CHAPTER 4

                          SARAH

I woke up to a startling splash of icy water on my body. My eyes shot open and there was Leo, standing there with a mischievous grin and a glass of water. I didn't have time to yell at him before he attempted to pour more water on me. I quickly sprang to my feet.

"What the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed while wiping the water off my face.

"It's morning, lazy bones. Time to get up and seize the day," Leo responded, his eyes scanning my body. I hurriedly adjusted my clothes, just in case he had any funny ideas in mind.

"Whose clothes are these?" he pointed at my outfit.

"I found them on the shelf," I answered.

"Fine, get out of bed. We have things to do today," he reiterated, walking out this time.

I reached for my phone, which had been turned off since the previous day. I transferred the pictures from the day before onto my phone and sent a few to my parents and Raya.

Not long after, my phone buzzed with Raya's call.

"Sarah, you scared me to death! I thought something had happened to you," Raya'svoice filled with worry and concern.

"What are those pictures you sent? And who is that man?" Raya inquired.

I proceeded to explain everything that had occurred the previous day and how the pictures came about. In turn, Raya shared her side of the story.

"Anthonio woke up shortly after you left and went ballistic, searching everywhere for you. Luckily, he had no idea I was the one who knocked him out. Your parents, on the other hand, accused me of being in on your escape, even though I denied it. Right now, they despise me for not stopping you. It's a complete disaster!" Raya recounted.

I absorbed every detail Raya shared, grateful for her help. But I still had no idea what my next move should be after leaving Leo's house. Returning to my parents was out of the question, as they would surely disown me.

"What are you going to do now, Sarah? I'm so worried," Raya expressed, as if reading my thoughts.

"I don't know yet, but I'll figure something out," I responded.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of Leo's car leaving the house. I wondered where he was headed. Ending the call with Raya, I searched for somethingto occupy my time and avoid being accused of laziness by Leo.

As I prepared to leave the room, my eyes landed on a small, beautiful box sitting on the table. Curiosity got the best of me, and I couldn't resist opening it. Inside, I discovered old pictures of children. I could easily recognize Leo in all of them, but then I stumbled upon something that caught my attention.

One particular photo depicted Leo and a young boy. Despite being a child's photo, the resemblance between the boy and my boyfriend, Julian, was uncanny. I had been desperately trying to reach Julian, but all my calls went unanswered ever since he went abroad six months ago. The past three weeks had been especially agonizing without any contact.

I stared at the photo for what felt like an eternity, my mind racing to make sense of it all. Eventually, I carefully placed the pictures back into the box, returning it to its original spot on the table. Just as I was about to leave the room, I heard Leo's car pull back into the compound. I quickly made my way to the bathroom to take a shower, ensuring I was fully dressed before exiting.

To my surprise, upon opening the door, I realized I had forgotten to put on any clothes.

"Oh, shit!" I exclaimed, instinctively covering myself with a towel.

Leo's eyes widened as he walked in on the unexpected scene. 

"Why are you here?" I demanded, holding the towel tightly to my body.

"This is my house, I don't need your permission to go wherever I want," he retorted, removing his hands from his face.

"Why the hell were you walking around naked?"

"You should be apologizing for invading my privacy!" I glared at him, annoyance bubbling up inside me. I wanted to scream at him to get out, but then I remembered that I was no longer under my father's roof.

"Dress up and come downstairs for breakfast," he ordered before promptly shutting the door.

******************

"Who is that witch that has enchanted you? Bring her out right now!" a fierce voice echoed through the house.

A woman had arrived and was shouting from outside the gate, her voice carrying all the way to the living room. I had just finished clearing the breakfast dishes and was in the kitchen when I heard the commotion. Stepping out, I revealed myself to the unfamiliar woman.

"What are you doing here?" her hostile expression made it clear I was in trouble.

She approached me, scrutinizing me from head to toe like I was a piece of trash. 

"What are you doing here?" she demanded once again.

I didn't know who this woman was, but something told me she might be Leo's mother. I silently prayed that Leo would appear and save me from this predicament.

"I'm talking to you!" She grabbed my hands and shook me forcefully.

"Let go of her!" Leo's voice boomed, answering my prayers. He stormed down the stairs and pulled me away from the woman's grip, positioning me safely behind him.

"So, this is the thing you left Clara for, huh?" the woman sneered, her words slicing through me like a blade.

"I'd rather be with this 'thing' than with Clara," Leo emphasized the word, defending me against the woman's accusations.

SLAP!

She slapped my husband, well, my fake husband.

"Do you know how much effort I put into planning that wedding? But you ruined it all because of a whore!" she spat venomously.

Anger consumed me in an instant. I stepped forward, no longer hiding behind Leo.

"I may not be your ideal woman, but I will not let you disrespect me!" I declared defiantly, ready to defend myself.

She lunged towards me, her hand raised as if she was going to strike me as she did to Leo. But I swiftly grabbed her hand, holding it firmly in mid-air.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Leo's voice boomed, commanding authority.

I released the woman's hand, allowing it to drop back to her side. 

"Mum, please leave," Leo spoke calmly this time.

"And you're telling me to leave because of this woman? You're taking her side now?" The woman's voice trembled, but I could sense the fake act she was putting on.

"This is not just any woman, Mum. She's my wife!"