Chapter 103 A Stranger

Chapter 103 A Stranger
I needed to hide. 

I needed to disappear before the monster caught up to me. 

I needed to be anywhere but him.

In spur of the moment, I threw myself into the narrow gap behind the drapes of the storage room.

Pressing my back against the glass window. I clamped both hands tightly over my mouth, desperate to mute my breathing.

For a moment, I couldn’t believe this was the same man who protected me.

“Alyssa!” 

Vince's voice boomed. My heartbeats doubled at the call, too scared to move an inch.

“Stop running. You’re only making this harder on yourself.” He warned. My soul gave up on me with each step he took closer.

I squeezed my eyes shut, tears leaking through my fingers but I didn’t dare to alarm him.

Don't speak. Don't breathe.

“Alyssa,” His footsteps sounded closer, slow, dangerous and filled with a warning. 

“I know you're here. Answer me.”

I stayed frozen, the silence stretching, disturbing me by each passing second until—

The curtain was roughly pushed aside.

“Found you.” Vince smirked.

My body reacted instinctively.

“No… NO!” I screamed, thrashing as his large hands instantly locked around my forearms.

“Alyssa, don’t–”

“Get away from me!”

“Alyssa, listen–”

“I said leave me!!”

“Stop fighting me!” he commanded, his patience had died.

His grip turned to iron as he roughly dragged me out of the corner onto the open floor.

“Let me go! You monster, let me go!” My mind completely snapped.

The accumulated weight of the lies, the abuse from Ken, and the absolute betrayal crashed over me all at once. 

I fell to my knees, sobbing hysterically, screaming until my throat burned.

“HOW COULD YOU, VINCE?!... I HAVE LOVED YOU…” I glared at him in betrayal, the impact made him retreat a step.

“AND THIS IS HOW YOU RETURNED MY LOVE?!” I sobbed wretchedly. My panic caused his ruthless façade to shatter as well.

“Alyssa–”

"Why?! Why did you do this to me?! I loved you! I gave you everything!"

Vince dropped to his knees in front of me, grabbing my shoulders to force me to look at him, his face conflicted. 

“Alyssa, look at me! Listen to me!”

“No! Don't touch me! You ruined my life! You built my hell!” I shrieked, pulling my hair, completely lost in a full mental breakdown. 

“You never loved me! It was all a lie!”

"YES!" Vince suddenly roared back, his voice cracking, shaking me tightly. 

I froze. 

“Yes! My intentions were wrong! They were cruel! I admit it!”

I stared at him through blurred eyes, breathless, devastated, and absolutely fallen from grace. 

“You…. You wanted to destroy me.” I registered the words.

The pain was increasing each passing second.

“Worse,” he confessed in a harsh whisper, his jaw trembling.

“My original plan was to cage you. I wanted to lock you away in this house and hurt you day after day, entirely to make Arden pay.”

Disgusted, I slapped his hands away and crawled back, my back hitting the wall.

“You… you are a demon…” I choked out, revulsion twisting my features.

I couldn’t believe I considered this man my saviour.

“But… I lost…” Vince gulped, his hands holding my tears-stained face, his thumbs wiping my cascading tears. 

“I lost my own game, Alyssa. The more I lived with you, the more I watched your pure, unyielding loyalty to me... I started to lose myself… I couldn’t harm you…”

“You expect me to believe that?” I spat bitterly, shaking my head, rejecting his touch.

“I.. I have heard it… you accepted it as well. You lie… you manipulated me…”

“I am not playing now! Not as a tyrant at least…” he growled desperately, pressing his forehead against mine, his breathing becoming rough. 

“I am utterly consumed by you, Alyssa…”

"I don't even know who you are," I whispered, my voice breaking completely.

I collapsed into his chest, entirely defeated by the painful reality of the man holding me.

“At this point….” His hand pressed harder into my skin, “I don’t know who I am either….” 

“How do I believe that or any of your words now?” 

Refusing to believe in him now.

My life, my world had become a lie. 

I no longer knew what or who to trust anymore.

I sat huddled against the wall, my knees pulled tightly to my chest, my entire body shaking with an uncontrollable tremor. 

Vince took a slow, tentative step forward, his hands held up in a rare gesture of surrender. 

“Alyssa... please. You're hyperventilating. Just take a deep breath for me.”

“Don't come near me,” I sobbed, pulling my hair, my back pressed harder into the wood. 

“Stay back.”

“I’m staying back. See? I’m right here,” he whispered, his voice dropping into that smooth, gentle one that used to be my sanctuary. 

Now, it just made my stomach turn.

“You're freezing, sweetheart. Let me at least get you a blanket.”

“Don't call me that!” I shrieked, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“Don't use that voice on me! It's not real! None of it is real!”

“It is real,” Vince pleaded.

He sank completely to his knees, trying to level his height with mine. 

“You swore a lot of things, Vince,” I whispered bitterly, clutching my arms around myself. 

“You swore you'd protect me, that you would never let anyone hurt me again… And all the while, you were the one holding the leash.”

“I know. I know what I did is unforgivable. I’m not asking you to forgive me either, Alyssa.” He breathed out slowly, regaining his cold composure.

“I’m just asking you to let me help you calm down. You’re going to make yourself sick.”

He reached out, his long fingers carefully extending toward my trembling hand. 

“No! Touch me and I'll scream!” I gasped, wrenching my hand away and tucking myself into an even smaller ball.

“I don't believe you. I will never believe a single word that comes out of your mouth again.”

"Alyssa..." His voice broke, his hand hovering in the empty air between us, completely shattered by the sheer intimidation radiating from my eyes. 

“When have I ever hurt you? You're looking at me like I'm going to hurt you.”

"Aren't you? Now?" I asked, my voice dropping into a hollow, dead whisper. 

“You spent a year meticulously planning my destruction just to break my first love's heart.” I cried, roughly wiping the tears with the back of my hand.

“How do I know this isn't just another chapter of your script?”

To my painful question, a deadly silence came between us. Tears rolling down my cheek non-stop.

After a while, Vince slowly breathed out, “Who knows?” 

I shivered badly. Vince stood up gradually, holding his head high.

“Maybe this is my method of revenge against the man who ruined my life.”

“R-Revenge….?” I stammered, the fear reviving again.

“What else could it be?” A vile smirk came to his lips.

“You truly didn’t feel anything…. Is everything a lie? Do I mean… nothing?”

“Yes.” He enunciated, completely shattering my heart and the pride I had in our marriage. 

“You mean nothing.”