Novel & Cerita Chapter 9 The Outsiders

They believed that if I just gave in and said I was fine, all those crimes would disappear beneath a pile of money. However, I was no longer that little girl waiting at the far end of the long table for scraps of cold leftovers. Never again would I denigrate myself just to protect my family's reputation.

Give me back my hard-earned eight-pack abs! END OF CHAPTER 1

How could that be a coincidence? Three days ago, Louis had stolen my food and humiliated me in front of everyone, telling me to beg for scraps. Three days later, he was burned to death, and takeout boxes were laid out beside him. It was like he'd literally been "grilled". I tried to stay calm, but a storm of emotions rose in me. This was the guy who had humiliated me and stomped all over my dignity with the nastiest words he could find. And now, he was dead. The way he died felt almost symbolic, too.

They couldn't understand why they had chosen to neglect their own flesh and blood for the sake of a stranger's child. There wasn't a trace of satisfaction in my heart, only a bottomless void. What was the point of receiving the love I had desperately yearned for but never received while I was alive, now that I was dead? … Quinn lost her marbles. Unable to cope with the reality of the horrific things she had done, she spent every day in an asylum, calling out my name. I returned to that small mountain village, the place where I had once endured endless humiliation. The dilapidated mud houses, the filthy bedding… everything felt like a nightmare.

Third-Person POV The hallway fell into a brief, dead silence. Antonio stood frozen in place, his fingers gripping his car keys so tightly that his knuckles turned stark white. An abortion? He had seen Natalina visiting the hospital for her prenatal checkup two days ago, so how could she have aborted the baby? And even if she did, why hadn't she told him? And… Giannino mentioned that Natalina had returned to the Corradini Famiglia, hadn't she? Why? Was she planning something new? But if she was, why hadn't she talked to him about it?

She approached the grave with a soft, almost tender smile that made everyone's skin crawl. "See? I brought back everything that belongs to you. None of it is left for anyone else." Under the horrified stares of the crowd, she carefully placed the bloody kidneys Anna had taken from me into the urn. When the police rushed in with guns raised, they froze in disbelief. I turned to Mom. She raised her head, laughed, and pointed into the air. "Look, Jenna has returned." I let out a soft, long sigh, as if I had finally released the last thread of attachment.

"Grandma says you're a hen that can't lay eggs. If you had any sense, you would've left on your own instead of making everyone unhappy." She leaned closer, her voice sweet and cruel. "Ms. Thornhart, Mommy and I both hope you die." A sound came from outside the door. In the next instant, Moonlet pulled out a dagger plated with silver nitrate and slashed her own arm. She collapsed onto the floor and burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Ms. Thornhart!" she cried. "I said something that made you angry. Please don't hurt me!" I stepped forward without thought. A sudden force struck me from behind. The blade drove deep into my back.

Chapter 11 ‎The footstep outside froze me where I stood. My breath snagged in my throat, a sharp, painful knot that refused to move. The silence stretched, broken only by the pounding of my heart. Another step followed, heavier this time, deliberate. Someone was right outside. ‎ ‎The knob turned. ‎

And if Elian still thought I was the same girl he walked away from. He’d learn the hard way what I’d become. End of Chapter 9

And I didn’t want out. END OF CHAPTER 19