Chapter 3

"Christina, do you hate me for carrying Luke's baby?" Piper asked. "Is that why you've turned on our brother too?"

She hurried over and grabbed my arm, sobbing, "What happened between Luke and me was an accident. Once the baby is born, you can raise it. Please don't be angry anymore, and please don't cut ties with Peter, okay?"

Her voice was soft, but a vicious glint flickered in her eyes.

When her fingers found the scars on my arm, she dug her sharp nails into them.

The pain nearly made me black out, and I couldn't help pushing her away.

She shrieked and toppled backward into Luke's arms, looking innocent and pitiful. "Why did you push me?"

The next second, a vicious slap landed across my face.

Half my face went numb, and the taste of iron flooded my mouth.

Peter looked at me, pained, and lashed out, "You know Piper's pregnant, and you still pushed her? You're even more vicious than you were five years ago."

Luke watched me coldly, without a trace of warmth in his eyes. "Didn't you want divorce papers? Fine. You'll get them.

"But first, you're going to attend Piper's celebration banquet and admit in front of everyone that she's a more talented designer than you."

Agonizing pain shot through the places where my legs had been amputated.

I wanted to refuse on reflex, but before I could open my mouth, Jake came over with two maids.

"What are you waiting for? Take Christina upstairs and get her changed."

I couldn't fight them, so I let the maids haul me upstairs to wash and get ready.

They were lazy. They shoved me into the bathroom and slammed the door.

I stared at my gaunt reflection in the mirror, and my heart ached.

Back when I'd lost a single pound on a diet, the three of them would fret and rush to feed me something nourishing.

Now I'd wasted away to skin and bones, and they hadn't even noticed. They only had eyes for Piper.

A maid came in, saw the scars covering my body, and looked at me with contempt.

Then she picked out an ill-fitting long-sleeved gown and pulled it onto me.

I dragged my prosthetics down the stairs.

Piper, dressed in a gorgeous gown, was holding Luke's arm and smiling sweetly.

Peter and Jake watched the two of them, looking pleased.

When everyone's eyes landed on me, gasps rippled through the room.

"Isn't that the famous designer Christina Costner? How did she end up so skeletal?"

"There are bruises under her neck."

"Don't tell me she's been sleeping around and caught some kind of nasty disease?"

At that, the guests backed away in disgust, afraid they might catch something.

I endured the pain in my body and made my way down the stairs one step at a time.

The three men stood there in tailored suits, looking at me with open impatience.

When I reached the bottom, Piper stepped up and took my hand. "Thank you for coming to my celebration banquet."

I didn't want to deal with her. Just as I went to push her away, she yanked the neckline of my gown down hard.

The tangle of crisscrossing scars was suddenly on display for everyone to see.

On instinct, I tore my hand free to cover my chest, but she threw herself dramatically backward into the champagne tower behind her.

"Piper!"

All three men rushed to her in a panic.

Piper sobbed and clutched Luke's lapels. "Luke, it hurts so much. My stomach... Christina, do you really hate my baby that much?"

Peter held Piper, while Luke stormed over and grabbed me by the throat.

"Christina, you'd bully Piper in front of all these people? Clearly, you still haven't learned your lesson. Keep this up and I'll send you back to the mountains tomorrow."

The fury in his eyes looked like it could swallow me alive.

At the word "mountains," I started shaking on instinct. That fear was carved into my bones.

But when I saw that the ghostly countdown showed two hours left, the fear vanished.

"Do whatever you want." I closed my eyes.

His grip on my throat tightened, and then he flung me away.

"Since you refuse to learn, you can go kneel outside the front gate."

The moment I hit the ground, the old injuries all over my body throbbed as if struck by a sledgehammer.

The prosthetics on my legs nearly came loose with a strange cracking sound.

Peter and Jake sensed something was wrong, and Luke's gaze dropped to my legs too.