“You’re a disgusting woman!” Brandon’s face twisted in anger. “I should have known you were capable of this.”
He was mad as hell now as he limped forward to her.
His entire body still ached from the terrible beatings Sebastian’s men had given him, but he didn’t mind reopening his wounds as long as he got to lay his hands on this despicable woman.
And before she could react, he grabbed her by the throat, his fingers tightening around her skin. “You don’t get to lie to me and walk away unscathed!” he growled.
Surprised by his violent outburst, Kathlyn gasped for air, panic flooding her. She clawed at his hand, but the grip was unyielding.
“Stop it! You’re hurting me!” she managed to shriek, eyes pleading for mercy.
But hearing her voice only sent Brandon into an uncontrollable fury as he held her neck tighter, squeezing the life out of her. He hated this bitch with every fiber of his being.
Kathlyn was running out of breath now, the world spinning around her. The anger that had fueled her moments before was replaced with sheer terror as her life began to flash before her eyes.
Fortunately, in an instant, the door burst open, and a flurry of doctors and nurses rushed in, their faces a mask of alarm. “Get your hands off her!” one of them shouted, pulling Brandon away with surprising strength while Kathlyn stumbled to the ground, almost unconscious.
She came face to face with death but narrowly escaped.
Brandon could have killed her…. almost!
It’s funny how the next day was supposed to be their wedding day. Now, look how the tables turned. It was such a humiliating end to their love affair.
Katlyn had lost everything……
***********
Serenity Villa.
Three days later.
Kourtney stood on the polished marble floor of the kitchen, wearing a skimpy sky-blue nightie that made her look like a goddess.
Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she prepared to make coffee for her husband, Sebastian. She had stayed with him long enough to learn that he always drank coffee at 8 pm, whenever he was working at his study.
It was the first time since the traumatic events that she stepped out of their bedroom, and she wanted to make it special- starting with personally making his everyday coffee.
“I want to do something nice for him,” she thought, her resolve strengthening.
Sebastian had been extra sweet the last few days, showering her with so much care and attention.
He pampered her as if she were an egg not to be broken.
He treated her like she was made of glass as if the slightest thing could shatter her to pieces.
Instead of going to his company, he worked from home and took care of her like a personal nanny, ensuring she ate, slept, and felt safe.
“Do you need anything, my love?” he would ask with tenderness as he tucked a blanket around her while she lay on their bed, still shaken from the events.
He would sit beside her, holding her hand, his thumb stroking her knuckles soothingly.
He would bring her breakfast in bed and whisper comforting words that melted all her fears away.
Now, standing in the kitchen, she could feel the weight of her gratitude pressing down on her. She knew she had to do something special for the man now that she had fully recovered. She needed to show him how much she appreciated his kindness, no matter how small.
“Madam, are you sure you don’t want us to handle the coffee?” Sebastian’s old butler, James, asked hesitantly.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly unsure whether to step back or insist on helping her.
“Thank you, Mr James, but I really want to do this myself.”
“Are you sure, ma’am? The way the Sir likes his coffee, it’s quite a long process and different. We wouldn’t want you to stress yourself-”
“Mr James, please,” Kourtney interrupted, her tone firm yet playful. “I’m fine now. I’ve got this. Just leave it to me.”
James exchanged a nervous glance with the other kitchen staff, who were all watching intently. “Very well, Madame, but please call us if you need any assistance. We wouldn’t like to see you get hurt.”
Kourtney smiled lightly, her heart warming at their protectiveness. “I promise. I’ll be careful.”
As the staff retreated to their other duties, she focused on the task at hand. Each flick of the wrist felt like a step toward reclaiming her life.
Her thoughts drifted to the past few day’s events.
Now that everyone had finally seen Kathlyn for who she really was, Kourtney felt a strange sense of satisfaction. She had endured so much pain, but now the truth was out, and it felt like a heavy weight was finally lifted off her shoulders.
However, a bitter taste still lingered in her mouth when she thought of her family.
Her parents had done the bare minimum of each sending her an apology through text message, which made her skin crawl with contempt.
“Just a text? After everything?” she thought bitterly.
She could have probably been beaten to death by those heartless inmates if she hadn’t been rescued on time.
Yet, they couldn’t even muster the decency of a face-to-face or public apology after what they put her through.
They barely even acknowledged the chaos that Kathlyn had caused, trying to ruin her life and reputation.
She thought of the countless times they had failed her, how they had turned a blind eye to Kathlyn’s manipulations all these years.
She couldn’t believe she ever rated these people as her family.
The annoyance of it all ignited a fire within her, and she started to imagine the countless ways they could be made to pay for their neglect. The thought was deliciously satisfying, even if only in her imagination.
For now…..
She placed the coffee cup onto a small tray, adding a couple of buttery croissants she had managed to bake earlier.
Finally feeling a sense of purpose, she headed up the stairs leading to her husband’s study, the tray steady in her hands.
She was stronger now, no longer the pushover Kourtney. She could stand on her own two feet, regardless of her family’s failures, as long as she had this man as her husband.
Taking a deep breath, Kourtney pushed open the door of his study, gently.