CHAPTER 3: RED FLAG

Stella let out a soft scoff. “So, this is why you were treating me nice the past few days. You were planning to use me to pleasure this old man of your company. You were planning to use me to raise yourself in rank,” she thought.

Stella thought it was foolish of her to even think that her father had changed. Or more, her stepmother. She should have foreseen it. She should have known. There were red flags everywhere.

Stella gritted her teeth. She should have noticed something was off when they started treating her nicely. They were treating her more kindly than usual. Feeding her, giving her nice clothes, talking sweetly to her. What a fool she was. The signs were there, she just chose to ignore it. For once in her life, she thought they had changed. But she was an idiot. How very wrong she was.

Like everyone else, the maids, the servants, the butler, they all treated her unkindly. They never once treated her like she was a human being. They treated her like she was a plague. Like she was a thorn in everyone’s side.

She never once did anything wrong to them. She never disobey them. She listened to them. She did everything they wanted. She stayed quiet. She never once complained about her or living condition. She didn’t even cause anyone any issues. So, why are they treating her like this?

Stella’s stepmother beamed proudly as she was happy that her father didn’t care to say or do anything. She walked out of the room. Amy also followed.

Stella watched as the door closed and the door being locked from the outside. She waited until she didn't hear any more noises from the outside. She was hoping that they no longer be outside so that she could make her escape. Stella ran to the door and tried to open it, but it didn't budge. The doorknob was not moving at all. It was as if the doorknob was glued to stay put. 

"Damn it!" exclaimed Stella. She became frustrated as she was trapped in this sex room. She started to bang on the door. She hit it as hard as she could, but the door didn't budge. She huffed and puffed as she was running out of strength to try to break through this steel door. She slid down the door and tried to catch her breath. 

As Stella was finally catching her breath, she could hear her stepmother and Amy laughing on the other side of the door.

Stella angrily shouted, "Open the door." She lifted up both her hands and started to bang on the door again.

More of their laughters was heard on the outside. 

"No! No. No!" cried Stella. She could feel the pain in her hands as she continued hitting the steel door. 

"Let her keep hitting the door, no one is going to come," said Stella's stepmother.

"Pfft, she's never going to get out of there," said Amy.

"Of course not. If she comes out, you're going to have to serve that old man."

"What?"

"Yes. Your father took his money already."

"He did?" asked Amy in shock.

"Yes. He did.”

“But mother!”

“No buts! Your father took the money that was offered on the table. And it wasn't small either. It was a huge amount."

"Oh, how much?"

Stella's stepmother whispered the amount into Amy's ears.

"What! He offered to have a one night stand with me for two million dollars."

Stella's stepmother nodded. "That's right, my pretty daughter."

"Oh, what a large amount of money."

"Yes. You landed yourself a big shark."

Amy laughed. "I sure did."

"The big shark is now going to be sleeping with you. Correction, Stella. Your poor and unfortunate sister. That old stinky man is going to be sleeping her without even knowing it."

"Of course. I can't believe that old man dares to even think of sleeping with me. Gross. How dar he tries to lay his hand on me."

"Yeah. I know. I heard that he couldn't even wait for you tonight and that he wired the money right away."

"Oh."

"Yes. That's why he is such a successful businessman. Making the deal and sealing it right away." 

"Ha! I won't let him touch me."

"Of course. That's why Stella is going to be the one touched.”

“But what if he finds out?” asked Amy.

“No. He won’t. I'm going to drug him with this." Eliza took out a pill.

"What's that?"

"A drug."

"What's it for?"

"You know the good stuff. It will make his deepest desire come forth and he will start to hallucinate. He will think that your stepsister is you and ravage her instead."

"Will it work?"

"Of course, it will," said Eliza, smiling wickedly.

"How would you know?"

"That's how I conceived you."

"Oh."

"So, trust me, it will work. All you got to do is put it in his drink and the game will start." 

"Ha-ha. That's what the old man gets for trying to do dirty with me."

"Once satisfied and fulfilled, you're going to use this as an excuse to have him sponsor your modeling career." 

"Yes. That's a brilliant idea."

“He will have no choice but to do it. Since we got this evidence to blackmail him with.”

“Great! Great idea.” 

"Humph! Greedy man can't get too greedy," said Stella's stepmother. She walked down the stairs and was getting stuff ready to greet Mr. Wyatt. 

After thirty minutes of banging on the door, no one came to help her. No one came to her rescued.

Stella huffed angrily. Then tears ran down her face. She laughed hysterically and thought of the past.