up. The flight assistant is glaring at me, and the plane is about to take off. Miss you!"

Christine smiled at her phone. Julia and Ethan had flown home three days ago, and she missed her angel like crazy. She had to stay behind and be present at the graduation ceremony, deliver her speech, and inspire others. And she couldn't skip the after-party. She owed it to herself to have some fun after working so hard over the last few years. A few days for herself were necessary. After all, the real battle was just around the corner.

But if she had imagined how excruciating her time would pass without Ethan, she would have never sent him home earlier.

Someone brushed against her arm, making her flinch and pulling her from her thoughts.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to touch you," the husky voice of the man sitting in the chair next to her knocked the air out of her lungs. His mere brush against her skin sent electrifying signals all over

her body. His spellbinding dark grey eyes were identical to the ones she loved to gaze into every day.

"Miss, are you okay? You look pale!" the absurdly handsome stranger asked, concerned.

Her ability to breathe vanished into thin air. This man was Ethan's father.

'Oh, God! What should I do now?'