Chapter 1: Just An Orphan

‘Bang!’ Laurel’s body slammed against the door with a loud impact.

“How dare you! How dare you question me on where I was last night?” Andrew yelled loudly at Laurel who was now on the ground.

“I-I’m sorry. Please,” Laurel pleaded in tears, covering her face from any more hits she was going to get from Andrew.

Andrew, suddenly aware of his actions, gently lifted Laurel to her feet. Laurel obliged, frightened for her safety.

“Don’t make me keep doing this baby. You’re a mere orphan and no other man would take you in if I decide to break up with you.” He said, pulling Laurel into a forceful hug.

“I-I’m so sorry. I’d never mention anything about you being home late ever again.” Laurel said as she watched Andrew storm out of the house.

She fell, exhaling a sigh of relief as tears streamed down her face. Unsure of what to do, she faced the reality that her wedding was just two weeks away, and she deeply loved Andrew. He had been the only one to propose after learning she was an orphan. She felt stuck, unable to return to her foster parents, especially her evil stepmother and sister. Telling herself she had to endure it, she clung to the hope that Andrew would change, at least that's what she believed.

Laurel cleaned her tears and stood up, heading straight to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw her face covered up in bruises. She needed to see Anita to clear up her head, so she took a scarf and tied it around her head, covering her neck. She then added a face cap and nose mask so as not to make any of the bruises visible.

“Babe, where are you? Let’s meet up.” Laurel said to Anita over the phone.

“Hi, I’m home. Come over,” Anita responded with a sleepy voice.

***

Laurel rushed over to her friend’s house and explained to her everything that happened, while Anita was furious, listening to everything her friend was saying.

"Are you a fool or something?" A deep voice suddenly emerged from the background.

"Who... who's that?" Laurel asked, startled by the familiar voice.

"It's Rhett; I think he's back," Anita replied, switching on the lights, revealing Rhett standing at the doorway.

"Oh, your brother.” Laurel sighed in relief.

"You haven't answered my question. Are you a fool or what? Why do you endure mistreatment from your fiancé? Taking all this in the name of love? Do you lack self-respect or is it shame?" Rhett questioned Laurel, leaving her momentarily speechless.

"Why do you even care? Why bother about the treatment I receive in my relationship? You're my sister's fiancé, so focus on her and mind your business!" Laurel retorted after a brief pause.

"Of course, I care because I'm human! Why subject yourself to mistreatment? Give me an answer!" Rhett demanded, looking at Laurel expectantly.

"I have no other choice. My fiancé is the only one willing to take me in because I'm an orphan. No one else would want to associate with someone like me. You might not understand, being a rich CEO born to your parents, but this is the reality of it."

"And how does being an orphan define who you are as a person? Who made you believe all this?" Rhett responded gently, with pity in his eyes.

"It's not just a belief, it's the truth. And I honestly don't understand why you care. I don't want anything to do with you. You're my step-sister's fiancé, so let's avoid crossing paths again," Laurel declared, grabbing her phone and storming out of the room.

“You know you do not have to put up with this, Laurel,” Anita said gently after Laurel.

"It's okay; he just acted out because he was upset, but he loves me. Talk to you later," Laurel said, slamming the door in frustration.

“Who does he think he is?” Laurel murmured to herself, coming out of their house’s entire view and walking across the street.

Why does he even care? He's probably just like my cruel sister who treats orphans poorly, so why bother? So annoying! She blurted out to herself, stopping a cab to take her back home.

Upon returning home, Laurel was completely puzzled at the sight that greeted her. Clothes belonging to both a man and a woman were littered across the floor, creating a mess everywhere.

"Did I leave the house in such chaos before I went out? I'm pretty sure I didn't," Laurel thought, contemplating the situation.

"Could Andrew be back? Although, I doubt it. He doesn't usually return this early," She whispered to herself, voicing her confusion while taking in the chaotic scene.

Laurel went into the house fully, picking up all the clothes that had made such a mess. She dumped them all on the sofa and went forward. As she stepped forward, the sounds of moaning became clearer to her ears. She was still unsure of what she had heard and continued moving forward to her and Andrew’s bedroom.

Shock overcame her as she witnessed two individuals panting heavily while engaging in an intimate act on her and her fiancé's bed. Just as she was about to scream, the two individuals started talking.

"Laurel is such a fool, isn't she?" a familiar female voice remarked, causing Laurel to freeze.

“Ugh, please don’t ruin the mood by speaking about that worthless woman,” Andrew replied, panting slightly.

“Are you seriously going to marry her?” The woman asked.

"Heaven forbid! It's just for appearances! Besides, she'll be useful to both of us whenever we need each other," Andrew said, smirking and planting a kiss on the woman beside him.

“Poor thing. She must believe someone would genuinely love a person like her. Pitiful soul," the woman replied, and they both laughed.

Laurel couldn't believe what she just heard. With tears streaming down her face, she felt utterly helpless after listening to their conversation. Not only was Andrew subjecting her to abuse, but he was also cheating. Her life seemed to crumble before her.

“Let me take a quick shower and get going before the bastard gets back.” The woman said to Andrew and they laughed heartily.

Laurel quickly hid herself behind the curtains and peeped as the woman walked out of the bedroom, heading to the bathroom. She was brought into complete shock when she saw the woman Andrew was having an affair with.

With her hand covering her mouth and tears in her eyes, Laurel whispered,

“C-Clara— My sister?”