Chapter 62: Chapter Sixty-two

Here we go again. When will this suffering end? What did I do to deserve this? What did I do for you to cause me so much pain? All I ever did was love you until my heart hurt. Was it a crime to love you?

“Rebecca Montgomery!”

Felix, the Montgomery’s butler trailed behind me, each step I took filled with purpose into the lion’s den. Every time I took a step, I could the anger rushing through my veins all directed at the woman whom I still haven’t caught sight of. Is she even here? I wouldn’t mind causing a scene at her office where everyone could see.

They deserve to know what kind of monstrosity lives within their employer.

“M-Miss Maxwell, please wait in the living room! She’s still in her room doing something very important—”

“Drag her ass down here and make her stand in front of me right now or I won’t hesitate to do so myself!” I roared, finger pointing upstairs. Felix’s spine went straight as he nodded stiffly, scrambling up the stairs to call for his boss. The staff of the household were now peeking out of their stationed rooms, curious as to what was going on.

Good! More eyes to see and ears to hear about what Rebecca Montgomery has done. This snake has been hiding under our noses for so long—

“Rachel?”

Body gone still at the sound of his voice, I turned my head in the direction of Chad to see a worried expression on his face. Seeing that in his face, it made my heart ache. “Rachel, what are you doing here? Is there something wrong?”

How could I forget that he’s here as well? Fuck, there’s no turning back now…

Holding up the envelope containing all the dirt of Rebecca Montgomery, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Chad, explain this… to me. Explain why your mother hates me and my family so much!”

He frowned hard as he went down the stairs. “What are you talking about, Rachel? I-I don’t understand why you’re acting this way—my mother doesn’t hate you. In fact, she wants you to be part of the family!”

“Part of the family? Is that what she wants?” Pulling out one of the photos, I almost threw it at his face in anger once he was almost near me. “Does this look like she wants me to be part of the family to you? Are you kidding me?!”

Taking the photo from me, Chad scanned it with his own two eyes. I didn’t want Chad to be hurt nor angry towards his mother. I didn’t want this to happen at all. Only wanted everyone to be happy. To love one another. But that seems like a dream that is too hard to achieve. And those who try to achieve their dreams don’t know that there are individuals who are sabotaging it without their knowledge.

“Chad… please explain it to me.” I cleared my throat, wincing at the sound of my croaking voice. “Why would your mother try and hurt my family? What did we do wrong? Did we try to hurt you?”

He couldn’t seem to follow where our conversation was heading. “I-I don’t understand you, Rachel… we didn’t try and hurt you. Mother and I—”

“Yes, we did try to exterminate the Maxwells.”

I wouldn’t have minded it before but now I realized that just by hearing Rebecca’s voice; my head would start to ache. Telling me to stir clear from her. If only I did that from the start… this wouldn’t be happening right now.

“You sneaky bitch!” I rushed for the stairs, hoping to reach her in time when bodyguards suddenly appeared out of nowhere. However, when I spotted Felix behind them, I wasn’t surprised. Of course he’ll call security to protect that woman… this is harder than I thought it’ll be. Maybe I should’ve called the police to accompany me first.

“Let her go, you insects.” Chad hissed, pulling the bodyguards’ hands away from me. “Do you know who you’re trying to—”

“Chad, stop doing that!” Rebecca roared from the top of the stairs. Her glare focused on her rebelling son. “Just accept the fact that the Maxwells are going down and that the Montgomerys shall rise! I’ve had enough of trying to please her mother and that snotty family of theirs. It’s time to put an end of their reign over this city!”

“Are you mad?!” This woman must have gone crazy; it’s evident in those eyes of hers. “What the hell are you talking about—we never reigned over you and we never even planned to! What made you think we wanted to rule this city—we would’ve been politicians if that’s what we wanted!”

What on earth made her think that me and my family were controlling Cleveland? Has she gone crazy?

Chad successfully pulled me from the bodyguards’ hands, shielding me behind him. “Chad… why are you doing this?” I questioned him. “You’re supposed to be the bad guy. Your mother killed my father!”

“My mother didn’t kill your father, Rachel—”

“Lies!”

“It’s true!” he cried out. “Yes, she did all the harassment and kidnapping your brother—but she never killed your father! I did my best to keep her out of trouble and you can see I failed to do so a couple of times. However, I succeeded in interfering with her when she was plotting to—she didn’t kill him!”

