Chapter 2: Dreams Shattered

The voice, soft and familiar like the brush of a moth's wing, filtered through the closed door. "What if she sees us?"

A second voice, deeper, a comforting rumble that she'd come to associate with home and safety, answered, "Don't worry, she's at work. She wouldn't be back for hours."

Kendra, across the hallway, flinched. The words, so innocent on their own, now echoed with a disquieting resonance in her mind. They were the voices of Richard, her fiancé, and Olivia, her younger sister. And they were coming from Richard's hotel room.

She had been on the phone just moments ago, her voice bright with a shared joke and a promise to call back. The conversation had ended with a lighthearted goodbye, leaving her buoyant with the news she was about to share with Richard – news that would change their lives, news that she'd carefully crafted and nurtured, the way one might tend a fragile seedling.

Now, a storm of unease clawed at her, a chilling premonition that twisted her stomach and tightened her chest. Her thoughts, once a clear stream, were now a raging torrent, pulling her towards an abyss of doubt.

Who is there with Richyboo

What are they doing there?

Is it what I think it is?

Her heels, a rhythmic staccato against the polished wooden floor, propelled her forward. Each click, a tiny hammer blow against the fragile structure of her expectations. She tried to counter the rising dread, to reason with herself.

Maybe they’re watching a movie together? Perhaps they’re celebrating something?

She clung to these flimsy, optimistic straws, but the insidious whispers of fear continued to grow louder.

This can’t be a movie.

She reached the door, her hand trembling as she reached for the knob. The wood felt cold, a stark contrast to the sudden heat that flushed her face. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. She would face the truth, whatever it may be.

With a final, desperate plea for sanity, she turned the knob and pushed the door inward.

The sight that greeted her stole the air from her lungs.

"Hello, Kendra. Perfect timing," Richard greeted her, a grin stretching across his face, a grin that didn't reach his eyes. His eyes held a flicker of something she couldn't quite decipher, but it wasn't joy, nor was it relief. It was a cold, unfamiliar gleam.

She stood frozen, her mind struggling to process the scene before her. Richard's room, a place she thought was her sanctuary, was now a stage for a betrayal she hadn't anticipated.

Her voice, barely a whisper, a broken shard of the woman she was moments before, escaped her lips, "What... what is going on here?"

The world seemed to tilt. The carefully constructed life she had envisioned, the future she had so meticulously planned, began to crumble before her eyes. The news she had carried within her, the joyous secret she was eager to share, now felt like a lead weight in her chest.

"Are you blind, sis? Don't you have eyes?" The second voice, dripping with venom, cut through the stunned silence. Olivia's voice. And as she turned her head, she saw her sister, naked, her body pressed against Richard. Her laughter, a cruel, mocking sound, filled the air.

"Oli...Olivia," Kendra choked out, her voice thick with unshed tears. "How could you do this to me?" The image before her seared itself into her memory, a grotesque caricature of the love and trust she thought she shared with the two people closest to her.

"Oh, shut up," Olivia spat back, her eyes glinting with a triumphant malice that shocked Kendra to her core. "Now you know how it feels to have something you love stolen from you, don't you?"

Kendra stared at her sister, searching for a trace of the girl she had raised, the girl she had sworn to protect after the deaths of their parents. But the face she saw was a stranger's, a mask of cruelty and resentment. "What are you talking about?" she whispered, the words barely audible.

"Oh, please," Olivia sneered. "Don't play innocent. You stole the love Mom and Dad had for me. Getting my revenge has always been something I've wanted, and this… this is perfect."

Kendra turned back to Richard, her heart aching. Five years. Five years of shared dreams, of whispered promises, of a love she believed was solid and true. "Richard, after five years... this is how you repay me? Seriously? I've given everything for you, and you abandon me for my younger sister?" The words spilled out, raw and wounded, exposing the vulnerability she had guarded so carefully. She felt exposed, stripped bare, and the pain was almost unbearable.

"Can't you see she's just using you, Richard?" she pleaded, grasping for any semblance of sanity.

"And what business is it of yours now? I'm ending things with you, Kendra. I've discovered my true love." Richard's voice, once so full of tenderness, was now cold and dismissive. The words, sharp and precise, were like shards of glass piercing her soul.

"And you were too dumb to see it. I was just using you. You're so moronic, and yet… your sister makes me happy, unlike you, she's quite intelligent." He met her gaze, his expression devoid of remorse.

