CHAPTER 2

Lilliane reached for the doorknob of her unit, her hands trembling as she fumbled with the key, trying to regain her composure.

It felt as if she had been struck by a fierce tornado since waking up and finding someone beside her in bed, with the last thing she expected being to see the two people she least wanted to face in that state.

Finally, she managed to insert the key and turned the knob, pushing the door open. She sighed heavily in exhaustion.

But as soon as the door fully opened, her breath caught in her throat.

Standing in the middle of her living room was her uncle Richard, with his arms crossed. His brows rose upon seeing her, and Mathilda, seated in the single sofa, glanced at her with a mix of anger and irritation evident on their faces.

Lilliane could feel the intense and oppressive tension in the unit, making her feel suffocated and further intensifying her nervousness. The way they looked at her only heightened her anxiety.

“Lilliane!” Mathilda’s sharp voice sliced through the silence like a blade.

Before Lilliane could fully register what was happening, Mathilda’s hand flew through the air and landed sharply on her left cheek.

Her face jerked to the side, and she instinctively cupped her now-numb cheek, frozen in shock.

Lilliane couldn’t speak immediately, stunned by the sudden blow, her eyes wide as she stared at her aunt.

“A-auntie,” she stammered, trying to calm herself.

Mathilda’s eyes remained fierce, her overwhelming anger palpable to Lilliane.

Her aunt’s gaze fell upon Lilliane’s outfit—a striking and scandalous silk dress, bold and revealing. The white long sleeves she wore over it did nothing to conceal the provocative nature of the dress, if anything, it seemed to stoke the flames of anger in the two people in the room with her.

“You shameless woman,” Mathilda practically growled through gritted teeth before raising both hands to grab her niece’s hair.

Lilliane screamed in pain as she felt her scalp burn from the vicious grip of her aunt.

“Ouch, Auntie! Please me go!”

“You’re such a slut!”

Lilliane tried to pry her aunt’s hands off her hair, but Mathilda’s grip was too strong, and she refused to let go.

Tears welled in Lilliane’s eyes from the pain as she pleaded for her aunt to release her. But Mathilda was relentless, delivering another pair of stinging slaps to Lilliane’s face. The force of the blows, along with the hair-pulling, sent her crashing to the floor.

Lilliane’s head throbbed, and the pain in her scalp intensified.

Before she could recover, Mathilda grabbed a fistful of her hair at the crown of her head, forcing her to look up. Lilliane desperately tried to remove her hands.

“Auntie, please stop! It hurts!” Lilliane sobbed.

Mathilda brought her face closer, her eyes wild with rage, her teeth clenched.

“So, you were whoring yourself out to random men at the club, huh? You have no shame, you filthy animal! And now you’re dragging us down with your slutty ways!” Mathilda spat at her.

Anger began to stir within Lilliane, mixing with her tears. She had no choice but to answer back.

“Better that than letting that old man—”

A sharp slap cut Lilliane off, sending her falling back to the floor.

She landed hard, the world spinning from the impact. Mathilda seized her by the jaw, her nails digging into Lilliane’s cheeks as she forced her to look up.

Lilliane’s face was wet with tears and sweat, strands of her hair sticking to her skin.

“Don’t you dare cry! That won’t work on me! I don’t feel sorry for you!” Mathilda slapped her again, even as Lilliane tried to shield her face with her arms.

Lilliane struggled to find the words to fight back, but every time she opened her mouth, they stuck in her throat. The pain from the slaps and the hair-pulling clouded her thoughts.

“You’re such a whore!” Mathilda growled at her niece. “You think you’re some kind of saint, but you’re just a slut! No matter how many men you let to f uck you, it won’t change anything! You’re marrying Mr. Fuentes, whether you like it or not!” She tightened her grip on Lilliane’s jaw. “Do you understand me?” she screamed; her eyes wide with fury.

Lilliane didn’t respond. She simply sobbed at her aunt’s words.

Richard, who had been silently standing the whole time, finally spoke up, but first, he pulled his wife away from Lilliane. She couldn’t have any marks on her face, as she had to meet her fiancé later.

Mathilda let go of her niece roughly.

“There’s only one thing you need to do now, Lilliane. Just one thing. Be ready for our appointment with Mr. Fuentes.” His voice was calm but heavy with meaning. “We expected you before nine o’clock, but where were you? What if Mr. Fuentes had found out? Do you even realize what’s at stake?”

Lilliane remained silent, still cradling her bruised face and sitting on the floor. She quietly sobbed, her head down. Even if she spoke, it would be useless. Her mind was exhausted, and she was tired of arguing with them.

“Do you have any idea what this means? We’ve arranged everything for you and Mr. Fuentes, but it’s already late, and you weren’t even there!” Richard’s voice was low but angry. “Get yourself together, Lilliane! We’ll be waiting for you at Mr. Fuentes’ mansion before six this evening.”

Mathilda took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and resisting the urge to attack her niece again.

“You’re lucky the old man is understanding and agreed to reschedule,” she said through clenched teeth. “Get yourself ready! You better be at the mansion before the set time because if you aren’t, this will be the least of what you’ll face!"

Even after they left, Lilliane still couldn’t get up. Her body was exhausted. Her head felt heavy and painful, both from the hangover and the beating.

She hugged herself, crying uncontrollably. It seemed there was no hope left for her.