My own hand rose before I could stop myself. Smack.
The sound echoed through the hall. Lillian’s eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her cheek. “You… you dare to hit me?”
“Yes,” I hissed, my voice trembling with rage and years of swallowed silence.
Her expression warped into fury. She yanked at my hair, dragging me toward the stairs. “You ungrateful brat! Hurting your stepmother? You need an earful!”
“Let me go!” I clawed at her grip, but she dragged me into the room and slammed the door shut. The next moment, her palm met my face again. And again. Over and over until my skin burned and my ears rang.
“Stop this!” I screamed, my tears hot and useless. “If you don’t stop, Father will know! He’ll—”
She leaned close, her breath venomous. “And what then? Will you risk his health? You know he’s weak, sickly. Do you want to give him stress? Do you want his death on your conscience?”
The blows didn’t stop. One. Two. A hundred. My whole face throbbed, my knees buckling, but I bit my lip until I tasted blood.
The door creaked. Leandro. He stood there, watching.
Relief flickered for a second—until his lips curled into a smirk. “I think you deserve that,” he said coldly. “For being a bitch to your stepsister.”
And then he left.
Another slap landed. My chest caved in, not from the pain but from the weight of betrayal.
It was Father’s voice that finally stopped it. “What the hell is happening here?”
The door swung wider, and he stood there, his face red with shock and anger.
“She defied me!” Lillian cried instantly, gripping her cheek as if she had been the victim. “Your daughter slapped me!”
Father turned his gaze on me, stern and disappointed. “Victoria. Is this true? I never taught you this.”
I shook my head, desperate. “No! She was throwing Mother’s painting away. I was only protecting it—”
Father’s face hardened. “That was my decision. I don’t want reminders of the dead cluttering this house. You should have listened.”
My breath caught. His decision? No, this wasn’t him. This was her poison working its way through him.
“Apologize to your stepmother,” he ordered.
The world tilted. My pride screamed. But his eyes left no room for refusal. My jaw clenched until it ached, but I forced the word out. “Sorry.”
Lillian’s lips curled in triumph.
When they left, I collapsed onto the floor, pressing trembling hands against my bruised cheeks. Silent tears spilled down my face. For a moment, despair almost crushed me.
But then—clarity.
Not this time.
I would not waste this second chance. I would not let them kill me again. I would survive. Change everything. There were only days until the wedding. Still days to rewrite my fate.
That night, I began moving my funds. Everything that was legally mine, I transferred into an account Lillian could never touch, no matter what happened to Father. No matter how they tried to frame me.
And then I went to him.
“Father,” I whispered into his study. He looked tired, weaker than I remembered.
“Victoria? What is it?”
I took a deep breath. “Please… don’t drink what Lillian gives you. Don’t sign anything over to her. I know you won’t believe me, but she’s been hurting me. And I know you won’t protect me. But if you love me, just… don’t let her destroy you.”
Confusion clouded his gaze. “Victoria—”
I didn’t wait. I turned and left. Because I knew he wouldn’t believe me. Not yet.
But maybe, just maybe, a seed of doubt would take root.
By morning, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.
Leandro.
“Where are you?” His voice was sharp. “Why didn’t you come home? What are you playing at?”
My chest tightened, but I forced myself to walk into the living room. The television was still on, muted, the blue glow casting harsh shadows across the walls. I grabbed the remote, turned the volume up, and there it was—my face.
“Victoria Hale: Two Birds, One Stone? Two-Timer Heiress Can’t Let Go of Old Flame.”
My pulse pounded as the anchor’s voice dripped with feigned sympathy and scandalous delight.
“Just days before her grand wedding with Leandro Monteverde,” the woman said smoothly, “Victoria Hale has been spotted with none other than Brendon Urie, heir to the Urie fortune. Sources claim the two shared an intimate dinner, sparking rumors that Victoria may be stringing both men along. Is this the biggest society betrayal of the year?”
My hands trembled so violently I almost dropped the remote.
I clenched my teeth. “It’s not true.”
“Then come home. Now.”
Reluctantly, I did.
The moment I stepped inside, another slap greeted me.
Lillian’s hand. Again.
But this time, Father’s hand caught her wrist midair. “Enough! We can’t solve this with violence.”
Lillian huffed, but obeyed, hiding her smirk behind downcast eyes.
“What’s happening here?” Father demanded.
“It’s not me!” I cried. “I don’t know who’s spreading this rumor, but I’ve done nothing wrong. Maybe someone is trying to ruin this wedding.”
“This is why you’re unfit for the Urie family,” Lillian said sweetly. “It should have been Abby marrying him, not you.”
Father stilled. Then, slowly, he nodded. “Maybe that’s not a bad idea.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Abby marrying Leandro. It would solve everything. The scandal would disappear. And if you admit you have feelings for Brendon, we can still merge with him instead. Hitting two birds in one stone, after all, Brendon is also an heir.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. He was serious.
Abby shook her head quickly, wringing her hands. “No, Father… I can’t. They’re in love. I don’t want to ruin their happiness. I would never want Victoria to hate me because I will be marrying Leandro.”
Fake. All fake.
But Father cut her off. “No. That’s final. Abby will marry Leandro. It’s settled. I’ll talk to his parents and they’ll surely agree after this scandal.”
My lips parted. For once, I didn’t argue. I didn’t need to. Because for the first time, I actually liked the idea.
Let Abby have him. Let her rot in the hell I had barely escaped.
That night, I sent a message to Brendon.
You didn’t believe him, did you?
Brendon’s reply came instantly. Of course I didn’t. Since you no longer have a wedding with him… I’ll see you soon.
I hesitated, then typed again.
Can you do me another favor? Help me fake my death.
