She didn't realise just how much she was hated, she merely wanted love, she begged for it but at the end, she was merely a stand in for the fake daughter. The man she loved hated her, her family disliked her, her adopted sister killed her. However, when she gets a second chance, she doesn't allow anyone to walk over her! "You'll sacrifice your position at the company for your adopted sister, Rhea!" "You're the older sister, stop acting so dramatic and give way for your younger sister!" Her brother's and parents say to her, but she fights back and instead, makes her cry! But why the heck did this CEO change? He didn't come close to her previously! "Rhea, marry me and I'll make sure that everyone who touches you regrets it." "I'm not in the mood for marriage right now!" "You don't have to worry, I'll give you everything you want, even my properties." "Maybe marriage isn't such a bad idea after all..."
Lihat lebih banyakRhea's POV
“I’m going to be late,” I muttered, checking my watch again — 9:40 AM. Twenty minutes until the appointment. Twenty minutes until I was supposed to legally tie my life to Kevin’s. The taxi crawled through downtown traffic, each inch forward feeling like a cruel joke. Today was the day that my fiancé and I were going to register our marriage. I was happy, really, however… I stared at the rear view mirror, frowning at my red rimmed eyes which I tried to cover with makeup, to no avail though. I glanced into the rearview mirror, frowning at my red-rimmed eyes. Concealer hadn’t done much to hide them. Kevin hadn’t come home last night. Again. Fifth night in a row. “Emergency merger negotiations. Don’t wait up.” His text had echoed in my head all morning. Business. It was always business. Maybe the first time, I believed him. Maybe even the second. But the fifth? And then there was Ginny. The five-second video she’d posted late last night — dim lights, clinking glasses, and in the corner of the frame, the unmistakable edge of Kevin’s navy shirt. The one I gave him for his birthday. I hadn’t confronted him. Not yet. What was the point? Every time I brought something up, he acted like I was losing my mind. “Are you accusing me? I love you, Rhea. Just you. Don’t act like some jealous woman — I hate that.” His voice would be full of gentle disbelief, laced with just enough warmth to make me second-guess myself. I looked away from the mirror, forcing my breathing to slow. Ginny. The girl who once followed me around with wide eyes and timid smiles. Who cried when she moved into our home, clinging to my mother like the only family she had left. I pitied her once. Protected her. Now? Now she was the one everyone looked at. My parents had adopted her four years ago. Since then, it was like she replaced me, piece by piece. My parents adored her. My little brother, the staff, everyone. She slipped into our lives like a stray cat that refused to leave — and somehow, stole more than just affection. The car jer-ked slightly at a red light, snapping me out of my thoughts. Ten minutes left. I adjusted the ring on my finger, a beautiful, custom-designed diamond Kevin had given me during our engagement. It felt heavy today. Heavier than usual. Maybe because it carried the weight of a promise that was starting to feel more like a lie. “Just one more chance,” I whispered, my fingers brushing the marriage license resting on my lap. We’d been together three years. He used to wait outside my law lectures with coffee, memorize my schedule just to “accidentally” bump into me. He proposed under the Brooklyn Bridge, hands trembling as he slid the ring onto my finger. But that Kevin… was gone. “Ma’am?” the driver said, cutting into my thoughts. “Yes?” “I think you should know… a van’s been following us for at least three intersections. Gray. Right by your side window. Might be a coincidence, but...” I froze. Slowly, I turned my head. My eyes immediately caught the man staring at me through the windshield at the driver's seat. He was wearing a baseball cap and a jagged scar ran down the side of his face. He stared at me, unblinking and a chill ran down my spine. There’d been news reports lately — a serial killer on the loose. Young women in their twenties, all found in alleyways. Cameras never caught his face. I shivered again, “There's no way it can be him, I'm sure something's just wrong.” I mumbled, my hands already shaking. I turned back again. He was still staring. “Danm it.” I fumbled with my phone, unlocking it quickly and dialing Kevin’s number. My heart pounded with every ring. Six rings later, he finally answered. “What is it?” Kevin questioned, he sounded annoyed. “K… Kevin, where are you? Someone's been following me for a while now, I'm at the third intersection west of the city hall, I…” “Don’t go to the registry,” Kevin cut in. “Something more important came up.” More important than our wedding? “What do you mean-” The line went dead. I stared at the screen, stunned. Then a message popped up. From Ginny. I tapped it open. My stomach dropped. A photo. Ginny, smiling, holding a cake. Kevin behind her — arms around her waist. His eyes soft. His smile genuine. He never looked at me like that. They were at that five-star restaurant I had always wanted to go to. The one I mentioned on our anniversary. My brother and parents were there too, seated at the same table. On the chair beside her sat the Chanel bag. The one I had begged Kevin for on our anniversary. The one he said was "too expensive" with my mother’s medical bills piling up. Squinting, I could see Kevin's signature handwriting on the receipt near the bag. My birthday was three days ago. No one had remembered. But here they were, celebrating hers? I hadn't even finished wrapping my head around it when Ginny sent me a message which read: ‘Sister, you didn't wish me a happy birthday but brother-in-law did, thank him for me!’ “Ha… Hahaha.” I laughed. A quiet, bitter laugh that rose slowly from my throat. “Miss?” the driver asked cautiously. “Turn around,” I said, sinking back into the seat. “There’s no need to go to the registry anymore.” “...Okay miss.”Rhea's Pov I scoffed but said nothing. There was blood in my throat and in my mouth, so I couldn't speak. But I made sure that my eyes could convey everything that I wanted to say. And it made him angry. But he controlled his anger, instead, a very evil smirk appeared on his lips. My heart shook in fear. What was he planning now? He walked away, towards the darker places of the warehouse. For one second, a stupid second, I thought he was done. That maybe… Maybe, he’d had enough and was tired of hitting me. Maybe he would angrily leave and wouldn't come back for a while so I could lick my wounds. But that smirk should’ve warned me.He didn’t stay for long. Because a few seconds later, he came back holding a short metal pipe. It was rusted and some parts of it were already falling apart. If that thing touched the wounds I already had, they would get infected so badly. What was he planning on doing with it? He spinned the pipe in his hands, smirking as he stared at me. My brows furrow
Rhea's Pov My breath hitched. Twenty minutes? Of him hitting me? Without a sound? My heart jumped. Could I do that? Could I really endure that kind of pain without a single cry? I’d never been in a fight in my life, let alone been subjected to that kind of harm. My stomach churned, and a wave of nausea washed over me. I’m not strong enough to endure something like that. I’m just not. I’m a coward. I know it, I’ll break. I’ll cry out. And then Marcus… It would put us in more danger. I can't do it. My gaze flickered to Marcus on the ground. He was barely moving, a pale, bloodied shadow of himself. The thought of him dying because of my weakness, because I couldn't bear a few minutes of pain… A sharp, burning resolve ignited within me. No. I wouldn’t let that happen. Not to him. He had risked his life for me and was always ready to do that despite the fact that we were not very close. I'm sure that he would have had the chance to escape without me. I'm very sure. But he didn't. My
Rhea's Pov “Ugh! Ugh! Ack!” I heard groans coming from my side as I slowly opened my eyes. My head was throbbing and somehow, I felt warmness in my throat, like I was about to throw up or something. However, I held it in and looked at the source of the noise. The stalker was hitting Marcus who had fallen on the ground, he had a bleeding wound just above his chest and a little under his shoulders. There was blood dripping down the corner of Marcus’s lips and I could tell that he was fighting to keep himself conscious. How long has it been since I went unconscious? “You fucker! How dare you speak to me like that?! You crazy fucker!” The stalker continued to hit him until Marcus suddenly fell to the ground, his head hitting the concrete ground hard. “Marcus!” I yelled out his name in panic, my eyes wide, “Let me go! Marcus!” I screamed, years already starting to gather at the corner of my eyes. He was bleeding. He was bleeding very seriously. “Oh? The little princess is awake?” “Le
Rhea's Pov A snicker escaped my lips before I could even stop it and it was when I knew that I had fucked up as his eyebrows immediately furrowed. But why should I care as he was going to kill me soon anyways? Even if he was going to beat me until I dropped unconscious, as long as he didn't take us away from this place, I wouldn't mind. I glanced down at my phone which was still on the ground and back at the man. I could only hope that Alaric was already on his way and that I wouldn't do this for nothing. “Ah…” I took a long deep breath, readying myself for what was to come, “Alright. Let's do this.” I muttered under my breath. I looked up at him and smirked, “It was getting boring.” “What?” He paused. “I said… It was getting boring.” I repeated, louder this time, my smirk widening, “Honestly, I thought that whoever was dropping those rats at my doorstep had more creativity than just dead rats. It was an amateur movement. The fear you were looking for? That was just me bei
Rhea's Pov The man stormed in, his eyes blazing with amusement as he stared at me. I glared at him, my hands still shaking from the force. And also, I was scared. Now that I saw him clearly, despite the dim lights, I could tell. This was him. The same man who had stalked me that day when I was going to the marriage hall, and the man who had stabbed me that night. He was the one. “Why didn't you stay put like I expected you to stay? Now we'll have to start moving all over again until I'm done with you. Why do women like you not like to listen?” The man used the gloves in his hand to hit me on the face, twice. There was an infuriating smirk on his face. “What do you want with her? If the police find out where you are, you won't be able to escape at all!” Marcus yelled from where he was tied up. He was struggling against the bindings very noticeably but it was too tight. The knot he used couldn't be easily untied. “Well… I have nothing against her in particular. It's just tha
Rhea's Pov My eyes fluttered open, a groan escaping my lips as a dull ache throbbed beneath my forehead. My head felt heavy, and the world was swaying. I shook my head and blinked, trying to clear my blurry vision. Where was I? I looked around; it was dark. The only light that came in was through the small holes in the cracks and thankfully, they shone bright enough to make me see things a bit. I was in a moving vehicle, probably the truck that hit Marcus and I. Was it the stalker who hit us? Panic began to coil in my stomach. I tried to move, but a sharp pain shot through my side. "Marcus?" I whispered, my voice hoarse. No answer. I fumbled around, feeling for him. My hands touched his warm body. I felt for his pulse, my heart hammering. It was there, he was still breathing, though it was faint. Marcus was unconscious. “Oh God.” I muttered, trying to calm my breath so he wouldn't know that I was already awake. My hands, though still shaky, instinctively went to my pock
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