All Chapters of SAVING ANGEL : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Wasn’t I enough? Was I not pretty enough? Sure, Vera had the curves, the sultry smirks, the revealing clothes that turned heads everywhere she went. But hadn’t Ethan always told me he preferred women who were different? Hadn’t he sworn that he hated women like her?I didn’t know what broke me more: the fact that it was Vera sitting there, smug and victorious; the expression of cruel satisfaction painted across her face as I cried; or the cold, detached glances Ethan shot me, like my pain was nothing but a mild inconvenience.“Look, Gilda,” Ethan finally spoke, and I stared, hanging on to every word as though he might still salvage himself.“Check yourself out… from head to toe.” His eyes raked over me, filled with disgust and disdain.I looked down at myself. A plain red dress, loose-fitting and modest. Nothing like the bum shorts and crop top Vera had tossed carelessly on the floor. But wasn’t this who he said he wanted? A decent girl. He had mocked women like Vera before. He had pra

I grabbed the doorknob, refusing to let go. My heart raced as I struggled against it, desperate to open it back up. But his strength overpowered mine. Seconds later, I heard the sharp click of the lock sliding into place.Horror washed through me.“Why? Why do people keep doing this to me?!” I screamed, pounding on the door. “Am I the only one who doesn’t deserve a chance? Am I the one with no responsibilities to take care of?”The silence that followed nearly broke me.Finally, his muffled voice seeped through the door. “I’m sorry, Gilda. I knew you’d be stubborn, that’s why I had no choice. The management doesn’t want anyone standing in Vera’s way. She’s the star now. Maybe if you had half her fame, you wouldn’t be here.”His footsteps faded, leaving me in the suffocating quiet of my new prison.I slid down against the cold door, my body folding into itself. Curling my legs until my knees touched my jaw, I hugged myself tightly. Again, Vera. Always Vera. It was as if her shadow was