Chapter One

“You're joking, a terrible joke but still” . She said as she stared at the documents on the table. She looked at the other faces in the room, her stepmom looked at her like she was stupid, Christabel her stepsister beamed as she stroked her belly, Chase… my fiance couldn't even meet her eyes.

“Chase, honey please tell me this isn't real. Please”. My voice cracked. He still said nothing, adding fuel to the rage burning in me already.

“God damnit, say something. Anything”. I yelled in his face trying to get him something, or get a reaction, anything at this point.

My stepmom, Glinda dragged me back towards my seat . “Oh stop being a drama queen, what has happened has happened. There's no going back”. She said, talking to me like I was a child getting into a petty fight over nothing.

“ Yeah, Selina. Do you really want my baby growing up without a father or worse still, his uncle being his father, I mean could you imagine it”. She giggled into her hand like what she said was funny.

“You home wrecking whore, you couldn't get any man to love you so you took my fiancè, how dare you”. I shouted, my fists clenched at my sides. I couldn't take anymore of her mocking.

She held on to his elbows and pouted “Baby let's just go all this stress is really getting to the baby”.

Something snapped, my vision went red, I could feel the blood rush to my ears. I lunged at her, her shriek piercing my veil of fury as I grabbed her pulling at her hair. I felt a hand push me to the ground with a lot of force. I hit the ground with a thud, landing on my wrist.

“Arghh, my hand”. It felt like a thousand cuts, no ,like millions of needles piercing my skin at the same time, I cradled my hand close to my chest crying.

My stepmom walked towards me and slapped me

“How dare you try to hurt my daughter, you little beast”. She sneered at me and slapped me across the face. Her handprint left a bright red mark.

I lifted my head and looked at chase through my lashes, the tears blurring my vision. He was holding christabel protectively, cooing soft words at her, trying to get her to ‘calm down’.

“You pushed me”. He paused and looked at me crying. My body shaking as I tried to choke back my sobs, my hand red and swollen.

“You were going to hurt and innocent pregnant woman”. He shrieked at me, like he couldn't believe that I would do something like that.

“ Innocent, innocent? There's nothing innocent about that fucking whore. Our wedding is in two weeks and she still lures you into her bed”. I said with venom in my words, if looks could kill he would have been dead a thousand times over.

“She didn't lure me into her bed”. He said quietly not meeting my eyes again.

“What”.

“Things haven't been working out for a while, the company's been going through alot, I'VE been going through alot and Belle was there for me.” He said caressing that venomous snake's face.

“Why didn't you just talk to me, that's what couples do”. I said my voice breaking.

“Talk about what, you know nothing about the company you just sit at home everyday doing nothing”. Christabel said turning to face me

“You said you didn't want your wife to get involved in company affairs. You said you didn't like the way people thought the only reason you succeeded was because of my father's money. I quit my job, I played the loving fiancee's role. What exactly did I do wrong”. My voice raised with every question, each question laced with poison.

“Give it a rest Selina, we have to wrap this up. I have things to do today and as much as I enjoy you looking so hurt. Time is money. Speaking of money. You've been cut off from your father's inheritance “. My stepmother said like it was just some after thought.

“What?, what the fuck are you talking about”. I asked crawling towards her as if to hear her better.

“All your father's assets has been put under my maiden name, Matthew's. Henceforth you have no claim over any of these properties or his investments “. She said matter of factly.

I felt like a bucket of cold water had just been dumped on me. I was gasping for air, I didn't understand. What was going on?

“Two weeks from now my daughter will walk down the aisle in your place as she can not have this out of wedlock”. Glinda said, looking at me pointedly as she twirled her pearl necklace.

I snorted.

“She shouldn't have been fucking sleeping around without protection with other people's boyfriend's “. I said coldly. This time it was Christabel that slapped me, Chase held her back worried she might hurt herself. I just laughed.

“ What, you don't like hearing the truth, that you're a whore”. I said, if I couldn't hurt her physically, I sure as hell would hurt emotionally.

“You always were an unruly child, your father never let me properly discipline you”. Glinda shook her head, I remained quiet.

“You will get married to Damian Torres in your sister's place, the wedding has been set a week from now”.

“What, no. I'm not marrying some man I don't know, especially not Christabel’s left overs.

“As if you would be good enough to have my daughter's left overs, this marriage is to secure the future of the company”.

“I won't do it”. I said holding my head up defiantly.

“My daughter no longer feels safe with you in this house, so in the next 24 hours pack everything that belongs to you and leave or you will be arrested for trespassing “. She said as she got up to leave, as she headed to the door she turned towards me and pointed with her gold cladded hand.

“In that envelope there's thirty thousand dollars, use it wisely, that's the last penny you will ever get out of me and this family” .

“You have two choices, you marry Damian Torres or you leave permanently, if you leave I will never take you back, either way I do not want you in this house.Make your choice wisely”.

With that she left the room with Christabel and Chase in tow.

While I was left alone in the study, I slumped to the floor finally letting the sobs out, unable to hold them in anymore.