All Chapters of A Heart Torn by Betrayal: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

When a group of girls dragged me into the restroom by force, Channing stood in the hallway, smiling as bright as a summer's day. I didn't even have time to figure out why he was there before Jennifer Haley, his childhood friend, yanked my hair so hard I had to tilt my head back. "You cheap little wretch! Did you really think Channing would fall for someone like you?" she sneered. In my trembling hands was the strawberry cake I had made for Channing. Just the day before, he had told me it was his favorite, and I had worked all night to prepare it. Jennifer snatched the cake from my grasp and hurled it to the ground. The cream splattered everywhere. She signaled her cronies to pin me down. Then she pressed her foot against the side of my face, grinding it into the floor. "Unless you lick this mess off the floor clean today, tomorrow I'll make you lick the toilet!" she hissed.From my angle on the floor, I could see Channing lighting a cigarette. His gaze flitted toward me, c

The next day, I returned to the dormitory only to find my bed soaked with leftover scraps of food—rancid from the sweltering heat, its stench unbearable. There was no need to guess who had done it. Jennifer's handiwork was written all over it. Not long after, Jennifer herself strutted in, a posse of followers trailing behind her. She grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head downward. "Well, well," she sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "I thought you didn't have the guts to show up at school anymore." "Hey, Jennifer, what's the game plan today?" one of her lackeys chirped. Releasing my hair with a smirk, Jennifer's expression darkened. "Channing says we can do whatever we like—just don't kill her. Oh, and bring her to the classroom tonight. He's got a little gift he wants to deliver personally."Her words had barely left her lips when she gave a subtle nod. In an instant, one of the girls delivered a swift, brutal kick to my stomach, sending me sprawling to the

It must have been hours before Jennifer returned, her presence announced by the swish of a dress that made her look every bit the princess she aspired to be. She had changed her clothes, likely preparing for a date with Channing. Her expression was radiant, her smile sharp enough to cut, and in stark contrast to me—broken, filthy, and crumpled on the cold floor. "Well, Amanda, how does it feel to be betrayed by the man you love most?" she asked, her tone sweet but dripping with malice. I lifted my head, though exhaustion weighed it down. "You and your family know the truth of what really happened." My voice wavered, worn thin by hours of torment. Jennifer's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Of course, I know the truth. But what does that matter?" she said airily, crouching down and patting my head as though I were some pitiable creature. "Your foolish brother was nothing more than a scapegoat for my family." Her words sliced through me, but she wasn't done. "But it's not abo

"Amanda, where the hell have you been?!" Channing's voice roared through the phone, seething with rage. I had been broken beyond repair, my body and soul scarred beyond recognition. What were his venomous words to someone like me? "Channing," I said, my voice calm but hollow, "if I died, would that be enough to atone for everything?" There was a pause, the kind that made the air feel heavier. Then his voice came back, colder than ever."Amanda, don't even think about it. I'm not done with you yet. If you dare to die, I'll make sure your father wishes he were dead!"A flicker of worry crossed my face, but Grayson, sitting nearby, met my gaze and gave me a reassuring "OK" sign, silently urging me not to fret. "Channing," I said, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions, "I once loved you, truly. And I've come to hate you just as deeply. My brother and I gave our lives—two lives—for your sister. Isn't that enough?" "Amanda!" he bellowed, his voice rising to a pitch of

My old scars lay bare before him, unhidden and raw."Amanda, you..."I pointed to the half-concealed scar on my chest, "Jennifer said that my brother was the first to undress Eliza, so she had to mark me here deeply."Channing shook his head in a state of near collapse. "Stop talking, I've already forgiven you, but I can't forgive your brother!""Heh." Tears streamed down my face, "But do you know? It was actually Jennifer's father, Stephen, who violated your sister!"I shouted out the truth.Channing stepped back. "Impossible, impossible...""Do you know why he violated your sister?"I laughed. "Did you know that Jennifer is Stephen's adopted daughter, and in that sanatorium where my father was kept locked up, there were a bunch of girls in their prime locked in a secret room!"They were all for Stephen's enjoyment. The original victim was supposed to be Jennifer, but to save herself, she promised Stephen that she would deliver your sister to him. My brother just happened to