VIONNE'S POV
...WEEKS LATER ....
I sat on my small bed, in my small space. A dream about him had me waking up with a grin.
I said small space because I'd gotten myself this tiny apartment after my dad took the house I was living in.
I couldn't stay with Maddie. She welcomed me, sure-but she had her boyfriend living there too. I disagreed.
These past few weeks, I cried myself to sleep every day, knowing I'd lost everything. Family. Houses. Good clothes. Jewellery. My job. Money to Nora.
Any good thing you can think of. Gone.
The PJ Mask I'm wearing now and the few clothes I have left-I bought those during my last shopping trip.
I tried finding a job, but no company would hire me. I know my family had a hand in that.
It's obvious my dad had forgotten I used to be the backbone of all his companies. They really wanted my life to be miserable. And guess what? It's working.
Last night, before bed, I made sure to take my mind off them and focus on me. Indeed, I was starting life from square ZERO.
Thinking of that made my eyes sting and my heart ache. The question was: where do I even start?
It was early morning. Sunlight poured through my small window, casting a soft glow.
My stomach rumbled. Hunger had been a constant companion these past few weeks. Those worms in my guts had no idea my pocket change would vanish in a blink.
Still, through all my ups and downs, there was one person who made me feel hopeful.
And you know what? It was him. The elegant, aged, handsome god I'd been with at the club.
Gosh... that dream had been too good.
I hated that I couldn't get him out of my head. I mean... he was old enough to be my father, right?
A sharp ping from my phone sliced through my thoughts, dragging me back to reality.
"The fuck... who's that?" I muttered, slipping off the bed to grab my phone from the nightstand.
My stomach tightened when I saw whose name was on the screen.
It was a text message. I read through it
"'Hello, sister, I just got a delivery man to come give you an envelope. Congratulations to me, and you are invited to my wedding. Hope to see you there. Don't be a stranger. XOXO.
"Fuck you, Nora! Fuck all of you!" I cursed, anger shaking my entire body. I almost threw my phone across the room.
How the hell? Does she know my address?
I fell back onto the bed, my fist gripping my hair as though it could stop the boiling rage inside me.
Wedding? What the hell? They had already planned that.
Did I even have a proper dress for a wedding I was being invited to? Definitely to mock me. I boiled.
"You must be out of your mind, Nora. Honestly, you need to go to rehab," I muttered, fingers already flying across my phone keyboard.
Then... a small, sharp knock on my wooden door made me freeze mid-typing.
My heart skipped. My eyes darted toward the door. My neighbourhood was rough, sketchy. There was no security. I could literally get killed here. This wasn't the life I planned for myself.
That might be the delivery man Nora sent, I thought, carefully standing from the bed.
I took a deep breath and opened the door.
My eyes locked with a strange man in uniform. I exhaled slowly. At least he didn't look like a threat.
"Good morning, Miss. You've got a package," he said.
I rolled my eyes at him, confused. I wasn't expecting anything.
"This is a little note. Reading it might help," he added, reaching for his shirt pocket and slipping out a beautifully designed envelope.
I watched his every movement. He looked... suspicious. Or maybe I was just paranoid.
I brought the note closer to my face. 'My eyes scan properly,' it read.
'Sender: Anonymous. However, you just have to follow all the instructions in this envelope.'
My breath caught. Heat crept to my neck, and the envelope trembled in my fingers.
This wasn't from Nora. Definitely not.
"Are you okay?" the man asked, eyes flashing with surprise at my sudden mood shift.
I stepped back instinctively. "I'm supposed to be asking you that, dude! What game are you playing?" I screeched. Fear coursed through me.
He looked confused. Maybe he was pretending.
"Who... sent you? Anonymous?"
"I'm really sorry. It's a gift. The client didn't want to deliver it personally," he explained, then showed me an ID from his pocket. "I mean no harm. This is DAMI Logistics."
I squinted. Okay... employer. Legit. Trusted. I'd used them before.
"Oh my God," I whispered, a mix of relief and lingering anxiety.
I huffed roughly, trying to stay calm, though a flicker of fear lingered in my chest.
I scanned him from head to toe. "Alright... but I don't think I've ever seen their drivers wear this uniform," I said, skeptical.
"It's new, miss," he said softly, smiling. Polite... but still intimidating.
"I'm sorry for the trouble, and thanks for the package," I said, taking it from him.
"You're welcome. Have a good day," he replied, then disappeared.
"That's a gentleman right there," I muttered. "A lot of good men... and I married a cheater. A nicompo."
I shut the door and stumbled into my room, tossing the package onto the bed.
My eyes blurred. I staggered, trying not to collapse.
"What the hell is still messing with me?" I whispered, rubbing my temples.
Hunger gnawed at me.
But I needed to see what was inside.
I hesitated, scared yet curious.
My morning routine had to wait.
What if it's a bomb? Trusted company or not, anything was possible.
I climbed onto the bed and started unboxing the package.
Inside was a box from Louis Vuitton.
I froze. "What... this is getting more terrifying," I muttered.
Could this really be Nora? Mocking me again with fake designer goods?
My fingers continued unwrapping.
It was real.
Not a trick.
Guess what I found?
"Unbelievable... who the hell sent this?" I exclaimed, genuinely confused and scared.
My family couldn't have sent it. Impossible.
It wasn't Maddie-she literally couldn't afford this.
Then... who?
