Chapter 4

Eva's POV 

"The sooner you realize that I am saying nothing but the truth, the better it will be for you" Livia said while hot heavy tears streamed down my face.

"It's not true, it..." My voice trailed off as I tried to remember the expression on my mother's face every time she saw me. It was no news to me that my parents picked Livia as the favourite child over me. I had tried my best not to read meaning into it and to love everyone of my family equally. But now, I couldn't help but think if mom and dad had always preferred Livia because she wasn't a product of rape unlike me.

I shook my head again, Livia was lying. She must be lying, I couldn't let her get to me. This was all a part of her plans. She wanted to ruin me again.

"Do you remember the night you were raped?" Livia suddenly said and a painful flashback filled my head. That incident had nearly drove me insane. I had been brutally raped one rainy night so badly that I ended up at the hospital the next day. The topic was a delicate one to me and everyone knew. I stared at Livia in disbelief. I couldn't believe she was really bringing up the matter that I had tried my best to bury all these years.

Livia ignored my looks and laughed like a maniac, seemingly enjoying the look of torture on my face. "I'll let you in on a little secret, I arranged for you to be raped that night" She said and my eyes widened. I felt my whole body shake at her world.

"Y.. you" my mouth hung wide open in disbelief and utter shock. She had really gone as far as doing that to me?

"Not a very fun experience now was it?" She added, her smile still wide. "I had to let you get a taste of what your predator father put mother through" she said and I lost it. I went closer to her and pulled her by the collar, my hands shaking already.

"H... How could you" I whispered, feeling so shocked and hurt but she pushed me away with a disgusted look on her face.

"Don't you dare put your filthy hands on me" she sneered. "You don't realize how much of a push over you are, do you? All of those opportunities you failed to take, remember how I discouraged you from making progress? And all those ideas you gave me, all those wonderful ideas, I used them to take over the company. To be the head, right where I am. It's all thanks to you Eva. Taking the fall and all, I guess you do have some usefulness to you after all" she smirked and I saw red.

I couldn't hold myself back and was about to rush to attack her but I was violently pushed back. I looked up in disbelief to see it was none other than Adrian. I shook my head and let out a hollow laugh. This was the same man that I had spent all those years, dedicated my life to loving.

"You're in on this too" I said to myself more of myself than to him but he simply looked away wordlessly.

"Don't hurt yourself anymore than you already have, little bird, Go back to prison, that's where a scum like yourself deserves to be" Livia said, "So what if you're innocent? Do what if you didn't carry out the murder? Under the law you are still a criminal. No one would believe the words coming from your filthy mouth over mine. You have no evidence to prove your innocence so get out of my sight now, Eva" Livia sneered at me.

"How can you betray me this like" I said, shaking in sangee.

Livia rolled her eyes, bored, like this was all some tedious performance. “Oh please. Spare us the tragedy.” she said.

Something inside me cracked completely. “You think this is a joke?” I laughed bitterly, reaching into my coat with trembling fingers. “You think I came here unprepared?”

I pulled out the small voice recorder and held it up between us. The red light blinked steadily. “I recorded everything,” I said, my voice dropping into something dangerously calm. “Your confession. The setup, the lies and everything.” I revealed.

Adrian’s face drained of color. “Eva… give me that.” he demanded.

“No.” I stepped back as he moved forward. “I’m taking this to the police. I don’t care what happens to me anymore. I’ll go back to prison if I have to—but I’m dragging both of you down with me.” I said to them in anger.

Livia’s eyes narrowed, the mask finally slipping. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Watch me.” I replied and for the first time, I saw fear on her face. “You took eight years of my life,” I continued, my voice shaking. “You took my name, my family, my future. You don’t get to walk away and live happily ever after.”

Adrian tried to speak again, softer this time. “Eva… we can fix this. We can still help you. Just give me the recorder and we’ll talk—”

“You’ve done enough talking and I am down as well.”I said to them. I didn't want to face these two lying betrayers anymore, I turned to walk away but that was my mistake. I had barely taken two steps before something hard slammed into the back of my head.

My vision blurred and I felt myself falling int unconsciousness.

When I woke up, everywhere was darker now. The first thing I noticed was the harsh wind and then the sound of an engine.

"Where am i" I asked no one in particular in panic. I tried to move and that was when I realized I had been tied up. I gritted my teeth already knowing who was behind this.

I soon realize I was tied to the seat of an empty moving car that was driving to crash. "Damn you Livia!" I gritted, tears coming out of my eyes as I realized how helpless I was at the moment. If only I had another chance. 

“If I live…” I whispered, the words trembling but fierce, “I’ll destroy you.”

At that point, I heard a loud bang and the car crashed in a firely explosion that drew me painfully into unconsciousness.