Chapter 3

A sharp rap at my door startled me awake, but before that sound could fully pull me from the fog of sleep, let me tell you how my world unraveled.

The weight of betrayal clawed at my chest as I stared at my phone, its screen cold and lifeless. No calls. No messages. No sign of Daniel. My hands trembled as I redialed his number for what felt like the hundredth time, but again, all I got was the same dead silence followed by that mechanical voice: “The number you have dialed is not reachable at the moment…”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to fight back the panic rising in my chest. My heart pounded louder with each failed attempt. I needed to talk to him. I needed to hear his voice. We were supposed to run away together, to leave all this behind and start fresh—just the two of us. But he was gone.

I tossed the phone onto the bed and stood there, lost in a storm of thoughts. My mind spun in circles. Was he okay? Had something happened to him? Was he hurt?

But a colder, darker question crept in… what if he wasn’t hurt?

What if he had left me?

What if he had been bought?

My breath caught in my throat. I stared out the window at the dull gray sky, searching for answers that weren’t there. A horrible thought echoed in my head: What if he was part of this all along?

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Daniel wouldn’t do this to me.”

But doubt is a quiet killer. It starts small, like a whisper in the back of your mind. Then it grows, and before you know it, it’s everywhere.

I clutched the phone like it was my last lifeline, praying for a message, a missed call—anything that would prove I was wrong.

“What if his love wasn’t real?” I muttered, tears stinging my eyes. “What if I was just another game?”

We had built so much together—years of memories, laughter, tears, promises whispered in the dark. Could all that really have meant nothing to him?

I felt something tear inside me. My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the side of the bed. A sob escaped my lips, and then another. The pain was sharp and deep. My chest hurt like someone had reached in and crushed my heart with their bare hands.

I covered my face, letting the tears fall freely. It was the kind of crying that made your whole body shake, the kind that left you empty afterward.

Then came the voice I dreaded.

“Celine! Come downstairs now. We need to prepare for the engagement ceremony,” my mother’s voice boomed from the hallway.

Her words were like a slap. Just hearing them made my body go cold. The engagement. With him. My mother had made it clear—I had no choice. Marry Mr. Derrick, or be cast aside like I never mattered.

I wiped my face and stood slowly, every movement feeling heavy. I wanted to scream, to fight, to run—but how could I, when Daniel wasn’t here? When I couldn’t even reach him?

My heart cracked further. If Daniel wouldn’t fight for us… why should I?

The drive to Mr. Derrick’s mansion felt like a funeral procession. I sat in silence, staring out the window as my mother chatted happily in the front seat about how important it was to make a good impression, how powerful Mr. Derrick was, how lucky I was. I wanted to cover my ears and scream.

When we arrived, the mansion loomed ahead like a giant monster—cold, tall, and heartless. Everything about it was too much. The shiny floors, the tall ceilings, the grand staircase—it all felt more like a trap than a home.

I stood stiffly beside Mr. Derrick as he introduced me to his house staff. They all smiled politely, but I could feel their eyes on me, judging. And then there was his son. He stood by the doorway, arms crossed, his gaze hard and unwelcoming. His eyes were sharp, and I could tell from the way he looked at me that he already hated me.

“Darling, let’s go upstairs,” Mr. Derrick xnsaid with a smug grin that made my skin crawl.

I forced a smile, though my stomach turned. “Enjoy your room. I’ll stay in the guest room,” I said coldly.

For a second, his smile faltered. Just a flicker. But then it came back, tighter and darker.

“You’re my wife now,” he said, voice low and threatening. “You belong in my room. Fulfilling your duties.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding. A mix of fear and fury rushed through me. I didn’t say a word. I just walked past him and into the sitting room, slamming the door behind me.

Inside, I tried to breathe. The room was too quiet, too clean. I turned on the TV, hoping to lose myself in a movie. Maybe if I watched something light, I could forget where I was. Who I was with.

But peace didn’t last.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open, and his son walked in like he owned the place. His shoulders were relaxed, but the smirk on his face made me sit up straighter.

“Stepmom,” he said, dragging out the word like it was poison. “What’s it like, marrying someone old enough to be your father? Let me guess—it’s all about the money, right?”

I clenched my fists. His voice dripped with sarcasm. Each word was designed to hurt.

He walked closer, eyes locked on mine. “Don’t bother pretending. Women like you are all the same. Chasing wealth, selling yourself to the highest bidder.”

His words stabbed deep. I wanted to scream at him, to shake him and make him understand. But he didn’t care. He’d already made up his mind about me.

“Oh, come on,” he added, his tone even more mocking. “You can’t seriously love my father. No woman your age would. Gold digger.”

That was it.

“You don’t know anything about me!” I shouted, jumping to my feet. My voice shook, not with fear, but with pure anger. “Keep your opinions to yourself!”

He just smirked. Like he was enjoying my pain. Like this was a game.

“Watch yourself,” he said, his voice suddenly low and cold. “You’ll find out just how far my father’s money won’t protect you.”

I stared at him, too stunned to speak. Then I turned and ran—tears already blurring my vision. I rushed to the guest room and slammed the door shut, locking it behind me.

Inside, the tears came fast and hard. I curled up on the bed, hugging my knees to my chest, and let the sobs shake me. I had never felt so alone. Everything I had believed in—love, family, trust—was gone.

I was trapped in a house with a man who thought he owned me, a mother who had sold me off, and a stepson who hated me.

And Daniel… he had vanished.

My body was exhausted, my heart completely broken. At some point, I cried myself to sleep, too tired to think anymore.

But that peace didn’t last long.

A knock at the door pulled me back into the nightmare.

I sat up quickly, my heart racing. My eyes were puffy and sore from crying. I wiped the dried tears from my cheeks and tried to steady my breathing.

“Who is it?” I called out, my voice hoarse and shaky.

There was a pause.

Then I heard it.

A voice I hadn’t heard in what felt like forever.

“It’s me.”

My heart skipped a beat. My breath caught in my throat.

Daniel?

I scrambled off the bed and rushed to the door,

but when I opened it—my heart dropped.

It wasn’t him.

And what the person said next…

Changed everything.