Chapter 1 - Broken Night

Something heavy was pinning me down.

At first, I thought it was just the usual aftermath of a long night of drinking—the kind of exhaustion that made even breathing feel like a chore. My graduation party had been a blur of neon lights and pounding music, friends pressing drink after drink into my hand. I remembered laughing too loudly, spinning too fast, losing track of which glass belonged to me. I didn’t remember coming home.

But I always followed one rule.

No matter how wasted I was, I always returned to my own room.

This morning, though… everything felt wrong.

A deep, aching pain pulsed through every muscle. A stinging soreness crawled up my thighs, unfamiliar and terrifying. And on top of that—a weight pressed against my lower body, solid and unmoving, as if someone was draped over me.

My stomach twisted.

I groaned softly as I tried to shift, to push the heaviness away. My eyelids felt glued shut, my skull pounding with a brutal hangover. Still, I forced my lashes apart.

Just as the mattress dipped beside me. My eyes flew open. My breath stopped.

Someone else was in my bed.

A silhouette jolted upright at my noise—a body scrambling under the covers. My heart slammed against my ribs, panic slicing through the fog in my mind.

“What the…?” I rasped, my voice raw, my throat tight.

The figure turned.

And when the thin spill of morning light fell across his face—my world shattered.

It wasn’t just someone. It wasn’t just a stranger. It was Ashton Pierce.

My sister’s boyfriend. And like me… he was naked.

For one long, agonizing heartbeat, we just stared—wide-eyed, breathless, horrified. Confusion flickered in his eyes… then sharpened into pure fury. A hardened, icy glare that struck straight into my bones.

“What have you done, Cassidy Knowles?!” he snapped.

The accusation slammed into me. I flinched so hard the blanket slipped from my trembling hands. Fear, shame, confusion—everything collided at once, stealing my breath, stealing my words.

“I—I don’t—”

"What did you do?!”

Ashton’s hand shot out, clamping around my throat. His fingers dug into my skin, his face twisted with a fury so raw it looked like he might actually kill me.

“Ack—”

No air.

I clawed at his wrist, panic exploding in my chest as his grip tightened instead of loosening. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t speak.

“I… c-can’t… bre—” The words shattered into nothing. My lungs burned, vision blurring as I thrashed uselessly against him. He was too strong. My strength meant nothing against his rage.

Desperation took over. I drove my knee upward with everything I had.

“Shit!”

His grip broke instantly. He crouched back with a sharp hiss of pain, one hand dropping to his side. I didn’t even know where I’d hit him—only that it was enough.

I coughed and gasped violently.

“Ack—ahck—” Each breath came jagged and painful, my chest heaving as I sucked in air like I’d been drowning.

Ashton straightened, eyes blazing as he stared at me—cold and murderous.

“I… did… nothing…” I forced the words out between ragged breaths, my voice hoarse, my throat on fire.

The door burst open before I could say another word.

“Cassidy Knowles! YOU BITCH!”

Aunt Rima stormed inside, her face twisted with rage. In two strides she was on me—her hand flying before I could even raise my arms.

The slap cracked across my cheek. Then another. And another.

“HOW DARE YOU DO THIS?!”

“Argh—Auntie—!” I gasped as pain erupted across my face and scalp. She grabbed a handful of my already messy hair and yanked—hard—sending violent sparks exploding behind my eyes.

“Please—stop—!” I curled into myself, clutching the blanket desperately against my chest, trying to shield my nakedness and my skin from her blows. But she didn’t stop. Her rage only grew uglier.

“You shameless girl!” she spat, jerking my hair again. I cried out as my scalp burned like it was being torn open.

“You never fail to shame this family, Cassidy!”

My father’s voice thundered from the doorway.

Cold. Disgusted. Final.

“Sleeping with your sister’s boyfriend?!”

“Dad—please—I…” I reached toward him, shaking, frightened, begging. But Aunt Rima’s grip dragged me backward again, ripping another cry from my throat.

Then a small, broken voice cut through everything.

“What reason do you have now, Cassie?”

I looked up.

Mirriam. My half sister. My golden, perfect, untouchable sister.

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as she stared at me like she didn’t recognize me—like I was something rotten, something vile.

“What reason do you have for sleeping with my boyfriend?” she whispered, her voice shattering.

“I—I didn’t—Mirriam, I swear—I don’t remember—”

But then Ashton’s voice cut through the chaos.

“Mirriam… I was drugged.”

He staggered to his feet, and my breath caught when I saw his exposed skin marked with scattered, angry red kiss marks. My marks—

"No they weren’t mine. They couldn’t be" I shook my head in disbelief.

