Chapter 3

My face shows an utter surprise when I see Maya, my stepmother. I wonder if she’s genuinely concerned about me.

The last time I saw Maya and my father was two years ago. They stopped me from visiting, and I still don’t understand why.

I’ve always believed it was Maya who turned Dad against me. But now, seeing her with a hint of concern in her eyes, I feel a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, I can finally share everything that’s happened.

“Good day,Mother. I—" My voice trembles, but I’m cut off by Maya’s sudden burst of laughter. I look at her, bewildered, trying to understand what’s so funny.

Maya’s eyes flash with something I can’t quite place. anger or just cold disdain? She crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe.

“I’m not and will never be your mother, Selene. Do you know how glad I am to finally see you this pathetic and miserable?” She leans in, crossing her arms again. “You tried so hard to weasle your way into the Hemsworth family. Well, too bad you’ve been thrown away. Now, Jess can recover all that she lost while you were with him.”

“What?!” Her words leave me blinking in disbelief, my face pale and stunned. “You and father asked me to marry him when Jess disappeared!”

I can hardly believe my ears. Why did I ever think she might love me? Jess is her daughter, after all.

A deep ache settles in my chest, and tears pool in the corners of my eyes. No one likes me. Not even my father. The only person who ever cared for me has divorced me, and now here I am, standing miserable, with a child growing inside me.

“What’s going on, Maya?” A husky voice echoes through the room. I turn to see my father slowly entering with his hands tucked into his pockets. A rush of emotions floods over me, and I nearly burst into tears. I’ve missed him so much!

“Father!" I shout, trying to rush toward him with excitement. But before I can even take a step towards him, Maya steps in front of me, blocking my view.

I can still catch glimpses of my father, and I desperately hope he’ll stop Maya or at least scold her. But instead, his face is etched with pure disgust.

“You really have the audacity to come back here? After cruelly keeping Jess away from her husband for three years?”

My mind goes numb at his words. The world seems to close in around me. I know my father doesn’t like me, but I never imagined he’d believe I was responsible for Jess’s disappearance.

“I didn’t do it, Father! She left on her own!” I cry, clutching the hem of my garment in anger. “Why don’t you believe me? Why do you even hate me so much? Why?!”

“Hate?” He scoffs so loudly it sends shivers down my spine. “No, I don’t. I abhor you, Selene. You’re nothing but a cruel person! Get the hell out of here, and never return.,” he says coldly before turning away.

Tears burn in my eyes, but I fight to hold them back.

I glare at Maya as she moves toward the door. “Go to hell!” She spits and then slams the door shut behind her.

Jess. That asshole has filled their heads with lies. I wonder what awful things she’s even told Maximus. The tears I’ve been holding back finally stream down my cheeks as I pound on the door, desperate for someone to hear me.

“I have nowhere to go, Father! Jess left on her own!!” I scream until my voice is hoarse and the veins in my neck bulge, but there’s no response. It feels as though the entire world is against me. I can’t believe I’m the same Selene who dreamed of becoming a doctor just three years ago. Now, I feel utterly lost.

The cold air stings my face as I trudge my feet to

nowhere in particular. My thoughts are a tangled mess, and I continue to wander aimlessly down the street, not noticing the blaring horn until it's almost too late.

I see a vehicle speed towards me, and the next thing I know, I’m on the ground, my vision dimming as darkness closes in.

****

Light seeps through the curtains, and my eyes fly open. I look around, confused and disoriented, trying to figure out where I am. The sharp smell of antiseptic fills my nose. I’m in a hospital. What happened to me?

“My baby.”

Panic sets in as I quickly move my hands to my belly, hoping nothing has happened to my baby. My heart races with fear until I notice a woman sitting beside me, a wide smile on her lips.

“Wh-who are you?” I stutter, but she simply picks up her phone and begins texting someone, which makes me even more anxious.

She immediately tucks her phone into a bag after a few seconds and then glances back at me. “Don’t be scared, okay?. I’m Angela. I rescued you after you were hit by a reckless driver.” She gives me a reassuring smile before gently squeezing my hands into hers. “Are you feeling a bit better now?”

I stare in shock, tears welling up in my eyes. I never imagined that someone I didn’t know would come to my aid and help me.

“Thank you so much, Angela,” I choke out, struggling to hold back my sobs.

Little did I know, meeting Angela will change my life in ways I never expect. If someone had told me that meeting a stranger could become one of the best moments of my life, I would have said it was impossible.

Angela, who’s in her early fifties, ended up showing me more care and love than anyone ever has, despite her own pain. Sadly, she lost her daughter and husband just a few years ago.

Angela is incredibly wealthy, with several successful businesses to her name. But what’s even more surprising is how she did something no one else has ever done—she gave me the life I deserved and made me feel loved, like a princess.

Hell, not even my ex-husband ever did that for me.

Now, it’s time to live the life I deserve and make them all pay for what they did to me.