Chapter 6: Betrayed Again

~Isla~

I stormed out of the club, my blood boiling with a rage I had never felt before. The cool night air slapped against my face, but it did nothing to extinguish the fire Marcus had ignited inside me. His words kept replaying in my head like a broken record.

You will suffer severely until you admit that thing inside you is a bastard!

“My child is not a bastard,” I whispered fiercely to myself, pressing a protective hand over my stomach as I walked down the dimly lit street. “I swear on everything I have left, Marcus Calloway, you will regret this. You will regret every cruel word, every humiliation, and every time you turned your back on me.”

For the first time since the nightmare began, I didn’t just feel broken, I felt determined. I would survive this. I would grow stronger. And one day, I would make them all pay.

Kora’s small apartment wasn’t too far from the club. I walked quickly, still wearing the cheap waitress uniform under her borrowed coat. The streets were quiet now, but my mind was loud with plans. I would work harder, save every tip, and leave this city. I would rebuild my life as a jewelry designer, the dream I had sacrificed for a man who never deserved it.

When I finally pushed open the apartment door, the lights were dim. Kora wasn’t back from her shift yet. Only James, her boyfriend, was sprawled on the old couch, a bottle of beer in his hand and a strange look in his eyes as he watched me enter.

“You’re back early,” he said, his voice slightly slurred. His gaze traveled slowly down my body, making my skin crawl.

“I… I finished my shift,” I muttered, avoiding his eyes as I headed straight for the tiny guest room Kora had kindly given me.

Before I could close the door, James stood up and blocked my path. The smell of alcohol on his breath was strong and unpleasant.

“You know, Isla… you’re really beautiful,” he slurred, stepping closer. “Too beautiful to be treated like trash by that rich bastard ex-husband of yours.”

My heart skipped in warning. “James, please move. I’m really tired.”

He didn’t listen. Instead, he grabbed my wrist tightly and pulled me against his chest. “Come on. Kora doesn’t have to know. I can make you feel better. That baby needs a real man, not some cold billionaire who threw you out like garbage.”

Panic exploded inside me. “Let go of me!” I shoved him hard, but he was stronger.

He laughed darkly and pushed me backward onto the small bed. His heavy body climbed on top of me, his hands roaming where they had no right to be. “Stop pretending you’re innocent. You’re already used goods anyway. Let me help you forget that bastard.”

“No!” I screamed, terror and rage giving me strength. I grabbed the bedside lamp and smashed it across his head with all my might.

James cried out in pain, blood trickling from his temple as he fell backward onto the floor. “You bitch!”

At that exact moment, the front door opened. Kora walked in, still wearing her restaurant uniform, her eyes widening at the scene before her.

“Kora!” I cried desperately, rushing toward her. “James tried to force himself on me! He attacked me!”

But James stumbled to his feet, holding his bleeding head dramatically. “She’s lying! This whore tried to seduce me! She said she’d do anything for a place to stay. She even offered herself to me!”

Kora’s face twisted from shock to pure anger as she looked between us. “Isla… after everything I did for you? After I took you in when no one else would?”

“No, Kora, please! You have to believe me!” I begged, tears rushing down my face. “He’s lying! I would never do that. I fought him off!”

But Kora wasn’t listening. Her eyes filled with betrayal as she grabbed my arm roughly and started dragging me toward the door. “I treated you like a sister! I fed you, gave you a roof, and this is how you repay me? By trying to steal my man?”

“I didn’t! I swear on my baby’s life!” I sobbed, trying to pull away.

“Get out!” Kora screamed, throwing my small bag of clothes at me. “Never come back here again, you ungrateful whore!”

The door slammed shut in my face with a final, heartbreaking bang.

I stood in the dark hallway, shaking uncontrollably. Once again, no one believed me. Once again, I was painted as the villain. The same nightmare kept repeating: betrayal after betrayal.

Tears blurred my vision as I walked out into the cold night. My legs felt heavier with every step. Hunger, exhaustion, pregnancy, and repeated heartbreak were finally taking their toll. I collapsed against a dirty wall in a quiet alley, sliding down until I was curled up on the cold pavement.

“I’m sorry, baby…” I whispered weakly, my hand resting on my stomach. “Mommy is so sorry for bringing you into this cruel world. But I won’t give up. I promise.”

The world started spinning. Black spots danced in my vision. I tried to fight it, but unconsciousness pulled me under like a heavy tide.

The last thing I remembered was the sound of expensive car tires stopping nearby… and a deep, smooth male voice cutting through the darkness.

“Poor thing… she's so beautiful, a priceless one.”

Strong, warm arms slid underneath me, lifting me gently from the dirty ground. A faint scent of expensive cologne surrounded me as my body was carried away. I tried to open my eyes, tried to see who this stranger was, but my body refused to cooperate.

Who was he?

Why was he helping me?

Darkness completely took over before I could find any answers..