Olivia let out a cruel laugh. "And Mom and Dad always said you were the smart one."

Tears, hot and stinging, began to stream down Kendra's face. "Olivia, what are you talking about? I've taken care of you since you were thirteen, after Mom and Dad died. This is how you repay me?" The memory of the sacrifices she had made, the dreams she had put on hold to ensure her sister's well-being, now felt like a cruel joke.

"I'm not a child anymore, Kendra," Olivia snapped, her face flushed with a mixture of anger and triumph.

Then, Richard did something that made Kendra’s stomach churn.

"I’ve been seeking the perfect revenge, and in the middle of it, I fell in love." Olivia, eyes shining with a sinister glee, bit her lip and moaned loudly, a sound that grated on Kendra’s ears.

"You can excuse us, Kendra," Richard said with a smug expression, his eyes fixed on Olivia's body. "Or even stay. This is… fun."

Kendra, unable to bear the sight any longer, turned and fled the room.

Outside the door, she leaned against the cold wood, the sobs wracking her body.

What have I done wrong?

Have I failed the promise I made to Mom and Dad?

The words echoed in the hollow space of her heart. The world around her blurred, and the pain was a crushing weight.

Just then, her phone rang. A number she didn't recognize. She hesitated, but curiosity, a morbid curiosity, overcame her.

"Hello?" she managed, her voice thick with emotion.

"Hey, Kendra Smith," a raspy voice, laced with a cruel amusement, answered. "How was the heartbreak?"

Kendra's breath hitched. "Who is this?" she asked, a sliver of fear already snaking its way up her spine.

"You have every reason to be afraid," the voice continued, the words dripping with a chilling menace. "I can feel it. I’m the drug dealer. And in case you're wondering, the same one you reported to the police."

A cold wave of terror washed over her. Her hands trembled as she clutched the phone tighter. "Wait… aren't you supposed to be in jail? Michael Stone?"

The voice erupted in a harsh laugh. "Did you really think you'd get rid of me that easily, Kendra? The report was mistaken. You just accused an innocent man. No one other than Michael Stone."

"Wait… if you're not Michael Stone, who are you? And why are you calling?" She was desperate, clinging to any sense of control as her world crumbled around her.

"As I said, you just played with fire by trying to figure out who I am. I’m the drug dealer. Better sleep with both eyes open, Kendra."

The line went dead.

She was no longer safe. The grief, the betrayal, seemed to fade into the background, eclipsed by a primal fear. She had to escape. The urgency flooded through her.

She turned and stumbled towards the hotel entrance, her legs unsteady, the ground feeling like it was constantly shifting beneath her feet.

Her phone vibrated again. This time, without even looking at the screen, she rejected the call. She didn't want to hear that voice again.

"Kendra, hey! Why are you in such a hurry?"

Austin, her cameraman, emerged from the entryway, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Hey, Austin, can’t talk right now." She tried to push past him, but he blocked her path.

"Oookay... But why is your makeup ruined? Were you crying?" His voice was gentle, filled with genuine concern.

"Uuuhm, Austin, I really can't talk right now." The words felt inadequate, a pathetic shield against the storm raging within her.

"Fine. But did something happen? You look like you're rushing." He hesitated, then stepped aside.

As she lightly shoved Austin aside, she said, "Please, excuse me. I really have to go. Come on, Austin, are you coming or not?"

"Yh sure, I'm coming," he said, getting into the car. The rain started to fall.

Before Kendra could start the car, her phone rang again. She ignored it, started the engine, and backed out of the parking space.

"Kendra, congratulations again on your promotion. You've worked so hard and deserve it." He looked at her and paused as the memory of what the promotion was about flashed in his mind. "I'm sorry if I said anything damaging."

"No, it's not you. I'm just not in the mood to talk right now."

"Okay... But thanks for the lift."

Austin got out of the car. As Kendra ordered the driver to park, her phone rang. Her hand shook violently as she reluctantly picked up the phone.

"Hello, Kendra, this is Mrs. Lucas."

"Oh, Hi Ma'am, I hope all is well." Kendra responded.

"It's about your report."

"What about the report?" Kendra asked, stunned. And the world spun. Kendra suddenly dropped her phone and fell to the ground.

Suddenly, everywhere went black.