Library

Search

Home / Romance Short Story / A Heart Torn by Betrayal / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of A Heart Torn by Betrayal: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

When a group of girls dragged me into the restroom by force, Channing stood in the hallway, smiling as bright as a summer's day. I didn't even have time to figure out why he was there before Jennifer Haley, his childhood friend, yanked my hair so hard I had to tilt my head back. "You cheap little wretch! Did you really think Channing would fall for someone like you?" she sneered. In my trembling hands was the strawberry cake I had made for Channing. Just the day before, he had told me it was his favorite, and I had worked all night to prepare it. Jennifer snatched the cake from my grasp and hurled it to the ground. The cream splattered everywhere. She signaled her cronies to pin me down. Then she pressed her foot against the side of my face, grinding it into the floor. "Unless you lick this mess off the floor clean today, tomorrow I'll make you lick the toilet!" she hissed.From my angle on the floor, I could see Channing lighting a cigarette. His gaze flitted toward me, c

Chapter 2

Today marked the one day in three months when I was allowed to visit my father. The Haley family claimed it was to avoid disturbing him, but in truth, it was a thinly veiled imprisonment. Bruised and battered, I dragged myself to the door of his room. Inside, he was the same as ever, banging his head against the wall over and over. He muttered crazedly, "Eddie is innocent… Eddie is innocent…" My father, who had once been the Haley family's driver—more specifically, Stephen Haley's personal driver—was shattered by what had transpired. It all began the day Eliza came to the Haley residence to collect some documents from Jennifer. Later, the servants found her in the study, disheveled and barely alive. The surveillance footage showed my brother leaving the study in a panic. From that moment, he became the prime suspect. Eliza never got the chance to accuse or exonerate him. She jumped from the hospital rooftop before uttering a word.At first, my brother desperately proclai

Chapter 3

The next day, I returned to the dormitory only to find my bed soaked with leftover scraps of food—rancid from the sweltering heat, its stench unbearable. There was no need to guess who had done it. Jennifer's handiwork was written all over it. Not long after, Jennifer herself strutted in, a posse of followers trailing behind her. She grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head downward. "Well, well," she sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "I thought you didn't have the guts to show up at school anymore." "Hey, Jennifer, what's the game plan today?" one of her lackeys chirped. Releasing my hair with a smirk, Jennifer's expression darkened. "Channing says we can do whatever we like—just don't kill her. Oh, and bring her to the classroom tonight. He's got a little gift he wants to deliver personally."Her words had barely left her lips when she gave a subtle nod. In an instant, one of the girls delivered a swift, brutal kick to my stomach, sending me sprawling to the

Chapter 4

Jennifer shoved me to the ground, and Channing loomed over me, his cold gaze fixed on me."Amanda, do you remember what day it is?" he asked.Of course, I remembered—it was the hundredth day of our relationship."Do you remember me promising you a special gift?" he continued.Yes, just last week, Channing had held me close, whispering that he would give me something unforgettable on our hundredth day together. I had been eagerly looking forward to it, but now, all I wanted was to forget.When I didn't answer, Channing bent down, grabbed my chin, and slapped me hard across the face."You worthless wretch! What, you thought I'd give you flowers? Love? What a joke! You don't deserve any of that!" he sneered."Do it!" he ordered, and the people around us grabbed hold of me, ripping my clothes off."No!" I screamed, crawling toward his feet. "I confess! I'll atone, please don't do this... don't humiliate me like this..."In front of all these people—men and women alike—the man I on

Chapter 5

It must have been hours before Jennifer returned, her presence announced by the swish of a dress that made her look every bit the princess she aspired to be. She had changed her clothes, likely preparing for a date with Channing. Her expression was radiant, her smile sharp enough to cut, and in stark contrast to me—broken, filthy, and crumpled on the cold floor. "Well, Amanda, how does it feel to be betrayed by the man you love most?" she asked, her tone sweet but dripping with malice. I lifted my head, though exhaustion weighed it down. "You and your family know the truth of what really happened." My voice wavered, worn thin by hours of torment. Jennifer's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Of course, I know the truth. But what does that matter?" she said airily, crouching down and patting my head as though I were some pitiable creature. "Your foolish brother was nothing more than a scapegoat for my family." Her words sliced through me, but she wasn't done. "But it's not abo

