Chapter 5

Avery Winters

“Aren’t you full of yourself?” I shot her a glare as I asked.

I had had enough of her bullying already. She always believed it was right to treat me like a piece of trash, and I always ignored it. But today, I wasn’t going to allow her to step on me the way she always did.

“What?” She looked surprised as I said that.

This was the first time in my entire life that I had stood up to her.

“You did not just say that to me, did you?”

“Stop acting like the whole world revolves around you. Please, I beg of you, Sarah…” I trailed off, clapping my hands together. “I don’t want to have any clashes with you. I’m leaving this house for good, and I’m never coming back, so please, kindly stay out of this because it has nothing to do with you. Whatever is going on right now has absolutely nothing to do with you,” I added as I bent down to pick up my clothes from the floor before hearing her let out a wicked laugh.

“I’m glad you know you never belonged here. You never did, and neither will you ever-”

Before she could finish her statement, the door burst open, and Alexander walked in.

“What are you doing here?” I asked angrily.

Before he could reply, several giant men dressed in black suits walked in behind him and stood still like robots.

“What are they doing here?” I asked again.

“To help you pack your things. You’re leaving, right?”

“What?!” Sarah and I exclaimed at the same time.

“Alex, what are you doing? She doesn’t even deserve all these ges—”

“Please, Sarah, stay out of this” he cut her off before turning to face her. “Can you excuse us? I would love to talk to her privately.”

“But she—”

“Now,” he said curtly.

Throwing me one last deadly glare, Sarah walked out of my room.

“I don’t know what you’re planning, but whatever it is, leave me out of it. Please, stay away from me and my family.”

“The same family you intend to leave behind to bear their cross alone? Despite everything this family has done for you, you still couldn’t help them during the crisis they found themselves in.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I felt something pierce my chest as he said those words. I couldn’t believe he was calling me ungrateful too. First it was Sarah, and now him.

“You think you have the right to make me feel bad? If there’s a devil here, then it’s you! The fact that you couldn’t help my family without asking for something in return? That’s rich coming from you.”

I expected him to reply to what I had just said, but what he said next made my blood boil even more.

“You have two options, Avery. Be my wife, and your dad’s company will be back on its feet, or watch your family suffer because of your arrogance and stubbornness. Choose.”

“You’re so evil, Alexander Reed. I wonder how Nathan became friends with you. You’re ready to ruin your friendship with Nathan by destroying his family completely, all because you want to get between my legs?”

“Believe me, baby girl, what I want from you is much more than that. I want you to become my woman. I wasn’t joking when I said that. I meant every word.”

“Why?” I asked, getting straight to the point. I’m sure you must have a reason for doing all these shenanigans. You can’t just wake up one day and decide to do this to my family.”

I love them. I really do. But making a decision for me is something I will never accept from anyone. Even though I know they didn’t do anything wrong, they should have talked to me before making such a huge decision on my behalf.

“Why what?” he asked with a shrug.

“Why me? Why did you choose me? Out of all the beautiful women out there, why choose me as your bride? You know we’ll never work. You know whatever you’re trying to start won’t end well, so why did you bring me into the picture?” I bombarded him with questions.

“Because no one uses Alexander Reed and dumps me. It can only be over whenever I say it’s over,” he said simply, yet in a dangerous tone.

I stared at him in shock. “What are you even talking about? Who used who? If there’s anyone who’s wrong here, it’s you! You took advantage of me five years ago, Alexander! I was drunk! I was completely drunk and had no idea what was going on around me, yet you slept with me! And now you have the guts to say I used you? Besides, we were never in a relationship! We have never been in a relationship! You always ignored me like I never existed, so why now? Why now, out of the blue?”

“Because it’s the right time to claim what belongs to me. You belong to me now, Avery Winters, and nothing is going to change that.”

“I’m not an object that you can claim whenever you want. I’m human, just like you.”

“You’re getting it all wrong, my love. We’re never the same, and we can never be. I control this world, and you… are part of the things I control. Always remember that. With a single snap of my fingers, this entire household will crumble.”

Fresh tears streamed down my cheeks as I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn’t believe he was this evil. How could he do this to his best friend? I thought he loved and cared for Nathan and the boys so much. Why, then, was he doing this?

“Always remember, the fate of this family is in your hands. You have just twenty-four hours to make a choice. Choose wisely, my love.”

He stole a kiss from my lips and winked before walking out of my room.

“But, Boss, I thought we were supposed to pack her things and—”

“Mission cancelled, Fred,” he said in a commanding tone.

That was it.

Before I knew it, they were all out of my sight, and I slowly slumped to the floor, bursting into another fresh of tears.

What in the world is happening to my life? How could everything crumble right before my eyes?- I thought worried and before I knew it, my vision slowly start to become blurry.

And then just like that, everything went dark, and I passed out.