Chapter 3 Betrayed

The morning sunlight streamed through the window mullions, casting gentle rays onto the hotel's large bed, adding a peaceful aura to the sleeping woman. Lydia was awakened by the sound of the phone, slowly opening her eyes to find herself unclothed. Her head still felt heavy with sleep, but her current situation sparked a subconscious sense of fear.

After a series of annoying phone rings, she heard a sexy, husky voice, "Hello? It's me!"

The unfamiliar voice startled Lydia awake from her daze. Memories of her unconscious state flooded back, causing her fair face to instantly drain of color! She seemed to have been drugged yesterday! And apparently ended up in bed with a stranger!

Lydia's expression was filled with uncertainty. She had been celebrating her wedding anniversary with Ron yesterday. How could a sleazy man break in, and that glass of red wine felt suspicious.

A thought kept recurring in Lydia's mind, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. She took a deep breath, biting her lip, trying to cover her tired eyes with her hand, only to find she had no strength to even raise her hand!

"Got it! I'll be back soon!"

The person in the bathroom seemed to be answering the phone. Though his voice was low and pleasant, it was absolutely unfamiliar to her.

Lydia wanted to cry. She couldn't believe she ended up in bed with a stranger like this! Panic and dread made her bury herself under the covers until the sound of water from the bathroom ceased.

Instinctively, Lydia shrank further under the covers, cautiously peeking out through the gap between the sheets.

A tall man wrapped in a towel emerged from the bathroom. His physique was perfect, broad shoulders tapering down to a slim waist covered loosely with a white towel. Even his abdominal muscles and perfect V-line were clearly visible.

Was this the man she had a one-night stand with yesterday? Lydia inexplicably felt somewhat relieved, suddenly curious about his face.

As her gaze shifted upward, she saw a head of jet-black, tousled hair still dripping water, the droplets tracing down his bronzed skin, causing her cheeks to flush and her heart to race. Yet, a white towel covered his head, conveniently concealing his face, revealing only a pair of sensual lips and a sharply defined jawline.

Then, the man turned to dress himself. He seemed to be in a hurry, quickly getting dressed and walking to the door. As he opened it, his gaze casually glanced towards the head of the bed, but Lydia had already retreated back under the covers.

Lambert emerged from the presidential suite, where a Maybach had been waiting at the hotel entrance for some time. He got into the car, realizing he had forgotten something, but the matter on the phone was more pressing.

Furrowing his brow, he gave a faint command, "Go!"

After confirming the man had left, Lydia, with a pale face, managed to crawl out of bed. Her legs almost gave way beneath her before she could even get off the bed.

Lydia forced a bitter smile, enduring the soreness all over her body as she made her way to the bathroom. The faint scent of soap lingering in the bathroom somewhat eased her emotions, and she splashed her face, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

On her fair skin were the faint traces of bruises, her lips swollen and even split, her delicate face still showing traces of satisfaction and exhaustion after lovemaking, her large eyes shimmering with tears.

This appearance, anyone could tell what had happened to her yesterday, couldn't they?

Lydia's face turned ashen in an instant. She had to go back! After such an incident, she had to get things straight! Yesterday, when she needed Ron the most, where was he? What exactly happened?

As dumb as she felt, she realized something was terribly wrong, and a sense of dread washed over her, making her tremble with fear.

But, no matter how scared she was, she wanted to know the truth!

The clothes from yesterday were already unwearable, but luckily, Lydia found a set of relatively conservative women's pajamas in the wardrobe of the presidential suite. She gritted her teeth and put on the pajamas. Then, ignoring the curious glances of others, she hurriedly fled the hotel.

Because of her peculiar appearance, many taxis refused to take her, thinking she was mentally unstable. Eventually, she met a female driver who, after her earnest pleading, allowed her into the car.

Lydia returned home with a complex mood. Everything that happened last night made it difficult for her to speak. How was she going to explain?

But more than anything else, she wanted to know why Ron didn't come back yesterday? How did that disgusting pervert get in?

As she approached closer to her front door, Lydia became increasingly hesitant and fearful. The exhaustion on her pale face couldn't be concealed, attracting curious glances from passersby.

Reluctant as she was to face it, Lydia had to muster the courage to walk up to the front door. Just as she was about to ring the doorbell, she noticed the door was ajar, and there were sounds coming from inside.

"Ron, you're fantastic ......"

"You slut, let's see if I don't fu*k you to death!"

"That's not going to happen  ...... If I die, who's going to give you babies ......"

The ambiguous gasps mingled with moans louder than the other, anyone could tell how intense it was inside!

Lydia felt her blood run cold, her scalp tingling. The voices inside the room were unmistakably her husband Ron's and her half-sister Maggie's.

Anger almost robbed Lydia of her reason. She trembled, wanting to push open the door, but then she heard the people inside mentioning her name.

As if by some strange compulsion, Lydia withdrew her hand, wanting to eavesdrop on what they were saying. But soon she realized, she'd rather not hear this conversation, one that would only bring pain and despair.

"Ron, that bitch Lydia still hasn't come back. Looks like our plan worked!" Maggie's tone was smug.

Ron was equally pleased, "How could it fail when I took matters into my own hands? Don't forget, that silly woman always obeys me. She even accepted our sexless marriage."

Lydia's weak and compliant nature, easy to control without her parents' support, was a significant factor. He genuinely despised women who were submissive like that.

Maggie scoffed, "Are you having second thoughts? Don't forget, if that bitch finds out you married her just for her grandfather's fortune, do you think she'll still treat you nicely?"

"Maggie, are you jealous? After all these years together, do you still not trust me? God bless me, even though I married her, I haven't touched her! It's all for you!"

Maggie laughed delightedly, "I know you wouldn't dare betray me! I'm not that bitch Lydia!"

"Yes, yes, how could you compare to that stupid Lydia? I just showed her a little kindness yesterday, and she obediently drank the drugged wine. I wonder if Louis was satisfied with her performance last night? It's crucial for a big deal."

"I don’t know her, but I'm completely satisfied!" Maggie's giggles continued.

One sentence after another in their conversation felt like being sentenced to death, with each word cutting into Lydia's heart. Her flesh felt sliced and sliced again, the wounds almost numbing her, leaving her mind blank.

When Lydia finally came to her senses, the two people in the room had begun another round of intimacy. Maggie's moans and Ron's grunts made her stomach churn, nauseating her.

They had been married for a whole year, during which Ron had never touched her, always saying the time wasn't right, always promising her the best. And she, foolishly, had believed it all.

But, it turned out to be nothing but a joke in the end!

Her sincerely treated husband turned out to be nothing more than a scammer after her wealth! He had been colluding with Maggie behind her back all along!

Listening to their conversation, it was clear that everything from the beginning was a massive conspiracy!

The drugged wine, that disgusting middle-aged man, how repulsive!

After immense grief, Lydia felt nothing but boundless anger. She couldn't understand, why was all this happening?

Was money really so important? Important enough to erase humanity and family ties?

So, Lydia pushed open the door with all her strength. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hands trembling, her already pale face now ashen.

Lydia felt like her world had collapsed overnight!

The supposedly happy marriage in the eyes of others had suddenly turned so ugly and disgusting, that man she had sincerely given her heart to, stripped of his civility, revealing the heart of a beast inside!

"Ron!"