Chapter 2

Time stopped.

From my peripheral vision, I caught the shock that was expressed on everyone’s faces as they watched me.

“How dare you?” The stranger barked, his hand coming down to hit me. I fell to the floor, crumbling at his feet.

“I am so sorry, Donovan. Please…”

He cut my father off. “You will pay for this!”

I remained on the floor, curled into myself and I didn't move even when I heard the door slam close.

“This is it, Thomas! I told you she's always wanted our ruin.” Miranda, my stepmother screeched. “How are we going to pay our debts? We are going to lose the house!”

“Let me think!” My father said pacing around.

Slowly, I got up, wiping my mouth as I made my way upstairs. At the top of the stairs, my sister snickered, watching me with irritated eyes.

“You know you can't get out of this right?”

I ignored her but Brittany was stubborn, she followed me.

“This is your only chance at making something out of yourself. He is the owner of a chain of hotels and bars, he might be old but at least you'll be rich.”

“Then marry him yourself!” I spat.

She smirked—the corner of her mouth curling upward in vile humor. “Why should I? Have you seen the fat bastard? If he dares look at me twice, Daddy will rip out his eyes.“ She shrugged. “I don't have to deal with perverts like him, much less marry him, but you? That's your duty, that's why you are in this house.”

With one last scalding laugh, she walked away, swaying her hips and flipping her blond hair over her shoulder.

I stepped into my room with the awareness that Brittany was right. I was three when my mother had walked out on her marriage with my father and left me with him.

She'd coped with his gambling and drinking habit but what she couldn't tolerate was him cheating. Shortly after my mother left, Miranda moved in with her daughter who was just two years younger than I was and that was when it all began.

My father hated me because I was a reminder of the woman who'd left him and Miranda hated me just because she could.

In the darkness of my room, I found my way to the bathroom and got under the shower where I simply stood under and let the scalding water fall over my skin.

Tears poured down my face and all I could think about was how much longer I had to bear all of these. I was quiet and introverted, the only people I ever felt comfortable with were Sarah and Luke, and now even Luke was gone.

I'd always given my all to Luke, to my family but I had nothing to show for it and I was sick to my stomach from being disappointed constantly.

I peeled the clothes off my body, letting out a sarcastic laugh at myself for even thinking for a split second that Luke could have proposed to me tonight. Why was I so foolish? Luke was perfect, from a perfect family who adored him and expected perfection from him. Why would he soil his history by marrying me?

He had probably seen me as someone to have his fun with and when it was time to commit, he got with someone like him; a pretty, rich woman from an equally wealthy family.

I wrapped my body and hair in two separate towels and stepped back into my room, stopping when I saw Miranda going through my things. She turned around to look at me, folding her arms across her chest.

“Your father has spoken to Donovan. He explained things to him and he’s willing to go ahead with the marriage.”

I stared at her directly. “I won't marry him.”

She was momentarily taken aback because I'd never spoken to her with that tone before or ever argued about anything with her. Miranda made the decisions in the house, my father simply went along with it because he couldn't be bothered to think for himself.

“Yes, you will. Your father gambled our home, he's neck deep in debts, your sister’s tuition fees…”

I almost laughed. “I am not even a quarter through paying my student loans, why should I care about Brittany’s tuition?”

She approached me slowly, fire burning in her eyes. “I've had enough of you, Kathleen. You either marry him or you get the hell out of my house!”

“What?”

She smirked. “The decision is up to you now. You have no one other than us, you have nowhere to go and the reason I've tolerated your presence for the last twenty years is simply out of pity!”

That night I slept poorly. I turned and rolled over my bed on and on until the first sight of sunlight streamed through my windows, only then did I finally fall into a deep slumber. I was awoken by a loud noise outside of my bedroom.

As soon as I shot out of my bed, the door burst open and three hefty men strolled in, my family behind them.

“Get up, Kathleen.” Miranda said as she made her way to my ward rope and swung it open. She grabbed a bag and began to throw my clothes inside.

“What are you doing?” I asked grabbing a blanket to shield myself from the eyes of the men who didn't bother to hide their interest in my body. I'd slept in shorts and tank top last night and to have strangers in my room watching me was making my skin crawl.

“Don't fight it.” My father said, “Donovan has sent his men to bring you to his mansion.”

My father walked up to me and placed his hands on my shoulder in what I assumed was to be a show of affection—the first I’d experienced in years.

“You are doing us a favor, Kathleen. He's rich and he'll treat you well, that's all that matters.”

“Dad…” Tears choked my words, cutting me off.

Miranda threw me some clothes from across the room. “Get dressed, Kathleen. We don't have all day.”

“No, no!” I screamed jumping down from the bed. “I am not doing this.”

The men shared an impatient look and as soon as I made my way to dash out of the room, one of them grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder as though I weighed nothing. With that, he strode out of the house, others followed suit.

I yelled and cried, pounding my fists against his back but he barely flinched until we were outside.

I switched to begging. “Please…. Please, no. Let me go! Let me go. Dad! Daddy, please.”

“Shut up!” The man growled before throwing me inside a black van.

I slammed my head against the door as I scrambled to get out, pushing the door to the other end and with that, I ran out into the street aware of the men who ran after me but I knew the roads better than they did and in no time, I'd managed to lose them.

“Taxi, taxi,” I called, stopping a car. I got in as soon as the driver stopped.

“Take me out of town, please. Anywhere far from here.”

And only when we’d left the city and its tall buildings behind us did I finally relax into the seat, closing my eyes.