Chapter 3 : Guests

In the morning, as Athena drove back to their house, she noticed unfamiliar cars parked in the parking area. She parked her car on the side and stepped out, making her way towards the door. Just as she reached the hallway, someone grabbed her right hand, startling her.

"Where were you last night?" Orion whispered. "You don't realize that the Mayor and other important people are here. Please, don't cause any trouble, understand?"

Athena looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, I went to Elaine's place, to help myself to forget the memory of what you put me through."

"What brings them here?" she asked.

"Listen. My parents and Necky will be having a business with them today. That's why I'm asking you to go inside and greet them warmly. " Orion explained, releasing her hand.

Athena continued her way inside, but Orion noticed a wound on her lips. He grabbed her hand again, "Nevermind, use the back door instead. You might say something that could ruin the day. "

"Why? Are you afraid they'll discover the dark secrets behind your family's seemingly perfect front?" Athena responded.

"Athena, listen, I don't have time for this nonsense. This is for our future. Don't be stupid. " Orion whispered.

Athena insisted and continued walking inside.

"Athena... damn it. " Orion muttered.

"Hi everyone, I was pleasantly surprised by your visit to our house. " Athena greeted the guests.

"Hello, Mrs. Athena Chrushvan. It's been a while. How have you been? " Mayor Albert Richardson stood up and greeted her, kissing her hand.

"I'm doing well. You're too kind. " Athena smiled.

The other five guests shook her hand and exchanged greetings.

The mayor noticed something amiss on Athena's face. "Oh, what happened there?"

Athena smirked, glancing at her husband, sensing his nervousness about what she might say.

"Actually, last night..." Athena began, but she was interrupted by approaching voices.

"Hey, sorry we're late. " Mrs. Chrushvan said, warmly greeting everyone. Necky and Mr. Chrushvan followed behind her.

"Um, excuse us. I think my gorgeous wife needs some rest. She had a bit too much to drink last night, you know, little celebration. " Orion interjected with a smile, trying to divert attention from the conversation.

They walked upstairs and entered the room. Orion forcefully grabbed Athena's right arm and made her face him. "What the hell are you thinking? Are you planning to expose everything?"

"What's wrong? I'm just trying to be honest with them. I'm not like your family, pretending to be saints in public while secretly nurturing the evil inside. " Athena responds.

Orion covered her mouth, and his eyes widened. "What the hell? Watch your mouth, or I swear I'll kill you. " he threatened.

Athena removed his hand and tossed her purse onto the bed. She sat down, her expression determined. "Do you think all your secrets will remain hidden? The dark dealings... selling organs to sick riches…It will all come crashing down someday."

"What? How did you know? You think you can blackmail me? Go ahead and try it. You'll get what you deserve. " Orion sneered.

"Are you out of your mind? This is insane. You've taken innocent lives and sold their organs to the f*ckng filthy rich. Where is your conscience, Orion?" Athena confronted him.

Orion stepped forward, lowering himself at eye level as he reached out to place his hands on Athena's hands. "Listen, I understand you may be feeling confused right now, Mr.Kurushi, one of the billionaires in Japan, has an urgent need for a liver transplant for his daughter and he is willing to pay a great amount for it. I can't ignore such an opportunity, and I'm making these choices...I did this for us, for our future family. Just tell me honestly, did you discuss it with Elaine?" His voice held a tinge of soft-spoken but a bit of urgency.

Athena stood up, her expression determined. "No, I didn't mention anything to her because I didn't want to involve her in this—nightmare. But Orion, please, you're a professional doctor, you belong to one of the richest families in the State, and you're an intelligent man. Stop that greediness and be a role model to everyone without maintaining fake images. Put an end to all of this, for the sake of our future. " she pleaded.

Orion approached her, his face filled with anger. In a sudden movement, he delivered a forceful blow to her stomach. "It's not up to you to decide what's best for me. If you truly care about Elaine, you'd better keep your mouth shut. Consider this another lesson, and let it be the last time we discuss this. " he whispered menacingly and left the room.

"You're such a jerk, I hate you. " she tried to say.

Athena's knees met the ground as she struggled to catch her breath, her body trembling with pain. With her left hand resting on the bed, she hunched over, the weight of her suffering apparent. Tears streamed down her face as she was reminded of the horrifying experiences she had endured as part of the Chrushvan family. Slowly, she mustered the strength to rise and lay her body on the bed, reaching into her white purse to retrieve her phone.

Opening the video that captured the dark conversation between her husband and Necky's father in the parking lot before the conference, she cried uncontrollably. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she made the difficult decision to delete the evidence, accepting the harsh reality that she was powerless to change the situation.

She swiped the screen and came across a collection of joyful memories, including the time she said yes to Orion's proposal. However, instead of bringing happiness, it triggered a surge of anger and regret inside her. In a moment of her unwell feelings, she deleted all the cherished moments saved on her phone— videos to images and everything in between —erasing them from existence. She shook her head, feeling a mixture of emotions, and her gaze fell upon a wedding photo that captured pure joy. Sitting up, she took it and held it between her legs, and looked at the image, realizing how the loving man she once knew had changed after their marriage.

She couldn't imagine how all the dreams—Kids, Family vacations and Cherish special occasions —they had made for their family were now shattered and remained in dreams. Picking up the photo from the frame, she tore it apart and clenched the pieces in her hand, her love for her husband now consumed by seething rage.

Athena wiped the tears from her eyes and retrieved her phone, put it into her purse. As she stood before the closet mirror, she attempted to compose herself, taking deep breaths to steady her emotions. Gathering her resolve, she approached the door, but when her hand gripped the handle, she realized it was locked. She tried again, her desperation growing, but the door remained securely closed. She made one more attempt, and to her surprise, it creaked open slightly, revealing a chain securing it from the outside.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed, her frustration boiling over as she kicked the door.

"Orion, open the door! Please, open the door!" she pleaded as she frantically tapped on the door, her voice carrying an undercurrent of panic.

With each futile attempt to open the door, Athena called out to anyone who might be outside, hoping for a rescuer.

"Help me, please! Somebody.. please!"

But as time passed and her efforts yielded no results, she felt the weight of hopelessness settle upon her. Defeated, she slumped down on the edge of the bed, feeling trapped and helpless.

"If I manage to get out of this room, I will expose the wickedness of this family to everyone. " she vowed to herself, clinging to a glimmer of determination amid the darkness of her circumstances.

As she glanced at her phone again, she realized the incriminating evidence she had captured was now erased, deleted in a moment of impulsive despair. " Sh*t…Why am I so dumb?" she berated and slapped herself twice—left and right, "Damn you. Athena," regret gnawing at her.

Feeling utterly defeated and emotionally drained, she lay down on the bed, her body weighed down by the burden of her situation.

After a few moments, a thought flashed through her mind, and Athena swiftly stood up, making her way toward the window. Luck was on her side as she spotted them strolling in the expansive garden below. Desperate to catch their attention, she opened her mouth to shout, but her voice trailed off when she noticed the presence of the Mayor's security guard.

"Pssst... Hey… Hey.." she called out, but her voice went unheard. Determined, she picked up her sandal and flung it in the guard's direction, aiming carefully to get his attention. The sandal hit his shoulder, causing him to turn and finally notice her.

"Oops... Sorry. Could you please come up here? My evil husband has locked me in," she pleaded, her voice lowered to avoid drawing any unwanted attention.