Chapter 6

When I woke again, the hum of machines surrounded me. Where was I? I propped myself up on the bed, only for a man seated nearby to press my hand back down with a firm, yet gentle touch."Don't move, don't move!" he said quickly. "This is the fourth time they've had to jab a needle in you. If you keep it up, the nurses might go on strike." I blinked up at him, confused. Though his eyes carried dark circles, his kind and handsome face still shone through. It took me a moment, but then I remembered: last night, I had stood at the edge of a cliff, ready to end it all, only for a man to pull me back. This man, no doubt. "Why did you bother saving me?" I murmured, my voice devoid of hope. He sighed like he'd heard it all before. "Because no matter how bad it gets, living's better than dying. Look at me—I've been diagnosed with ALS, and here I am, still kicking up dust. If I can carry on, what's stopping you?" I stared at him, startled. His easygoing manner made it hard to reconc

Chapter 7

"Amanda, where the hell have you been?!" Channing's voice roared through the phone, seething with rage. I had been broken beyond repair, my body and soul scarred beyond recognition. What were his venomous words to someone like me? "Channing," I said, my voice calm but hollow, "if I died, would that be enough to atone for everything?" There was a pause, the kind that made the air feel heavier. Then his voice came back, colder than ever."Amanda, don't even think about it. I'm not done with you yet. If you dare to die, I'll make sure your father wishes he were dead!"A flicker of worry crossed my face, but Grayson, sitting nearby, met my gaze and gave me a reassuring "OK" sign, silently urging me not to fret. "Channing," I said, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions, "I once loved you, truly. And I've come to hate you just as deeply. My brother and I gave our lives—two lives—for your sister. Isn't that enough?" "Amanda!" he bellowed, his voice rising to a pitch of

Chapter 8

Channing halted mid-sentence, his voice faltering. "N-No... of course not..." The three years since our last encounter had worn him down. Gone was the proud, self-assured man who had once appeared in the darkest days of my life, casting himself as my savior. In his place stood a weary shadow of that boy. I seized the moment to wrench free from his grip, stepping back and steadying myself. With a cold, sharp laugh, I said, "Channing, I'll never forget how you treated me three years ago. Every indignity and torment your sister suffered, you made sure as hell I experienced as well. And more." At the mention of his sister, Eliza, Channing's eyes flared with hatred. 'Good. Let him hate me,' I thought. Hatred was the steel I needed to face him. If he despised me enough, I wouldn't falter in what I had to do next. But that flash of anger was brief, replaced by something softer when his gaze fell on me again. His sharp eyes caught the edge of my jacket slipping off my shoulder, revea

Chapter 9

My old scars lay bare before him, unhidden and raw."Amanda, you..."I pointed to the half-concealed scar on my chest, "Jennifer said that my brother was the first to undress Eliza, so she had to mark me here deeply."Channing shook his head in a state of near collapse. "Stop talking, I've already forgiven you, but I can't forgive your brother!""Heh." Tears streamed down my face, "But do you know? It was actually Jennifer's father, Stephen, who violated your sister!"I shouted out the truth.Channing stepped back. "Impossible, impossible...""Do you know why he violated your sister?"I laughed. "Did you know that Jennifer is Stephen's adopted daughter, and in that sanatorium where my father was kept locked up, there were a bunch of girls in their prime locked in a secret room!"They were all for Stephen's enjoyment. The original victim was supposed to be Jennifer, but to save herself, she promised Stephen that she would deliver your sister to him. My brother just happened to

Chapter 10

"The police are already at the Haley family estate, dragging Stephen and Jennifer away in handcuffs. Channing, do you have anything else to say?" Grayson asked coolly. He shrugged off his overcoat and draped it over my shoulders. The warmth was welcome, but it couldn't stop the shivers running through me. Every thought of my brother's wrongful suffering sent tremors through my body. "Amanda," Grayson said firmly, "your brother was innocent. He always was." Tears poured from my eyes—hot, unrelenting tears. For the first time in all these years, someone had said it, spoken the truth out loud. Channing clutched his head in anguish. "I… I didn't mean to… Amanda, I wasn't thinking straight. I was overwhelmed with grief and anger…" I scoffed silently. No, he hadn't meant it—but his actions had been no less brutal. My suffering at their hands had been all too real, searing and unrelenting. Channing dropped to his knees before me, his broken sobs filling the room. I stared down at

PREV

NEXT

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP

DMCA.com Protection Status