Chapter 3

HAZEL (AUTHOR POV)

The night was long and freezing. Hazel sat huddled in the dark storage room, her body trembling violently. The rain was pouring heavily outside, and the cold wind seeped through the cracks of the walls, biting her skin like needles.

She had no blanket. She had no food. Her stomach was empty, growling in pain, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything for almost two days.

But she didn’t make a sound. She bit her lip until it bleed, holding back her sobs. She knew if she made any noise, Xander would only get angrier. He might even throw her out into the real rain.

Be strong, Hazel, she whispered to herself in the dark. For Papa. Just endure. Just a little more.

Morning came, but the pain didn’t go away.

Hazel heard the maids starting to move around the house. She knew she had to go out. If she didn’t show up, they would punish her again.

Slowly, she stood up. Her head spun, and she almost fell. Her legs were like jelly, weak and numb. She fixed her messy hair and wiped her face, trying to look presentable even though she looked like a ghost.

When she opened the door and walked out into the hallway, she almost bumped into Selene.

Selene was wearing Xander’s shirt, looking fresh and beautiful. She was walking out of their room, yawning lazily.

“Oh!” Selene pretended to be surprised when she saw Hazel. “You’re still alive? I thought you died in there!”

Hazel lowered her head and tried to walk past her. “Excuse me.”

But Selene blocked her way. She grabbed Hazel’s arm tightly.

“Where do you think you’re going? Look at you! You look so dirty and smelly! Did you sleep with the rats?” Selene laughed loudly. “No wonder Xander hates you. You’re disgusting.”

She pushed Hazel hard against the wall. “Listen well, you ugly thing. Today, I will be staying here. You will serve me. You will do everything I say. And if you dare tell Xander anything, or if you look at him the wrong way… I will make your life a living hell.”

“I understand,” Hazel said lifelessly. She had no energy to fight back anymore—The whole day, Hazel became Selene’s personal slave.

“Hey! Bring me water!”

“Massage my feet!”

“Iron my clothes!”

“Clean my shoes!”

Hazel did everything. Her hands were already rough and calloused from all the work, but now they were even more damaged from scrubbing and washing.

At lunch time, Selene ordered a lot of expensive food. Lobster, steak, cakes, everything.

Hazel stood beside the table, serving her. The smell of the food was making her dizzy. Her stomach was twisting in pain, begging for just a single crumb.

Selene noticed her staring.

“Oh? Are you hungry?” Selene asked, a wicked grin on her face.

Hazel didn’t answer. She just looked down.

“Too bad,” Selene said, taking a big bite of steak. “This food is for people with class. Not for trash like you. Xander said you don’t deserve to eat good food.”

She ate slowly, savoring every bite, while Hazel watched, salivating and suffering.

When Selene was full, there was still a lot of food left. Half-eaten steak, slices of pizza, and cake.

Hazel’s eyes followed the food as Selene stood up. Maybe… maybe she will give it to me, she hoped foolishly.

But Selene did something cruel. She called the maid.

“Throw all of this away,” she ordered. “I don’t want leftovers. And make sure that beggar doesn’t get any.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Hazel watched in agony as the delicious food was carried away to the trash bin. Food that could have filled her empty stomach was wasted just to humiliate her.

She leaned against the wall, feeling faint. The world started to turn black, Just a little more… just hold on…

THE ACCIDENT

In the afternoon, Mrs. Kingston and Tiffany came home. They saw Selene and were delighted.

“Oh! Selene dear! You are so beautiful!” Mrs. Kingston hugged her. “You are the only one worthy of my son. Not that ugly witch over there.”

They all looked at Hazel who was mopping the floor.

“Hazel!” Tiffany called. “Come here! Carry my bags! They are heavy!”

Hazel dropped the mop and walked towards them. She tried to lift the heavy luggage, but her arms were weak. Her hands were shaking.

“Hurry up! You are so slow!” Tiffany shouted, pushing her from behind.

Because she was weak and dizzy, Hazel lost her balance.

CRASH!

The bags fell to the ground, and some of Tiffany’s things spilled out.

“You idiot!” Tiffany screamed. She kicked Hazel on the leg. “Look what you did! Are you blind? Are you stupid?”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Hazel cried, crouching down to pick up the things.

Mrs. Kingston walked over and kicked her too, on her side. “Useless creature! We feed you and give you shelter and you can’t even carry a bag! You are good for nothing!”

Hazel curled up on the floor, protecting her head as they kicked and scolded her. She didn’t fight back. She just took it. She was used to the pain.

Suddenly, the front door opened. Xander arrived.

Hazel looked up, tears streaming down her face. “Xander… help…”

She thought, surely, he will stop them. Even if he hates me, he won’t let them kill me, right?

But Xander just stood there, looking at her lying on the floor being kicked by his mother and sister. His face was cold, void of any emotion.

“What is this noise?” he asked coldly.

“Xander!” Tiffany cried fake tears. “She dropped my bags! She broke my perfume! She’s so clumsy and bad luck!”

Xander walked closer. He looked down at Hazel with pure disgust.

“Can’t you even do one simple thing right?” he said, his voice like ice. “You are always causing trouble. Get out of my sight. You make me sick.”

He didn’t help her up. He didn’t tell them to stop. He just walked past her, stepping over her body as if she was just a piece of trash on the road.

Hazel lay there, shattered.

He saw her being hurt. He saw her crying. And he didn’t care.

THE NIGHT OF SICKNESS

That evening, Hazel’s body finally gave up.

She was feeling very hot, then very cold. Her head was throbbing painfully, and her throat was dry and sore.

She had a high fever.

She tried to stand up to prepare dinner, but she fell back on the hard sofa. She couldn’t move anymore.

Xander came into the room with Selene. They were laughing and talking.

When they saw Hazel lying down, Selene stopped.

“Xander, look at her. She’s just lying there. Is she sick?”

Xander checked Hazel’s forehead with the back of his hand, but only briefly. His touch was cold.

“She’s just faking it,” he said dismissively. “She wants attention. She always does this drama to get sympathy.”

“But she looks really pale…” Selene said, though she was smiling inside.

“Let her be. If she dies, then good riddance. We can just bury her and get married properly.”

Those words pierced Hazel’s heart more than any sickness.

He wanted her dead.

They left her there. They went to the other guest room to sleep, leaving Hazel alone in the big, cold room with her fever and pain.

Hazel was burning up. She was thirsty. She needed water. She tried to reach for the glass on the table, but her hand couldn’t reach it. She was too weak.

“Water…” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Please… water…”

No one answered. The room was silent.

She closed her eyes, tears flowing from the corners of her eyes.

God, are you there? she thought weakly. Why is this happening to me? I didn’t do anything bad. I tried to be good. I tried to be patient.

Is this my punishment? To suffer like this?

She felt like she was floating. The pain was slowly fading, replaced by a strange numbness.

Maybe… maybe it’s better if I don’t wake up, she thought. Maybe death is better than being the Billionaire’s Unwanted Wife.

But even in her delirium, her survival instinct kicked in. She gripped the blanket tightly.

No… I can’t die. I have to live. I have to endure. No matter how hard it is, I will survive. I will live through this hell.

And so, Hazel endured. She suffered in silence, alone in the dark, proving to herself and to everyone that she was stronger than they thought.

She stayed. She endured.

But little did she know, her body was hiding a secret that would change everything…

TO BE CONTINUE