Everything is a mess. The bodyguards wanting to get close and grab me from behind go bring me out yet they couldn’t. Because Chad is here.

Because Chad is here.

Those four words echoed in my mind that I went still. Memories of Chad protecting me and supporting me. In my opinion, he is better than Nathan and that will never change. However, to know that his mother was plotting behind our backs, just waiting for the right time to strike is unsettling. I mean, the woman—if I ever do get married with Chad—is supposed to be my mother-in-law.

Glancing up at the blond man still shielding me behind his back, I couldn’t help but start to tear up. Was everything just a lie from the start? Going back to our first meeting and how it was between us before we even became friends, he was trying to push me away from the beginning yet as time progressed… he fell.

Wait, does that mean that Chad—

“Stop trying to twist the truth, my boy!” Rebecca laughed. “We both know what killed Damon Maxwell—”

“Shut up! Don’t repeat what abomination you did to my father!” I hissed at her. “If you have dignity left in you, you’d go to the police and admit the crimes you have done to me. To my family.”

She then placed her hand under her chin, feigning to be deep in thought. “Really? Well, I do have dignity left in me…” A wicked smile then spread across her lips. “But there’s no way in hell I’m going to do that! I worked hard to climb on top and I’m not going to let you or anyone ruin that for me. Not even my own son!”

Turning to the bodyguards, she yelled at them. “Why are you buffoons just standing there? Separate those two and bring the girl into the van outside. As for my son… he has no use to me anymore.”

Hearing those orders, the bodyguards quickly reacted. They pulled Chad away from me, almost getting a punch in the face before they knocked Chad out. “Chad!” Eyes wide, I was about to reach for him but failed. His limp body was taken away. Horrified at the turn of events, I gritted my teeth.

This woman! How could she ask her men to knock her own son out? Is she even like a mother at all?

Seeing that Rebecca Montgomery heading down the stairs to join us, I hissed. Struggling with my captors, I thrashed all the way outside. The cold winter air brushing past against us. I started to scream for help, hoping it would attract attention.

“There’s no use doing that, Rachel.” Rebecca chuckled. “No one’s here to save you.”

The next thing I knew, one of the bodyguards covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief. It was dozed with something that made me lightheaded. W-what is this? My surroundings were a blur and I started to panic as my eyes were about to shut.

Somebody… save me—

***

“Hey…”

Groaning, I squinted hard at the light shining above me. Feeling tired and sleepy, I was about to go back to being unconscious when something knocked me in the head. Hard enough to stir me awake and bruise me. As if I was doused with cold water in the morning, I shot up straight only to be held back.

What…

Looking down, I frowned at the ropes tied around me. Binding me to the chair I was currently sitting on. Eyes wide, I glanced up and scanned my surroundings out of sudden realization.

Shit! Where am I? How could I forget—Something at my right sudden moved, cutting off my thoughts and all my attention turned towards it. It was Rebecca Montgomery. A satisfied look in that smug face of hers. The urge to punch her bubbled within me. If only these restraints weren’t holding me back… I’d slap a bitch!

“Let me go.”

Rebecca laughed. “Ha! As if I would do that, do you think I’m stupid? Why would I let you go just because you’re glaring at me? Did you actually think I’m going to allow Chad to marry you? Oh Rachel… there’s no way I’m going to let that happen.”

I frowned hard at what she said. Wait, she didn't support us? I thought that she did all this time… “What do you mean? Wouldn’t it benefit Chad and you if we were married? I thought you wanted Chad to woo me into giving you money—”

“That was the plan.” she admitted. “But once Chad is married, I can’t get more money. Your father was onto us. He knew from the start—you fools didn’t believe him even when he died. Helen? She’s completely fooled by me and she doesn’t even know that! Seriously, how dumb is your family—”

“My mother is not foolish! She was fooled because of you! You lying snake!” Tears started rolling down my cheeks in anger. “You fooled us all! I can’t believe… you’ve been lying—pretending right in front of us! Mom trusted you! Hearing that you did this, I can’t forgive you!”

“Then don’t!” Her eyes were wide, challenging me with a fierce stare. “Don’t forgive me. I don’t care at all! I’d rather see my son with different girls, dry their bank accounts than see him married to you. My god… the only reason why Chad has to win you over was for money—yet it backfired! Honestly, I was so shocked when I found out he wanted to marry you for real.”

“Don’t worry.” I smiled bitterly. “I don’t think I’ll even marry into your family after what I have seen and known today. I don’t even think I’ll be able to sleep thinking I share the same family name with the woman who killed my father.”

