“Don’t fool me,” Keith growled, stalking closer until his shadow swallowed the small space between us. His voice was sharp, his eyes colder than stone. “You don’t even have money! Is this because of some guy? Are you cheating on me, Caroline?”
A bitter laugh burst from my lips, jagged and humorless. “Me? Cheating?” My gaze locked on his, unflinching despite the tremor in my hands. “Tell me, Keith—was it me, or was it you? Did we even really get married, or was that just another one of your lies?”
His jaw tightened, his nostrils flaring. “You’re ridiculous. Always overthinking. Always imagining things.” He waved his hand as if swatting away a fly. “This is because I didn’t give you some useless ceremony, isn’t it? Fine then. If that’s what you want, we’ll have it. Happy now?”
My chest constricted at his words. A wedding, he said, as if it were a toy he could toss at me when I cried hard enough. As if five years of lies could be erased by empty promises. My smile faded. “Nothing. Never mind. Just go, Keith.”
I turned away, but his hand twitched at his side as though he wanted to strike me. My breath caught—then Cara’s voice sliced through the room.
“Keith!” She stood by the doorway, her eyes glittering with triumph. “We got approved for the cruise trip. We can leave tomorrow.” She clutched the paper like a prize, then turned to me, tilting her head with mock innocence.
“Oh, sorry, sister. We forgot about you. But then… you never liked cruises, right? Seasick and all that.” She giggled. “This is my birthday gift, after all. But maybe… maybe we could bring her along?”
“No.” Keith’s voice was sharp, final. He didn’t even look at me. “We don’t have room for her. She’ll stay here. And while you’re at it, Caroline, pack our things for tomorrow.”
His lips curved, but there was no kindness in the gesture. “We’ll buy you something special when we’re back.”
Cara smirked, her eyes locking with mine. “I hope not to see you again when we return.”
I forced a smile, though my chest ached. “Sure.”
She rolled her eyes as if my existence bored her. “You were never loved, Caroline. You know that, don’t you?”
The words cut, but I didn’t flinch. I had grown numb to the knife she wielded so effortlessly. Instead of answering, I bent down and began folding their clothes into the luggage, silent, mechanical, as if I were just another servant.
Before leaving, Keith ordered his men with a cold, clipped tone. “Make sure the house is guarded. She doesn’t leave. Take her cards. She won’t need them.”
I swallowed the humiliation as I handed over every card, watching my freedom disappear with them.
“And Caroline,” Martin’s voice followed as he walked in with Leon. They didn’t even look at me, only at the piles of documents spread across the table. “Make sure all the reports for the investors are ready when we’re back. You know what’s at stake. Don’t embarrass us.”
I nodded stiffly, my voice too brittle to form words. And then they all left—smiling, laughing, arm in arm. A perfect family, without me.
That was it—my role. Not a sister, not a wife, not a daughter. Just a tool to stand in front of investors, to carry the weight of Father’s name, because people trusted me for who raised me, not for who I was. The face they paraded when they needed credibility, the shield they hid behind whenever doubt arose.
But now… I would be gone.
And without me, their fragile empire would crumble.
The thought sent a bitter smile across my lips. They had used me, discarded me, betrayed me. If all I was to them was a mask, then I would tear that mask away. I would ruin them, the way they had ruined me.
When the last car engine faded, the house fell into silence. I stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by empty echoes, my chest hollow. Pulling out my phone, I typed quickly, my hands shaking.
Steven. I can’t leave. They’ve locked me down.
The message sent. But no reply came. Minutes bled into hours. My phone stayed silent.
Maybe he had forgotten. Maybe I was foolish for hoping.
By nightfall, I remained in my room, the air suffocating, the walls pressing close. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the window where the moonlight pooled in silver shadows. My body felt heavy, my heart heavier.
Then—footsteps. Heavy, deliberate.
My chest tightened. Not the guards—they never walked inside. Panic surged through me. I pushed to my feet, searching for anything to defend myself. The footsteps drew nearer, faster. I gripped the edge of a lamp, my pulse racing.
The door creaked open.
I ran.
I bolted through the hall, my bare feet slapping against the marble, breath tearing from my lungs. Shadows loomed on the walls. My mind screamed intruders. Danger. Capture.
A hand caught mine.
I screamed—until I heard his voice.
“There you go.” Steven’s smirk was sharp in the dim light, his grip steady as steel. “Ready?”
I froze, the relief so sudden it made me dizzy. “You—”
“No time.” He tugged me toward the back entrance. “Let’s go.”
I stumbled after him, my breath ragged, my heart pounding. His men moved like shadows, efficient, silent, clearing the way. Outside, a car waited, its engine humming softly.
Within minutes, we were in the air—Steven’s private jet slicing through the clouds.
I pressed my forehead against the window, the world below shrinking into patches of light. My chest ached, not from fear, but from something sharper—freedom.
Steven sat across from me, his eyes unreadable as he poured himself a drink. I fished my phone from my pocket. With trembling hands, I pulled out the SIM card and snapped it in half. I tossed it into the trash.
The sound of it breaking was small. But to me, it was everything.
