CHAPTER 3

With rage pulsating through my veins, I glared at Paige, her denial ringing hollow in my ears. "You expect me to believe that?" I snapped, my voice laced with venom. "You're lying, Paige. You drugged me last night, didn't you?"

Paige's eyes narrowed, her expression a mixture of defiance and disdain. "You're out of your mind, Audrina," she spat, her words dripping with contempt. "I would never do something like that to my own sister."

Her refusal to admit the truth only fueled my anger further. Without hesitation, I lunged forward, snatching her phone from her grasp before she could react. With a swift motion, I hurled it to the ground, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the room.

Before I could revel in my act of defiance, the door burst open, and our father, George, stormed into the room, his face contorted with fury. "What in the world is going on here?" he bellowed, his voice thunderous.

Paige wasted no time in pointing an accusatory finger at me, her expression twisted with malice. "She attacked me, Dad," she cried, her voice trembling with false indignation. "She's lost her mind."

His gaze fell on me, his eyes burning with righteous anger. Without a word, he stepped forward, his hand rising in a swift, punishing arc. The force of his slap sent a shockwave of pain coursing through my body, the sting of his palm against my cheek leaving a fiery imprint in its wake.

The room spun around me as I staggered backward, my vision blurring with tears of pain and betrayal. "Dad, please," I pleaded, my voice barely a whisper. "You have to believe me. Paige drugged me last night. She's trying to frame me."

But his expression remained cold and unforgiving, his belief in Paige's innocence unwavering. "That's enough, you idiot," he growled, his voice cutting through the chaos like a knife. "I won't tolerate this kind of behavior in my house. You're grounded, and I don't want to hear another word about this."

“Grounded? Father, do you have the slightest idea of what she did?”

Now she was prepared to complicate the situation; this girl was the devil's assistant, and everyone needed to know it. Fear ate away at my insides, turning me to a gibbering mess as phoney visions of being punished for my foolish mistake flooded my thoughts, and they were horrific.

His curiosity piqued, he inquired about it, and she told him the entire scenario, including how her phone cracked and the evidence.

With the weight of his decision pressing down on him, George's eyes flitted between Paige and myself, creating a tense atmosphere in the room.

Paige's lips curled into a malicious grin as she leaned in close to our father, her voice dripping with venomous intent. "She's a disgrace, Dad," she whispered, her words like poison in the air. "She deserves to die for what she's done. It's the only way to cleanse our family's honor."

My heart sank at her words, the reality of my situation crashing heavily on me. To hear my own sister call for my death was a betrayal beyond comprehension, yet here we were, on the precipice of disaster.

 With a foul taste in my mouth, a mix of contempt and hopelessness washed over me, and I began to question myself again. If I hadn't been so drunk last night, it wouldn't have happened, but now I'd have to live with regret for the rest of my life, assuming I was lucky enough to live that long, given how many people were already expecting my death.

Bad news had already traveled like wildfire, and desperation gnawed at my breast as I turned to face George, tears welling in my eyes as I begged him.

I was willing to do anything but avoided facing my punishment, one that wasn’t even intentional.

"Please, Dad," I implored, my voice shaking from dread and uncertainty. "I did not intend for any of this to happen. I know I made a terrible mistake, but I beg you to give me another chance to make things right.

His expression hardened, his patience wearing thin as he regarded me with a mixture of annoyance and frustration. "If I am to confess, I’m not surprised considering you’ve brought nothing but shame to this family since the day you were born," he admonished, his voice stern.

“Since you’ve decided to be a constant thorn in the flesh and be the opposite of your sister here, I have equally decided not to overlook them, and a silly plea would not help either.” He declared.

At his words, my heart fell, the weight of his displeasure crushing me. I wouldn't give up hope, though. "Please, Dad," I implored, my voice cracking. "I know I've made a mess of things, but I'm begging you: give me one chance to fix it. I'll do whatever it takes, I swear."

For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the air as he considered my words. His expression softened slightly, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features.

“You have one month," he relented, his voice heavy with reluctance. "One month to convince the man who violated you to marry you. If you cannot, then I’ll personally see to it that you’re executed because I don’t care about losing a worthless daughter.”

A mixture of relief and hurt flooded through me at his words. "Thank you, father," I whispered, tears of gratitude streaming down my cheeks.

“Don’t address me as your father until you fulfill my request; remember, your life is in your hands.”

I felt like I might have been dealt a bad hand, but I wasn't going to let that stop me as George turned to exit the room. No matter the cost, I would find a way to put things right.

Paige had a smug look on her face as she observed me, her eyes shining with pleasure at my situation. However, I resisted allowing her to overcome me. I would do whatever it took to disprove her.

Despite being called a "whore" by my own kind, I didn't let that define who I was. To recover my honor and demonstrate that I deserved to be saved, I would battle to the death.

However, I was about to assess the room's destruction when I noticed something that instantly halted me in my tracks. The check James had offered me last night was lying there, on the bed, in the middle of the mayhem.

As I got closer to the bed and reached out to grab the piece of paper, my hands trembled, and my heart missed a beat.

I was running out of time—I had a month to put things right. I would stop at nothing to prevent myself from suffering an even worse fate than death. Failure was not an option.