As much as I enjoyed the face Rebecca Montgomery made, I couldn’t stop the pain growing in my heart because of what I just said. Chad obviously is torn between saving me or his mother. I think I know who he’ll choose in the end so there’s no need for me to get my hopes up too high.

“That’s too bad. I really liked you from the beginning… well, just because you have money. Even now as the head of your family’s business, you are still a disappointment. What do you think your father is trying to tell you up there?” Rebecca chuckled lowly like the evil woman she is. “I think he’s telling you to stop trying and just kill yourself for being such a huge—”

“Stop it!”

My reaction made her laughter grow louder. Enjoying my pain so much. “What’s the matter? Why are you crying when you got what you wanted?”

“I didn’t want any of this to happen at all! You’re the evil one here, not me!”

“Then you shouldn’t have fallen for my son and stayed away!” She countered back loudly. “Every day, I see that stupid smile on his face and I was stupid to think it was because he got another woman. But no, he stayed with you. He even told me he loves you—that’s just another made up dream he’s trapped in! Asking him to swindle you was a mistake. I’ll make him see that falling for you was a wrong move he made. Soon, he’ll wake up from that dream and when he does, don’t bother talking to him ever again!”

Sadness then washed over her face. “I’m only trying to protect my son from every rich snobby man on earth that would dare try to hurt him. Even his father is already in doubt if he made the right decision on giving the company to Chad. I can’t let him fail now. Chad can’t fail. He should be on top, bring glory to the Montgomery name! I’m just doing this for his future. I’m his mother after all. For Chad’s sake!”

I swallowed visibly as she took the gun which was handed to her by one of her bodyguards. Aiming it at my head, she grinned manically. “Now… you’ll die silently and no one will even know you’re in danger until they see your frozen body dumped in an ice cold lake! I have to thank you for your stupidity! Without it, my plans of kidnapping and killing you wouldn’t come true. Once I kill you and your annoying family, we will dominate over Cleveland like your father should’ve done in the first place!”

A surprised gasp escaped my lips as I was being untied only to be hoisted up by her bodyguard. Carrying me on his shoulder as he followed his boss wherever she was going. My hands are still bound. My heartbeat began to race. Every second that passed seemed painful.

What are they going to do to me? Are they really going to kill me? What’s going to happen once I’m gone?

Mom. Harvey. Francine. Patton. The company. Chad… what’s going to happen to them when I disappear from this world?

I squinted hard when a door was opened, harsh cold winds hitting us. Why are we going outside? Where are we even? Snow fell on top of us as they continued to walk to wherever Rebecca was going. Based on what I’ve observed, we’re probably at the end of town. So that’s why she felt confident in killing me here… thinking as if no one would know I’m gone.

Stupid… I’m Rachel Maxwell. People will be looking for me. I just know it!

“Remove her clothes.”

W-what?

Panicking, I struggled to free myself even as the man brought me down. The pocketknife in his hand made me imagine blood and gore. Breathing heavy, I thrashed around. “No! Let me go! Don’t do this! Fucking let me go!”

The next thing I knew, the blade made contact with my clothes, ripping them open. Humiliated, huge tears rolled down my cheeks as the bodyguard undressed me saved for my underwear.

“I want you to die bearing humiliation, my dear.” Rebecca stated. “And turn bluer than a blueberry.”

I groaned as she pushed me to the ground only to shoot up when the snow made contact with my bare skin. Pain kissed every part that touched the snow. “No! Let me go! I don’t want this—please have mercy!” I was continuously pushed down to meet the ground, the algid atmosphere causing me to shiver nonstop.

Rebecca’s laughter rang in my ears as I hugged myself, hoping someone might come rescue me—but I fear no one will. Shaking violently, I reached for my clothes that Rebecca reached out for me to take only to pull them away once I was close to grabbing it. The game was enjoyable to her. However, she stopped short and pushed me with her foot.

“No more games or dallying, I’ll kill you now!” She aimed the gun she was holding back at the building on my head. A sick expression on her face. “I’ll really kill you now, Rachel. To end my son’s suffering. To end everything. The Maxwell empire will fall in my hands!”

“L-like I… told you. T-there’s no e-empire.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re just d-delusional!”

She smirked. “Maybe. But I won’t die like one.”

“Mother!”

Rebecca couldn’t believe who was standing behind me but I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

“Chad!”