Chapter 4: Breaking Point

Venessa’s chest was heavy as she walked down the hallway, her mind racing. She hadn’t even made it to the stairs before Meredith’s voice sliced through the air like a knife.

“Venessa.”

The coldness in her stepmother’s tone made Venessa’s blood run cold. She stopped in her tracks, her throat tight with emotion. Meredith always had a way of making her feel small, insignificant, like a child who could never escape her shadow.

Venessa wiped the tear-streaked makeup from her face, but the traces of her earlier breakdown still clung to her skin. She tried to steady herself, but Meredith wasn’t waiting for her to compose her thoughts.

“What the hell is this nonsense I hear?” Meredith demanded, her heels clicking sharply as she strode toward her. “You’re refusing the marriage? Refusing Alex Graystone? After everything I’ve done for you?”

Venessa’s chest constricted at the venom in her stepmother’s voice. Her body tensed, but her lips parted as she tried to speak, trying to summon the strength to stand her ground.

“I won’t do it,” Venessa’s voice cracked. “I won’t marry him. I won’t let you control my life anymore, Meredith. I refuse to be part of your game.”

The words hung in the air between them. Meredith’s face twisted into something dark, her eyes narrowing with cold fury. Without a word, her hand shot out, slapping Venessa across the face with a force that sent her crashing to the ground.

Venessa’s body hit the floor with a sickening thud. The world seemed to spin around her, her cheek burning from the slap, the sting spreading to her heart. The tears that had barely stopped flowing were now running freely, soaking her face as she lay on the ground, dazed and breathless.

For a long moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t even think. She felt the weight of her stepmother’s anger bearing down on her, and then, the sound of Meredith’s voice echoed in her ears, cutting through the haze.

“You ungrateful little brat,” Meredith spat, her voice filled with venom. “Do you think I’ve spent all these years raising you for you to just throw it all away? Do you think you have any other choice?”

Venessa’s body shook, her fingers curling into fists on the cold floor. She could feel the anger boiling inside her, mixing with the pain of the slap. Slowly, she pushed herself up, trembling. Her tear-filled eyes met Meredith’s, full of defiance.

“You’ve never cared about me, Meredith. You never did!” Venessa’s voice was trembling, but there was an undeniable fire in it now. “You only cared about the company, about using me. I’m just a pawn to you—just a tool in your game. And I’m done.”

Meredith scoffed, rolling her eyes as if Venessa’s words were nothing but childish tantrums. “You think I’ve spent all this time and energy on you out of the goodness of my heart?” Meredith’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “No, Venessa, I’ve been building an empire. And now, you’re throwing it all away. Do you even understand what’s at stake? This marriage is the only thing that will save you! You owe me this, after everything I’ve given you. Everything.”

Venessa wiped her face with the back of her hand, pushing the hair that had fallen from her bun out of her face, and faced her stepmother squarely. “I don’t owe you anything,” she said, her voice steady despite the tremor of emotion beneath. “You manipulated me. You used my grief when my parents died to make me believe I could have a future with this company. But it was never mine, was it? It was always yours. And now, you’re trying to sell me off like I’m some property. Well, I won’t be your pawn anymore.”

Meredith’s eyes flared with fury, the kind of rage that Venessa had seen many times before. But this time, something was different. Venessa was no longer afraid.

“You will marry him,” Meredith hissed, taking a step forward. “You have no choice. If you think for one second that you can walk away from this—think again. You’ll lose everything. You’ll be nothing. You’ll have nothing. I will make sure of it. Do you hear me?”

Venessa’s breath caught in her throat, but she stood tall. “You don’t control me anymore. You never did.” Her voice grew quieter, but her words cut through the air like a knife. “I won’t marry Mr Graystone . Not for you, not for anyone. I’m done.”

Meredith let out a bitter laugh, one that felt cold and hollow. “You really think you can just walk away from this? That you can throw away everything I’ve worked for? You’ll regret this. I promise you that.”

Venessa took a deep, steadying breath, the tears still falling, but no longer out of fear or weakness. “Maybe I will,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “But I won’t regret standing up for myself. I won’t regret choosing my own path.”