CHAPTER 2

Fifteen Years Later

          Alannah was exhausted… Like her body was going to be swallowed by the ground under her feet exhausted. Deeply, utterly, fall-on-her-face exhausted. She also had a feeling of pure accomplishment. The wedding was finally over... thank God! No more endless discussions about cake, and flowers, and the wedding gown and everything else. 

"If I am ever going to get married, I want none of this. I'll keep it simple... just me and the man I love... if I'll ever find him," she whispered looking around with utter disgust.

          With zero regrets, she tossed the slightly wilted red roses and white freesia into the nearest garbage can and then found a chair to rest in for a few minutes. Thank God she was alone at this wedding! No man to take care of, no dancing to be done... no one but her.

           The whole thing had been a circus, a cheap show but it was finally over. Her incredibly babied, and very spoiled little sister was finally married to... the man of her dreams. They deserved each other so much...

          She loved Jaelyn, though she didn’t know why, really. For the past twenty-three years, her father had dotted on Jaelyn, spoiled her, given her everything. He hadn’t been so kind to Alannah. Not once… Not even when tragedy hit her young life.

          Their mother had died in a car crash when she was six years old and her little sister, only four. From that moment on, her life had been hell on earth. Her father told her almost daily that her mother was a cheating whore and that Alannah most likely wasn’t even his kid. He’d also told Alannah he owned her and would make her pay for her mother’s… transgressions.

“You are a little whore, just like her… But you will behave… I’ll see to that…”

          The beatings, the abuse had begun right then and there, only escalating through the years. He was a smart man, respected in the business community, and Alannah feared him, knowing he could make her life so much worse than it already was.

          Alannah had learned at a young age, if she just suffered silently through the pain, he’d stop much faster. If she shouted out, he seemed to get an evil glee from it and would go on and on… until she passed out from the pain.

          Once, Alannah ran away. A shiver passed through her body remembering the pain she’d gone through when he’d found her. She’d been bruised from head to toe, unable to leave her bed for two weeks.

          Her father had kept her at a cottage on the outskirts of town so the servants wouldn’t get suspicious. Though a couple had been brave enough not only to suspect but ask her if she was okay, Alannah learned quickly never to say anything. In time, the sympathetic employees quickly disappeared and soon no one would help her, or look out for her. Alannah found out silent suffering was the key to survival.

          She looked around the reception as she pulled herself out of her depressing memories. The event was still going strong, causing her to sigh. Her sister had departed a while ago, amid a sea of rice, and the crowd calling out advice.

          The moment the limo pulled away, Alannah’s fake smile had vanished. Friends, from near and far, were taking advantage of the open bar, free food, and euphoria at being at the exclusive country club.

“Just a bunch of snakes and sharks…” she said to herself.

          It was all just a joke. None of them cared one iota about Jaelyn or the wedding… Alannah figured it didn’t matter as her little sister didn’t care about anyone but herself, anyway.

          The one positive note to the entire charade was that at least, Alannah wouldn’t have to watch as Jaelyn acted like a brat, threw a fit, and then got her way. Jaelyn had learned quickly that if Alannah didn’t do what she wanted, all she had to do was complain to her father, and he’d make Alannah into Jaelyn’s servant.

          Jaelyn was Mason’s problem now, and Alannah hoped her father would let her leave the house now that Jaelyn had moved out. There was no reason to keep her locked up in his enormous mansion.

          Alannah felt a little pang in her stomach as Mason’s name popped into her head. She slowly got to her feet, looked around to see if her father was watching and since he wasn't around, she made her way up to her room. Thank goodness she was staying there that night. She didn’t have the energy to drive home or to face her father... again. 

          As she climbed into the elevator, her heart pounded while thinking about Mason Hill. She thought she’d been in love with him… deeply, over-the-moon in love. And she may have been, but it had obviously been one-sided because the moment Jaelyn decided she wanted him, he’d followed her sister like the willing puppy he’d turned out to be.

