Chapter 2
The knife didn’t cut deeply; it just left a shallow red mark.
But my parents and Lucas Henderson all panicked.
My mom sobbed and pulled Olivia Mogane into her arms, while Lucas Henderson, looking stricken, immediately called for a private doctor.
My dad stormed over to me, his face twisted in fury, and slapped me across the face.
“You disaster,” he spat.
“Why are you back? Every time you show up, something bad happens.”
“What did your sister ever do to you? Why are you doing this to her?”
“Someone like you, with such a vicious heart, should’ve stayed in prison!”
Olivia Mogane’s sobs only made my dad angrier.
He grabbed a teacup off the table and threw it at me with all his might.
I braced for the pain, but it never came.
When I looked up, I saw Lucas Henderson standing in front of me, blocking the cup from hitting me.
“Uncle, Aunt, please don’t take it out on Rozella Mogane,” he said, his voice steady.
My parents glared at me, then hurriedly took Olivia Mogane to the hospital, still looking anxious.
Once they were gone, Lucas Henderson gently pulled me into his arms, soothing me.
“Rozella Mogane, don’t be upset. You’ve got me.”
“My love for you will always be just for you.”
I looked up at him, his eyes full of tenderness, as if he truly loved me.
I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.
“I’m fine, I’ve gotten used to it.”
“You don’t need to worry about me. Go take care of your hand.”
Chapter 2
Lucas Henderson smiled softly.
“My little Rozella Mogane, always so understanding.”
“I’m going to marry you as soon as I can, and no one will ever hurt you again.”
He ruffled my hair like he did with Olivia Mogane, then turned and walked away.
Watching him walk off, my heart felt like a barren wasteland.
The CEO of the Henderson Corporation, willing to marry someone like me–a prisoner, a broken mess–just to make Olivia Mogane happy.
This kind of love was honestly… amazing.
I took a deep breath and returned to the small, dusty attic room.
I quickly tidied up, but before I could lie down, I got a message from Olivia Mogane.
In the video, my parents sat on either side of her, looking overly concerned.
And there was Lucas Henderson, crouching in front of her, feeding her slowly, gazing at her with all the affection in the world.
“You probably don’t know yet,” she said with a smug smile, “but Lucas and I are already engaged.”
An engagement? What about the promises Lucas Henderson made to me?
In disbelief, I opened his social media account, clicking on it with shaky hands.
The first post at the top was a photo of them getting engaged.
Scrolling down, every post was about Olivia Mogane.
While I was stuck in prison for five years…
Lucas Henderson used his connections to get Olivia Mogane into Harvard, taking my place.
But instead of focusing on her studies, Olivia Mogane spent all her time with him, enjoying the high life
The two of them, holding hands in a lavender field.
Whispering sweet nothings under the Eiffel Tower.
I was locked up, enduring beatings and insults.
Chapter 2
They, on the other hand, were living out every romantic dream in the world.
I was penniless, couldn’t even afford a cab after I was released.
Meanwhile, they were throwing money around, buying jewelry worth more than my entire life’s savings.
While I was in the dark, they had already become the golden couple in their social circle.
No wonder, over these five years, Lucas Henderson and my parents hadn’t come to visit me even once.
I naively thought he was out there working on my case, trying to clear my name.
Turns out, he was too busy enjoying sweet moments with Olivia Mogane.
The pain in my chest felt like it was tearing me apart.
I lay on the bed, letting the tears fall freely.
Suddenly, my phone rang.
I picked it up without thinking, and the voice on the other end caught me completely off guard.
“Rozella Mogane, I heard you’re out of prison. How are you doing?”
Of all people, it was the old professor I had only met once, who was asking how I was.
We exchanged some pleasantries.
Then he told me that all these years, he’d been working hard to investigate my case, fighting for my reduced sentence, all so I could join a secret research center once I was free.
“You’re a rare talent. Whether you agree or not, I’ll keep looking into that car accident and clear your
name.”
His words sent a warmth through my cold heart.
Back then, I had worked my butt off to earn my parents‘ approval.
I not only received acceptance letters from prestigious schools, but I was also selected for a national research team.
But I never got the chance to make a choice.
Instead, my closest loved ones conspired to send me to prison.
Now, I saw right through my parents and Lucas Henderson’s fake faces.
Chapter 2
I would never again foolishly yearn for a love that wasn’t meant for me.
With tears streaming down my face, I agreed to the professor’s invitation.
His voice was filled with excitement.
“That’s fantastic! I’ll come personally to pick you up in five days.”
“We’ll see each other then!”
“We’ll see each other then,” I replied, a quiet determination in my voice.
Looking at the photo on my phone of Lucas Henderson and Olivia Mogane wrapped in each other’s arms,
I turned and drew a line across the wall.
It was a habit I had developed in prison.
Back then, I had hoped for the day I’d be free and able to see Lucas Henderson again.
Now, I only wished for the day I could leave it all behind for good.