“You drugged Ashton?!”

My father’s voice fell like a death sentence.

He took a step toward me, looking ready to strike. I shrank back against the headboard, shaking violently.

“I—I didn’t—do anything,” I whispered. “I swear I didn’t—”

Aunt Rima scoffed, venom dripping from her voice.

“And what are you doing in Ashton’s room, then? With kiss marks all over your neck?”

The words hit me harder than any slap. Ashton’s room.

I looked around—really looked—and realization crashed through me like ice water.

This wasn’t my bed. This wasn’t my room. I didn’t belong here.

“I… I don’t know… why I’m here,” I stammered, horror flooding me. “I swear—I don’t remember—”

“You don’t remember because you’re a bitch in heat!” Aunt Rima yelled, striking me again. Pain exploded through my cheek.

“I don’t—know—why—” My voice broke, my sobs choking me. “Please—I didn’t—”

“You liar!” she shrieked. “You’ve been an embarrassment since the day you were born! Shameless—just like your mother!”

Her words stabbed deeper than any blow. Yes—my mother, the servant. The woman who died giving birth to me. The woman Aunt Rima hated even in death.

“I should have thrown you away when you were born!” she spat.

“You and your mother are the curse of this family!”

“No…” I shook my head helplessly, blinded by tears. “Please… don’t say that…”

My gaze darted to my father—my last hope, my last lifeline. But he only stared back with cold, unmistakable disgust.

Disgust at me.

“Dad…” My voice cracked.

“Please believe me. I didn’t drug Ashton. I don’t know why I’m here—I don’t know—”

"I don’t want to see you in my house again, Cassidy.”

The words were cold. Final.

Not shouted, not shaken with anger—just delivered with a cruel certainty that cut deeper than any scream ever could.

"No, please, Dad…”

I scrambled out of the bed, panic stealing what little strength I had left. My feet tangled in the sheets and I crashed hard onto the floor, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. Pain flared—but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I dragged myself forward, fingers stretching toward my father’s shoes.

I had to beg him. I had to.

“Dad… please…” My voice broke as I reached for him.

He stepped back. Away from me.

“Leave.”

Just one word.

But it hit harder than every slap, every fistful of hair ripped from my scalp, every cruel accusation hurled at me moments ago. That single command tore straight through my chest.

“No…” I shook my head frantically, terror flooding me. “No, please…”

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t throw me away like I was nothing.

When he didn’t spare me a glance, when his face remained stone-cold and unmoved, desperation swallowed me whole.

I turned—hopelessly—to Ashton and Mirriam.

The thick blanket clung to my legs as I crawled toward them, my movements clumsy and humiliating. I didn’t care. Pride meant nothing anymore.

“Ashton… please,” I sobbed, dropping to my knees in front of him. “Help me. I swear—I didn’t drug you. I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t even know what happened…”

“Are you not content with what you’ve done, Cassie?” Mirriam cut in, her voice trembling—not with doubt, but with wounded fury. “You still have the face to lie?”

“I swear, Mirriam…” I shook my head violently, tears spilling faster than I could wipe them away. “I’m a victim too. Please… please believe me…”

I turned back to Ashton, clinging to the last thread of hope I had left.

“Ashton, please… I’m begging you. Help me. I can’t leave. I have nowhere to go.”

I grabbed the fabric of his pants, my fingers curling desperately around it—but Mirriam kicked my hand away.

“I promise,” I rushed out, scrambling closer again, my voice cracking.

“I won’t go near you anymore. I’ll keep my distance. I won’t stand between you and Mirriam. I swear it. Please… just help me.”

Ashton looked down at me. His gaze was cold. Piercing. Empty of mercy.

Still, I begged—I don't want to lose everything.

My father. My home. The only family I had, no matter how hard I had struggled just to belong.

“You destroyed the last shred of respect I had for you, Cassidy.” Ashton muttered.

The cold disdain in his voice made my entire body shudder. An unfathomable pain rippled through me, numbing my head as I stared up at him, stunned by the icy emptiness in his eyes.

“Leave, Cassidy. And never set foot in this house again.” dad spoke again, and his words struck like arrows, piercing straight through my already bruised heart.

Each syllable drove deeper, and it shattered the last fragile piece of hope I had been clinging to.

Without hesitation, they all turned away from me. No second glance. No doubt. No mercy.

I remained where I was, unmoving, frozen in place. And in that moment—something inside me broke beyond repair.

In that moment, I died inside.

****tbc****