Ch-2: Just die!

Miley's POV:

“Oh baby, you feel so good!!”

The voices, submerged in ecstacy, leaked into the hallway, and my steps froze.

Archie…?! What the hell was going on? Who was he with… and why on earth did he text me to come here?

“Oooh… Archie…!”

A soft moan reached my ears, answering all the questions at once.

Emily!

She was behind all this.

“Ah, ah… I love you, baby!”

If you asked me, I would've imagined that my heart would stop beating if Archie ever betrayed me. But still, this traitor heart was beating loudly inside my chest.

With trembling hands, I clutched my phone and pressed play on the recorder, crushing my own heart as I pressed against the door.

"Archie…?”

“Mmm?”

“What will you do if my sister finds out?"

“As if she will! Didn't I tell you that she is too stupid to ever suspect anything? In a few hours, I’ll be sliding that ring on her finger, and she’ll be smiling like the fool she is.”

“Then make sure you put on a good show out there. I want to see her eyes shine with her fake happiness!”

My hand flew to my mouth, suppressing a gasp.

Oh God! How long had they been sneaking around behind my back?

My mind flashed back to the countless times when Emily used to be wrapped around Archie like a vine, asserting her right on him and making me feel extremely uncomfortable.

But I still forced myself to stay quiet, thinking that jealousy was a disease.

If I said I didn't like my sister getting my boyfriend's attention, wouldn't it only make me seem selfish and insecure…?

But I didn't know that by hiding my frustration, I was giving them the license to humiliate me.

“I don't want you to go outside just yet. Stay with me first… make love to me one more time before you stand beside that bitch again.”

“I know today must be hard for you, my sweetie. And that's why I'm here, to tell you that I'll always be yours first. Remember that, okay?”

Archie’s words burned away the last fibre of my self-control… but he wasn't done yet.

“Once I marry her, I'll get access to the inheritance her mother left behind, along with that company. Doesn't my baby want to be the chief designer there? Once it’s mine, you will be the queen! Just remember that, and this tough time will pass in a blink!"

“You’re so good to me… but hurry up and come back, okay? I can’t stand to see that arrogant bimbo next to you, pretending to be the centre of the universe."

My ears were on fire. They were planning to take over my mother’s company…!

There was a condition in mom's will that I could access the trust fund and take control of the Board of Directors only when I was married– that was supposed to be her wedding gift to us.

I was planning to tell Archie about the inheritance after we were engaged. So how could he know about it beforehand… unless Emily told him? And how could they be cruel enough to set their eyes on a mother's last gift to her daughter?

I looked down at my phone, which was still recording and shoved the door open.

Just like I expected, they were in bed– Emily straddling the man I was supposed to get engaged to, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

Archie immediately shoved Emily off, as if he was allergic to her touch. His eyes were blown wide, like he had seen a ghost.

“Miley, sweetheart… wh- what are you doing here!?”

“Catching you red handed, cheating on me!”

I couldn't believe the roar that ripped out of my throat, making Archie jump to his feet.

“Hey, hey… calm down, okay? Stop screaming and listen to me before jumping to any wild conclusions. This… this isn’t what it looks like!”

“Really? Should I play the recording back for you?"

Panic flashed in his eyes as he reached out to hold my hand.

"You’re misunderstanding us, I didn't—"

"Enough! All there's left to do is to change the bride’s name on the invitation for today's engagement party. Then your perfect little plan would be complete!”

"Miley, are you kidding me? This is not a joke! The guest list for our engagement party is filled with people of influence, not to mention, the business associates of your company. If you embarrass us in front of them, it will be really difficult for us to build our reputation back–”

Ah… so that's why he was so desperate for my understanding and forgiveness. Not for hurting me so terribly, but because he had a reputation to save.

“That's all I am to you, isn't it? A stool for you to climb on and take over my family's business?"

He hesitated for a moment, and that gave me all my answers.

Emily scrambled up from the bed, using this opportunity to make a break for the door. I lunged after her, shoving Archie aside.

"Miley, wait–"

"No! The engagement is off."

I didn’t wait for Archie’s reaction before I turned on my heel, chasing after the bitch. I needed to look her in the eyes and ask why. Why had she done this to me?

But she was way too fast. By the time I reached the corridor, even her shadow had slipped away.

I cursed under my breath. Where did she—

"Are you looking for that poisonous snake?"

I spun around and saw a little boy step out, his icy blue eyes standing out sharply against his dark curly hair.

I recognized him instantly.

When we arrived at our hotel this morning, the receptionist was busy harassing him: screaming, yapping and blaming the little boy for stealing from the cash register, while the entire staff was watching this drama.

The boy was stubbornly refusing the claim, but the witch started shaking him violently… and I couldn't stand by anymore.

Something about his ice blue eyes had struck me as extremely familiar, and after one look at his proud, stubborn expression, I knew in my heart that he was innocent.

I stepped in to defend him, ultimately paying the receptionist some of my own money to let him go.

What was he doing on this yacht, which had been booked exclusively for our engagement party?

But I had bigger concerns at the moment.

“Snake? Do you mean my sister… the blonde girl who checked into the hotel with me?”

“Yeah. You should be careful, she is really not a good person! You are nice, so don't get hurt okay?”

The words sent a shiver down my spine. How did a child manage to see something that nobody in my life did?

“If she is the one you're looking for, the snake ran that way.”

I ran, lifting my dress to avoid tripping on it.

But I nearly stumbled the moment I saw her.

Emily stood on the deserted back deck, a gun in her hand. She smiled, pointing the barrel at me.

“What, are you surprised? Did you think I would let you slap me around without defending myself?”

“How can you still defend yourself–”

“Tsk! You're not expecting me to say sorry or something, are you? I've actually been waiting for you to find out about our affair, but you really shouldn't have left the party and followed me here. It would've been better if you stayed ignorant.”

“It is my freaking engagement party! Do you think you can snatch him from me like this–”

“I already have! Why do you think he chose Italy for the engagement? Oh gosh, you had no idea, did you! Well, at least now you know who is actually pulling the strings of your pathetic relationship.”

I gulped. As much as I hated to admit it, things had suddenly started making sense.

"Oh, sweet Miley… you really thought Archie loved you? But you're wrong, honey. He got bored of waiting long ago. And unlike you, I actually know how to please a man."

She placed a hand over her chest as if her heart was bursting with sympathy.

"You poor thing! Did you really believe you were enough for him?"

"How can you be so ungrateful, Emily! We made you a part of our family–"

"Oh, you don't get it, do you? It's not about my gratitude, because you never actually stood a chance. You should’ve just died with your mother, it would have made things so much easier."

My stomach dropped. She meant it… she really meant it.

“In fact, I have an idea! Why don't you just die right now?"