I slump into my chair, exhaustion weighing down my limbs like lead. The face of the man who attacked me in my past life remains elusive, hidden in the complex databases I have scoured for the past two days.
I was so sure he had prior offences that he must have been arrested before, but every search ends in frustration. My eyes burn from staring at the screen, and my head throbs in extensive pain.
I also set up traps to bait Sunny so I could hack into her phone. It was a desperate move and I wasn't even certain it would work. So far, it hadn't, but I wouldn't give up easily.
As I shut down my laptop, my phone rings. The number is unfamiliar, but I know who it is. My father and mother have been relentless, changing numbers to bypass my blocks. Without hesitation, I block the number and toss the phone into my bag.
I pack away my laptop and rise, my muscles protesting. Passing the lounge, I see Levi sprawled on the couch, his feet dangling over the armrest. He is too tall for the furniture. The sight brings a fleeting smile to my lips. I tap his leg gently and say, "Go to bed, Levi."
He hums in agreement, barely stirring. I know he might sleep there all night so I cover him with a blanket before I leave the office. The coffee shop downstairs is closing, and Kirk spots me as soon as I reach the bottom of the stairs. "Lene, let's go together," he says, turning to his employees. "Lock up for me."
He rushes to his back office to grab his laptop bag and keys. He caught up with me as we head out. This wasn't the first time he had given me a ride home. In my past life, he used to offer me a ride, and we would go together. "Heading home?" I ask.
"Yeah," he replies, adjusting the strap of his bag. "Let me drop you off. It's on my way."
I nod, grateful. "Why would I refuse a free ride?"
Kirk laughs, opening the car door for me. "My lady," he says with a mock bow.
I chuckle, playing along. "Aww, what a sweet young man." As I slide into the car, I notice the black SUV that's been lurking around. The window rolls down slightly, and I see a camera lens sticking out of the window.
I decided to give them a show, pouting my lips and blowing a kiss at the camera before Kirk closed the door. He smiles, amused by my antics. I would love to see Lina's expression when she sees the picture.
The drive to my apartment is cheerful with me singing along to the music, the city lights blurring past. Having died once, I find myself appreciating the smallest things in life. When we arrive, Kirk gets out of the car. Leaning against it he waits for me to enter the building. "Message me when you are inside," he says.
I wave at him. "Thanks, Kirk," before entering inside. I take the elevator up, already fiddling with my phone writing the message I need to send to him. But as I step out, I almost trip over a box in the hall. My heart skips a beat when I see the plant inside. These are my things. Boxes are scattered everywhere, all of them mine.
I rush into the open apartment door and find my father directing a group of men. "Move her things," he orders.
Rage floods my veins, making my body tremble. Suddenly, a sharp pain explodes across my face. My mother stands before me, her hand still raised from the slap.
"You are a married woman," she yells, her voice shaking with anger. "You should be home with your husband, not out at night running around with another man."
I clutch my burning cheek, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. The air is thick with tension, and I can feel my blood boiling. My fists clench, veins throbbing with barely contained rage.
I want to strike back, to make them feel the pain they have caused me, but I restrain myself. I know exactly why they are here without needing to ask.
When I got this apartment, my parents put up the down payment, a loan I have been diligently paying back. Everyone else thinks I was gifted this place, like some spoiled child from a wealthy family.
But I wasn't. This apartment was from my hard-earned work. And now, they are using it against me because I dared to annul my marriage with Roan, ruining their precious plans.
My lips curl into a sinister smile, making my mother and father visibly uncomfortable. I was going to leave them alone, but now that they have done this, I am going to make them pay. My phone vibrates, and I pick it up. It's Kirk. He was probably worried because I hadn't written him a message letting him know that I was safe in my apartment.
"Are you okay?" he asks, concern lacing his voice.
"I am fine," I say, my eyes never leaving my parents. "I just need to hire a last-minute moving van."
"What happened?" Kirk's voice comes through the phone urgently.
"I am getting kicked out," I reply, my tone cold and detached. "I need help to move out."
I end the call and walk past them, my father's hand shooting out to grab my arm. I dodge, and his grip misses. I can hear him shouting profanities as I close the door behind me and lock it.
I place my hands on my waist and let out a laugh, dark and bitter. It's unbelievable. They think they can use this to make me comply, but their plan will fail. I will no longer be their puppet.
I pull out my suitcases and begin packing my clothes, my movements sharp and deliberate. The door handle to my bedroom turns, but the door is locked. I hear my mother's voice coming through the door, but I ignore it.
"Selene, open the door, you child. You are so selfish. Why can't you just obediently stay as Roan's wife... huh?"
Her words are like nails on a chalkboard, grating and relentless. Then, my father takes her place. It's as though they're playing good cop, bad cop. His voice is soft, almost coaxing.
"Selene, let's talk about it. Let's talk like adults and figure this out. You can keep the apartment."
I don't hear the rest of it. I put on my wireless earphones and continue packing, drowning out their voices. For now, I will retreat, but I will most certainly get back what is mine.
