8: Accusations Upon Accusations

Harrison Archwood’s hand struck his daughter’s face, sending her stumbling backward. She fell onto the ground, too tired to hold herself up and too dazed to even attempt standing.

Sabrina’s hand instinctively touched her stinging cheek, her mind reeling. Through the rain blurring her vision, she could still see the anger on her father’s face as clearly as the lightning flashing across the sky.

“I… I don’t understa—” she began, but Harrison’s booming voice cut her off.

“You had the audacity—the fucking audacity—to come back here after all the shame you’ve brought to this family?!” he bellowed, his face twisted with more malice than Sabrina had ever seen before.

Confusion and pain swirled in her mind. She staggered to her feet, ignoring the protest of her aching muscles. “I didn’t… What are you talking about?”

“Shameless girl!” Mira Archwood’s voice rang out. She marched forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she scrutinized Sabrina with disgust. “How dare you show your face here, pretending you don’t know what you’ve done?! You were a nuisance when you lived here, and even in your absence, you’ve managed to be a burden.”

Tears blurred Sabrina’s vision further. She turned to Reliana, who stood silently in the background, her expression unreadable.

“I don’t know what she told you,” Sabrina croaked, pointing a trembling finger at her half-sister. “But she pushed me down a cliff. She tried to—”

“Clearly, she didn’t push you hard enough since you’re still here,” Harrison interrupted coldly. “If I had my way, Sabrina, I would have thrown you down that cliff myself. You ruined my company, my family name! You should have died when you fell!”

Sabrina flinched at his words, at the venom in his voice. His emphasis on my—my company, my family name—cut deeper than the slap.

“But why—?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“You sold our company’s secrets to a rival! You leaked private information and caused us to lose three critical clients!” Harrison roared, stepping closer, his looming figure more menacing than the storm raging around them.

Sabrina stood frozen, the rain pounding against her, her mind struggling to comprehend his accusations. “I didn’t… I would never do that,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“Are you calling me a liar?!” Harrison snarled, his tone daring her to deny what he considered undeniable. “Reliana showed me the documents you leaked and the proof that it all came from you!”

“No, I didn’t do it!” she pleaded, her voice rising with desperation. She glanced toward Reliana, who had disappeared into the house. “It was her! It was Reliana!”

“And what reason would Reliana have to do such a thing?” Mira snapped. “Don’t you dare pin your schemes on my daughter! A conniving, dirty whore like you has no credibility!”

“Whore?” Sabrina repeated, the word hitting her like a physical blow.

“Oh, don’t act shocked!” Mira spat, pulling out her phone and shoving it toward Sabrina. The screen displayed photos—images of Sabrina in bed with unfamiliar men.

Sabrina’s knees buckled, and she fell back onto the wet ground. The cold seeped into her bones, but it was nothing compared to the icy disbelief and horror coursing through her.

“I didn’t… I didn’t sleep with them. I didn’t do any of this!” she sobbed, her voice cracking. “It was Reliana. It was Charlotte and Kyler. I swear, I—”

“Don’t you dare lie about my daughter!” Harrison thundered, his voice laced with finality.

The weight of his words crushed her. She had fought so hard to survive, to come back here, and for what? To be cast aside like this?

“You selfish whore,” Harrison spat. “From this moment on, you are no longer my child. I don’t want to see you on this property again. If you return, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing. I don’t care if you live or die—just don’t do it near me.”

“No!” Sabrina screamed, stumbling toward him and grabbing his shirt. “You can’t do this to me! I’m innocent! I didn’t—”

Harrison struck her again, and she fell to the ground, tasting blood in her mouth.

“You’re lucky I’m not pressing charges,” he hissed.

“Here,” Reliana’s voice suddenly cut through the storm. She appeared in the doorway, holding a suitcase and an envelope. She tossed them at Sabrina’s feet. Sabrina wanted to throw them back at her, but she knew she had no choice. Shaking, she picked them up, shielding the envelope from the rain as best she could.

“Leave,” Reliana said, her tone emotionless. “You don’t belong here anymore.”

Without another word, Reliana turned and walked back into the house. Mira followed, her nose wrinkled in disdain, and then Harrison, slamming the door behind him.

The patio lights went dark, and Sabrina was left in the storm.

She screamed, her voice raw and broken. She banged on the door, slammed her fists against it, begged them to open up. But no one came.

Exhausted, Sabrina collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Her body ached, her heart shattered into a million pieces.

Looking down at the envelope, she noticed that Reliana had poked holes in it. Most of the bills inside were ruined, rendered useless by the rain. But there was just enough—enough to find a place to stay for a night or two.

And then what?

Sabrina wrapped her arms around her knees and cried, the storm raging on around her. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. She was utterly, completely alone.