          His pathetic apology and explanation of not being able to control his heart hadn’t helped Alannah’s pride… not one little bit.

“She is so wonderful and I’m so lucky I found Jaen… If it wasn’t for you, Lanah…”

          The wedding had taken place in only four months, and their father had seemed to think there was nothing amiss with Jaelyn suddenly marrying Alannah’s boyfriend. When she had made the slightest comment about it being wrong, her father had begun his lecture of how Alannah needed to keep her jealousy of her perfect sister to herself.

          So, she hadn’t dared argue any further. If she honestly thought about it, she’d only wanted to be with Mason to get away from her father, anyway. Surprisingly, her father had approved of her relationship with Mason Hill, his faithful employee.

          Jaelyn had demanded a perfect wedding with her flawless groom, and that’s what she’d gotten… A glamorous event, attended by Hollywood actors, musicians, and the elite of the elite. People wanted to attend the wedding of one of the wealthiest men in the United States. They may be able to get something from him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Alannah said out loud, trying to convince herself. “Not one bit… I’m fine… more than fine…”

          She needed to let the entire thing go. She was lucky to have found out what a creep Mason was so early in their relationship. It could’ve been worse. She could’ve married him, and then been humiliated when he left her for her perfect sister.

          Standing as her sister’s maid of honor and holding her ridiculously gaudy bouquet of flowers while Mason swept Jaelyn into his arms, kissing her in front of everyone, couldn’t be humiliation enough for Alannah. Jaelyn also had to toss her bouquet straight into Alannah’s hands during the reception.

          Alannah had smiled as if she was thrilled, but she kept her cool as people behind her made comments about her never using the flowers since she couldn’t keep a man long enough to get him to walk her down the aisle.

          When she heard the woman add that at least she didn’t have any other sister to steal her man, Alannah was done. Mason Hill worked for her father and marrying either Alannah or Jaelyn pretty much sealed the deal of him becoming the corporation’s next CEO.

          He’d moved his way toward the top, and when he’d hit the mother-load by marrying the owner’s daughter, he got it all. He would’ve settled for Alannah, but why settle when he could have Jaelyn, everyone’s choice of the better of the two siblings.

          Alannah finally made it to her room and swiped the key card across the reader, grateful when it registered on the first try. She stepped inside and tightly closed the door behind her. All she wanted now was freedom, and maybe, just maybe, that’s what she’d finally get.

          Besides, she didn’t want to get married. Why place herself in a position where a man had control of her again. If she ever escaped her nightmare, she vowed to stay single for the rest of her life.

          She glanced at the clock, noting that it was just past midnight. Jaelyn and Mason were well on their way to Europe by now. Alannah felt more of a pang over her sister getting to visit one of the countries she’d always wanted to go to, than over the loss of Mason.

          With a sigh, Alannah unzipped the uncomfortable dress, letting it fall to the ground in a sea of satin. Disgusted, she kicked it away from her, knowing she wouldn’t take it from the hotel. She had no desire to wear it again.

“Let one of the maids find it!” she said walking as far away from it as possible. “Wear it… Burn it… Sell it… Who cares!”

          They’d appreciate the expensive dress more than she ever would. Alannah didn’t need any more reminders of her sister’s wedding. She’d have plenty of daily reminders as she watched her happily married sister in the arms of her ex-boyfriend.

          She took out the hundreds of pins from her up-do, a feeling of bliss overcoming her as the tight curtain of hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her head ached, along with the soles of her feet.

          Alannah jumped into the shower and massaged her scalp, dreading the next day. Her father wanted to speak to her. She had no clue what it was about, but he’d been so formal, it couldn’t be good.

          She managed to make her way back into the bedroom of her roomy suite, where she collapsed face-first onto the comfortable bed and vowed not to get up until her body woke her. She knew the wrath of her father wasn’t worth an extra hour or two of rest, but she just couldn’t convince her physically and emotionally exhausted body of that.