After an hour my phone buzzes with a message from Kirk, telling me he has rented a truck. Relief washes over me. I call the building manager and ask for help to move my stuff. She likes me and can't fathom why I am leaving, but she promises to bring people up to help carry my things to the truck downstairs.
The entire time, I don't come out of the bedroom. I continue packing, methodically folding and stacking my clothes. I can hear my parents outside, their voices rising in confusion and anger as they question the people taking the boxes away. My mother's voice suddenly turns hysterical and my hands pause.
"What are you doing?!" my mother yells. "Who are you? Do you know she is a married woman?!"
"Get out, leave," my father commands.
I know who they are talking to. Kirk must have come upstairs only to walk into the centre of the storm. I immediately unlock the door and rush towards them.
My father is right in front of Kirk's face, calling him all sorts of names, trying to start something. I get in between them and yell, "Just stop! No matter how much trouble you start or how many things you take from me, I will annul that marriage!" My chest rises and falls with rage, my eyes bloodshot, almost dripping red.
My father's face contorts with anger. "Move everything out today," he spits before pulling my mother along and leaving.
My body trembles like a leaf, my mind drifting into a dark place. Memories flood back of being so lonely in the mansion, running off to find my parents, who never visited or called unless it was to pressure me to have children with Roan.
I remember arriving at their house and finding them with guests. My mother was angry that I was there, but as soon as one of her guests entered the kitchen and asked which daughter I was, she changed her face, smiling brightly and parading my identity as Roan's wife like it was a trophy. She didn't care about me as a person, only the benefits I could bring them.
I was forced to stay and entertain the guests, my mother leading the conversation to talk about the Kingsley family. As soon as the guests left, Leon, the butler, arrived with the driver. My father had the exact same look in his eyes as he has now and said, "You need to upgrade your security. You can't have her running around. What if something happens?"
My heart snapped in two right then and there. I was just an accessory to them, nothing more. A warm hand on my shoulder brings me back from the dark abyss. Kirk asks, "Selene... Are you okay?"
I nod and put on a forced smile. "I am really sorry to trouble you."
Kirk shakes his head. "It's no trouble."
Sammy
I storm out of the building, my heels clicking furiously against the pavement, my anger radiating off me in waves. Curt follows closely behind, his footsteps hurried and anxious. He rushes to open the car door for me, but I shove him away, my fists pounding against his chest.
"This is all your fault!" I scream, my voice echoing in the still night. I get into the car and slam the door shut with a force that makes the entire vehicle shudder. Curt walks around the car, his shoulders slumped, and slides into the driver's seat.
My tirade continues, my words sharp and venomous. "It's your fault for lying down with that bitch and bringing this abomination into our house. Haven't I been accepting of that hoe's child, huh? I raised her as my own only for her to be a white-eyed wolf."
Curt remains silent, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turn white. The tension in the car is suffocating a thick, oppressive presence. My anger is a living thing, thrashing and wild. I push and shove him again, my fury unabated.
"Useless, useless, useless bastard!" I yell, my voice breaking with the intensity of my emotions. "I should have listened to my father back then and not married you."
Curt's jaw tightens, but he says nothing. He starts the car, and we speed off into the night, the engine's roar a counterpoint to the storm of emotions inside the vehicle.
The city lights blur past, but the silence between us is deafening, filled with unspoken accusations and years of resentment.
Roan
My back hurts having been sitting in this chair for a very long time. My office was right on the top floor of Lynx Corp, overlooking the sprawling city. The sun has long since dipped below the horizon, and the city lights twinkle like a sea of stars.
I tug at my collar, leaning back in my chair, exhausted. I could have gone home hours ago, but what is there to go home to? I should have been on my honeymoon with Sunny by now, but everything went downhill, and instead, I am married to a woman I hold no affection for.
I pull out the pendant around my neck, staring at it absentmindedly. My mind drifts back to that rainy night, lost in the forest. I was seven years old, hugging my knees, my bruised knee throbbing, cold and alone. She came running, calling me.
Back then she called me Bony because she said I was skinny. We hadn't even known each other for a day, but she came to find me. She gave me the pendant and said I wouldn't be scared anymore. She told me I could cry on her shoulder if I wanted to.
As I am lost in these memories, the door to my office is pushed open. My mother walks in, her heels clanking on the floor with each step. She tosses a pile of pictures onto my desk, her face twisted in anger.
"Look what that bitch is doing," she snaps. "She knows I am watching and she is taunting me."
I push the pictures aside without even looking at them. "Mum, didn't I tell you to stop sending people to follow her? In a hundred days, the marriage will be annulled."
My mother sneers, her eyes cold. "She still carries the Kingsley name. If they print this in the press, we will lose more face. How she managed to be in your room that night still baffles me. She is a cunning fox."
I sigh, rubbing my temples. The weight of everything presses down on me, and I feel a headache coming on. "Mum, just let it go. It's almost over."
But I know she won't. My mother is relentless and never lets shit go. The city lights outside blur as I close my eyes, wishing for a moment of peace that never seems to come.