Chapter 4

I fled to the hotel restroom, hoping to find a quiet place to catch my breath.

I suddenly heard the sound of muffled moans coming from inside.

I looked up to see Simon and Fiona. He had her pinned against the sink, kissing her fiercely. Their faces were flushed, breaths ragged.

I heard Simon's husky voice. "Baby, thank God you're okay. You really scared me."

"I'm fine, Simon. It's my fault for dragging you to that concert and making you miss the wedding. That's why Ivy is so upset…"

"She still shouldn't have pushed you. You're already two months pregnant."

My mind exploded with a deafening buzz.

So, Fiona had been pregnant all along. There was no IVF appointment that day at all.

Simon kissed her again. She resisted softly, pushing against his chest. "Even after everything between us, you still won't call off the engagement?"

Simon went quiet. After a long pause, he kissed her again. "Didn't we agree not to talk about this? I'm destined to marry Ivy. But even after we're married, I'll still spoil you and our baby."

Fiona lit up instantly. Soon, the restroom filled with the sound of their frantic movements and breathless gasps.

Shaking, I pulled out my phone and secretly recorded it all before stumbling out.

So, the stepsister guise was a lie. Her trauma and fear of men were lies. The IVF was a lie.

Simon had been lying to me all along. He had been cheating on me with Fiona from the start. And he still wanted to keep me too.

My palm, cut earlier by broken glass, was now bleeding freely. The pain stung like the ache in my heart.

Night had fallen. I slipped out the back door of the hotel like a deserter, only to be suddenly blocked by several looming figures. It was the same group of men who had tried hitting on me earlier.

I instinctively backed away, but they had already blocked my escape path.

"You got us thrown out. Now, you think you can escape?" As one sneered, the others came forward, grabbing my arms and legs.

"No! Somebody, help me!" I thrashed and screamed, desperate for someone to notice.

Right at that moment, I heard a familiar voice come from nearby. "Something's happening over there. Should we check it out?"

Hope flickered in my heart. It was Simon's voice.

I screamed louder. "Simon!"

But the men covered my mouth and pinned me to the ground.

"That sounded like Ivy," Simon said as he looked toward my direction.

Then, Fiona's voice rang out. "Simon, my stomach hurts! Let's go home."

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" His tone turned frantic. What followed was the sound of their footsteps fading away.

I wanted to scream that I was here, but the men had an iron grip on me. I couldn't break free.

As Simon and Fiona walked further away, tears of despair streamed down my face.

Suddenly, a furious shout split the night. "Let her go!"