Chapter 1

Seraphina POV

“Excuse me?”

I narrow my eyes at the three figures seated across me, my voice dropping an octave.

“You heard me. Your sister is really sick and—”

“Yeah, I heard that part. The next?” I interrupted him. “Repeat it.”

“Stop acting this way, Seraphina. You heard your Dad. Your sister needs your help.” Mom snapped, and I faced her, my mouth opening for a word, but nothing came out.

I blinked through the three of them, Dad looking at me with that same look I’ve seen all my life.

“Valentina, what’s going on?” I asked, my gaze settling on her watching at how she was picking at her manicured nails.

A dry chuckle escaped my lips at the look she gave me. There we go. The pretentious snake.

“You know what? I’m not hearing it. What I know is I’m not doing any shits with you!” I deadpanned, wanting to move up to my room, but a hand grabbed onto mine, pushing me forward and making me almost trip.

“Your sister needs your help. She had an accident, for God’s sake, can’t you help her?” Mom screamed out, and I stared at her, a dry smile growing on my lips.

“Help her? With what? Become a surrogate for her child?” I said.

“Sera, please just help me. We would pay you any amount you want. A million? Ten? Twenty? Just name it. A—”

My hand landed on her face before she could finish. I could feel all the adrenaline flowing in right now.

A slap on my face jerked my head to the left, and I breathed in, facing ghe figure before me. Of course he’d slap me for her. He’d raise his hand on me for her.

“I’m not carrying that child. Let her carry her thing herself!” I remarked, moving towards the stairs.

“It has been decided. You like it or not, you’re becoming a surrogate mother to Valentina’s unborn child.” His voice came out carrying that tone of finality.

I stopped, tears threatening to spill down my face which I blinked back, then I faced them.

A smirk on her face at the far corner of the room, while they stood at her front, glaring at me.

“And why would I be doing that?”

“Because you have no choice. We’re your parents.” Dad declared.

I sank in a breath, blinking back the tears threatening to drop.

“I’d prefer him fucking me himself though. If that’s possible, then I’d prefer it not some medically fucked up procedures,” I acknowledged.

They were shameless, no?

Let’s be one as well.

“Slut! Your own sister’s husband? Can you get some shame!!” Mom. Her voice, loud, harsh.

“Oh, now he’s forbidden for me? But he wasn’t forbidden for her?” I let out a chuckle.

I walk towards Valentina her face twisting into a grimace.

“A pity the Marshall daughter-in-law is unable to bear a child. a barren are we?” I gave her a mocking glance, and her smirk cut out, replaced immediately with a scowl.

Yeah, that’s it.

Show your ugly self.

A hand came flying to my face yet again, and then a hand grabbed onto my hair before I could recover from the slap, throwing me to the floor.

A shaky breath escaped my lips as I tried to sit up, only for water to come flying to my face, wetting my clothes.

“How dare you call your sister barren!” Mom yelled, veins protruding in her forehead.

Just if…

Just if she could fight for me this same way.

“Do you realize I’m also your daughter?” I asked, my voice turning raspy, giving her a longing look.

I slowly stood up, staring at my wet clothes, and then looked back at her, then back at him. They were both silent now.

Yeah, silent.

That’s just how things go in here.

Breathing out a chuckle, I walked out of the house, the night breeze hitting me in the face.

Walking out of the gate, I walk down the pathway, the cold hitting me as I let out a wince, the tears falling down my face already.

My footsteps echoed hollowly against the pavement as I walked further into the dark, desolate street, the bitter night wind clawing mercilessly at my wet, clinging clothes.

Water streaming hot and fast down my cheeks, blurring the streetlights into bleeding halos of amber, but I didn't care to wipe them away; they mingled freely with the biting chill of the air.

Suddenly, a violent streak of jagged thunder cracked across the heavens, tearing the night apart with a blinding flash of light that illuminated my misery.

Almost on cue, heavy drops of rain began to pelt the asphalt, quickly swelling into a merciless downpour that drenched me to the bone.

I kept walking, my chest heaving, the icy rain clinging my hair to my face and washing away the last fragile pieces of who I used to be, trekking endlessly through the storm until I finally flagged down a passing cab, pulled open the door, and collapsed into the back seat while the cab took off.

The cab finally pulled to a halt, and I came out, muttered some pleasing words to the cabman, and rushed towards Marina’s door.

Knocked, and the door opened. She was naked, wrapped only with a blanket, her eyes widening slightly when she saw me. Then a voice came behind her.

“Babe, who’s that?”

My head snapped to her back, hearing the familiar voice, only to stop dead on Derek. Naked from his waist up, and a towel wrapped from his waist down.

I glanced from him to her, a slow scoff escaping from my lips as I faced Marina.

“Care to explain what my boyfriend is doing in your house by this time of the night and why the fuck are you both half naked?”