Ruby scanned the room, her eyes darting over the elegant crowd. Her fingers tightened around the violin case strap as she searched for a quiet corner to sit. "Brian said I shouldn't worry about a thing. That I'm the only one that matters to him," Ruby muttered, her voice carrying a wistfulness that didn't quite match the bustle of the party. She glanced at Stella, who was adjusting the sheet music on the piano. Stella smirked, her confidence as sharp as the crimson lipstick she wore. "You don't have to worry about a thing," she mimicked, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Men are all the same, you know. If he doesn't live up to those sweet words, I swear I'll split him in half." Ruby froze, narrowing her eyes. "You’d split *my boyfriend* in half?" Her voice was low, but serious. Stella shrugged, her tone casual, as if she were discussing slicing a cake. "Did I say something wrong? If he breaks your heart, why not? And stop talking so much—it’s not good for your health." Ruby sighed, de

Mabel was dragged into the room with a force that felt both familiar and terrifying. Krayon, her boyfriend, was a beast cloaked in the guise of a lover, and today, as with many before, she was going to experience another bout of violence that she couldn’t fully comprehend. The memories of her life with Brian pierced her mind, haunting her with the joy and safety she had once known. How she longed to rewind time to those moments with Brian, to relive the laughter and warmth of their relationship, instead of the hell she now faced. Each time she was thrown to the ground, each bruise she bore, was a reminder of the path she had chosen, and she cried inwardly at the thought. If only she could turn back to that simpler time when love had not morphed into this nightmare.She knew that struggling against Krayon would only worsen her situation. It was a twisted game of power; the more she resisted, the more fueled his anger became. Mabel had learned to stay silent, a strategy of survival, but

Aunt Shawn's heart raced as she approached the door, curiosity gnawing at her. What was happening behind it? Was Brian really in there? With a deep breath, she turned the knob, only to be yanked inside by Claire's unexpected grip. Before she could react, Aunt Shawn found herself sprawled on the floor, disoriented and vulnerable. Claire stood over her, a wicked smile curling her lips, her eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction. “Direct message to you—oh, sorry, I forgot you're unconscious and won't be able to hear what I'm about to say,” Claire mocked, reveling in the moment. “In behalf of your plans, which I'm about to make a success for you, I have devised a little taste of your own medicine. Let’s see how bitter it really is.”As she spoke, Claire directed her assistant to prepare the drugs. The air thickened with tension as the reality of Aunt Shawn’s predicament set in. Claire watched, a predator savoring the thrill of the hunt, as the assistant injected the drugs, sealing Aun

The clock ticked ominously in the silence of Aunt Shawn’s lavish living room, each second echoing like a heartbeat, a countdown that filled the air with dread. “And I'm only giving you two days to decide on what to do,” the message read, words dripping with malice. “If you say you don't want to do anything, then after those two days elapse, everyone would know the kind of girl the only miss of the Morris family is.”Shawn clenched her phone, her heart racing as the implications of the threat crashed over her like a wave. “I have enough evidence that would also be capable of giving you death by shooting or by hanging, in attornment for your sins.”She shivered, the chill of the threat sinking deep into her bones. The sender, Arden, had always lurked in the shadows, her motives as dark as a moonless night. “So your time starts now. Don't forget to open the package. Ain't you eager to know what's inside that package?”Claire, seated nearby, watched Aunt Shawn with a mixture of pity and cu

Brian anxiously waited at the front of the operation room as Mabel was undergoing the operation.He was restless and could not even drink his water and dropped the cup.Just then, the door of the operation room opened, and the doctor came out."We are in need of blood, and we don't have her blood type in our blood bank," the doctor informed Brian. "We urgently need O negative blood; the patient is in critical condition. If the blood isn't brought on time, I'm sorry, you're going to lose her," the doctor said."I'm also a possessor of that particular blood type. Can I donate my blood for her?" Claire insisted. However, Brian immediately refused. He couldn't let Claire donate her blood for Mabel. He believed he was the one who put her in this condition and that he should be the one to donate his blood to her."I will be the one to donate my blood to her," Brian said as he followed the doctor into the operating room. Brian's blood was first screened for any sexually transmitted infection