Chapter 123 : A Place like Home VICKY. Rue didn’t let go of me. His arms were locked tight around my shoulders like if he released me, I’d vanish. His heartbeat was fast, pounding against my ear, and his hand stayed on the back of my head, pressing me into his chest.“I thought…” I swallowed hard, my voice breaking. “I thought I wasn’t going to make it.”“Don’t say that,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to look at me. His eyes were red, his jaw tight like he was holding back too much. “I’m here now. You’re safe. No one’s ever going to touch you again.”“But… they hit me,” I whispered, still shaking. “They… someone had slapped me. And I couldn’t see anything, I didn’t know where I was…” My throat closed up again. “Rue, I was so scared.”“I know.” He smoothed my hair back with trembling fingers. “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner.”“You came,” I said, almost defensively, because it mattered. It mattered that he came himself. “You didn’t send anyone. You came fo
Chapter 122: Love and Seek. VICKY. I could barely breathe. The blindfold pressed against my eyes, the rough cloth was scratching my skin , it was knotted too tight and it felt like my skin was about to tear off , i had studied my environment and it felt like i was in the woods , i heard bushes rumbling and several insects had crawled on me , it was more than devasting.But what scared me most wasn’t where I was. It was how I got here.It started few hours ago.I was still at Julia’s place, curled up on her couch, scrolling mindlessly on my phone, when my phone buzzed with an unknown number. I almost didn’t pick up, but something in me said I should.“Vicky…” The voice was urgent, almost out of breath. My heart skipped. It was Rue.“Rue? Why are you calling from a strange number?” I asked, already sitting up.“I—” His voice broke slightly. “I need you to come to the lakeside. Please. I… I got into an accident.”Panic shot through me. “What? Are you okay? Where exactly are you?”“I’m
Chapter 121: Not HereRUEBy the time I got in my car, my head was pounding. I just needed to get home to Vicky.The drive felt longer than usual, even though I kept telling myself to calm down. She’d said she was fine. But she had that tone earlier… the one where she tries to make it sound like nothing’s wrong, even when everything is.When I finally pulled into the driveway, I saw Bella’s car already there. Good. Maybe she’d kept her company.I stepped inside, dropped my keys on the table. “Vicky?”No answer.“Vicky!” I called again, walking toward the kitchen.Bella came out from the hallway, holding a glass of water. “Oh…hey. You’re back early.”“Where’s she?”Bella frowned. “She’s… not with you ?She is not here “I froze. “What do you mean she’s not here?”“I mean… she wasn’t here when I got here. I thought she was with you.”My chest tightened. “No. I left her here this morning.”Bella shook her head slowly. “Maybe she went out?”I was already pulling my phone from my pocket. “S
Chapter 120: StressDay 40/365VICKY . I woke up feeling worse than I had in days. My body was heavy, every joint aching, and even turning my head felt like work. For a second, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, wondering if I even had the energy to get up.The pills the doctor gave me sat on the bedside table. I reached for them, my hand trembling, and swallowed them with a little water. They didn’t help. If anything, the throbbing in my head felt sharper.I pushed myself out of bed and dragged my feet to the bathroom, hoping cold water on my face would help. But halfway through, a cough hit me so hard I had to grip the sink. One cough. Two. Three—until I tasted metal.When I looked down, there it was. Blood.I froze. My heartbeat sped up, and for a second, I just stared at it like maybe I was imagining it. Then I quickly turned on the tap, rinsing it away before I could think too much about it. I didn’t want to panic… but this wasn’t something I could ignore.I grabbed my k
Chapter 119: Secret Cracks . Valerie’s Pov The truth was, every second I stayed here, it felt like Vicky was somewhere else… smiling. Winning. Living. That thought burned hotter than anything. I slipped my shoes back on and headed for the door.“Where are you going?” Williams’ voice cut through the hallway.I stopped just short of the door and glanced over my shoulder. He was leaning against the wall, looking like he hadn’t slept in days, but there was nothing in his face that said he cared about me — not even after what had just “happened.”“To put petrol on fire,” I said plainly, my hand still on the doorknob.He stared at me for a moment like he wanted to ask more, but as usual, he didn’t. Williams was far too wrapped up in whatever was going on in his own head to bother. Fine by me.The moment I was in the car, I pulled out my phone and dialed Sienna. She picked up almost immediately, her tone soft and dripping with sympathy.“Oh, Val… I heard. I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine
Chapter 118: The Vicky in marriage . Valerie’s POVI didn’t even know when my hand lifted.But the moment her words dropped like a hammer in the bathroom, I turned and slapped her.A sharp, loud slap that echoed against the tiles.Talia barely flinched. She just blinked and looked at me, her expression unreadable.And I—God—I broke.I burst into tears, right there in front of her.“I lost my child, Talia!” I shouted between sobs, gripping the edge of the sink for support. “I lost my baby and you’re blaming me like I wanted this to happen! You think this is a joke?”Talia’s face didn’t change. It was like she didn’t believe me. Like she saw right through me. But she didn’t say another word.The door creaked open and Melanie and Brielle rushed in, both looking startled.“What the hell is going on?” Melanie asked, grabbing my arm and guiding me toward the sink.“She slapped Talia,” Brielle whispered behind me, eyes darting between us.“She accused me,” I choked out. “She stood there and