chapter 2
1436 Words
༆
{𝑵𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑽𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝑬𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒂}
•
Jane was grinning from ear to ear as she helped Roderick with his shirt. His face remained impassive, completely unbothered.
She left two buttons undone, just the way he liked it.
She pecked his lips and hugged him.
"I'm late," Roderick said, his voice soft but deep and masculine—a complete turn-on.
Jane broke the hug and cleared her throat.
"Why? Can’t a wife admire her lovely husband anymore?" she teased.
"What do you want?" Roderick muttered.
"The... party is tonight. Will you be coming? Please, you have to make it. I told everyone you’d be there. And besides, it’s my new collection—you know what that means. The brand moves forward, and I need massive sales in the first week..." she said.
"You told everyone I’d be there? I don’t remember confirming I’d be less busy tonight, Jane," Roderick said.
"Honey, you’re my husband, and I’ve told you since..."
The door opened, and Sean walked in.
"Boss," he bowed.
Roderick looked at him. Jane frowned.
"We need to go, boss," Sean said, then left without waiting.
"What about me??" Jane asked.
"I will be there," Roderick said dryly and walked out of her sight.
Jane didn’t care how dry he sounded. All that mattered was he’d show up tonight. Everyone would be mad jealous as usual.
"Get ready for me... hoes," she smirked and catwalked out of the bedroom.
Outside, fifty guards stood in perfect formation. The moment Roderick appeared, all heads went low.
No one said a word—it was strictly forbidden. Only those at the doors moved quickly, opening the way for him.
Roderick entered the back seat. Sean took the driver’s seat in front, and they zoomed off, following the lead car. Two more cars trailed behind.
"Cancel everything I have tonight," Roderick muttered.
"Yes, boss," Sean answered immediately.
☆☆☆
[𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌]
(𝑨𝒈𝒆 16: 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂)
Lovella stepped out of the cab right in front of the school gate, paid the driver, and with a forced smile, walked in.
She used to be the happy girl who loved school, always smiling, waving at anyone who greeted her, soaking up compliments like it was air, even though she got them all the time.
Lovella was the prettiest girl in school, the most popular. Everyone knew her. At sixteen, she already had the body, height, face, and features of a supermodel, and the attitude to match.
But that morning, something felt different. The sweet smiles weren’t there. The waves were gone. Instead, she felt hateful glares, whispers crawling around her like fire ants.
Lovella gripped her backpack tighter, her head, usually held high, now bowed, eyes barely lifting. Fear knotted her stomach.
Murmurs followed her every step.
"I knew she’s a young slut."
"Isn’t it obvious? The way she smiles at every boy…"
"I can’t believe she seduced her own uncle."
"Does that even make sense? She’s sixteen!"
"Then why was he jailed if she seduced him?!"
Her breath caught. Her uncle? News about her uncle? How? Who could know?
Only one person knew—the one person she trusted above all. Jane, her best friend.
Her legs moved before her brain could process. She bolted straight to class.
Heads turned, whispers turned louder. Jane wasn’t there yet.
Lovella swallowed hard, almost turned to leave, when Jane walked in… holding hands with Alex, Lovella’s boyfriend. Both smiling like nothing was wrong.
Lovella’s stomach twisted.
"Jane… we need to talk," she said, voice shaking. "Come with me…"
"I can’t, we have class," Jane said casually.
All eyes were on Lovella now.
"You… I…" Her voice cracked. "There’s… something going on."
"Something isn’t going on? You were exposed, it’s all over the school. What are you trying to say, Lovella?" A girl stepped forward, three more joining, all glaring.
"Jane… you’re the only one who knows about my uncle," Lovella said, her voice trembling.
"So what? Are you saying I reported it?" Jane crossed her arms.
"I’m saying… you know the news isn’t true! You know what really happened! You know!" Lovella screamed, hot tears streaking her face.
"What is the truth?" the students demanded.
Lovella couldn’t answer. Her throat tightened. She stared at Jane, helpless.
"Alex," she finally whispered.
Alex hesitated… but before he could speak…
"I guess you don’t know. Alex and Jane are dating now. You cheated on him first anyway," another girl sneered.
Her head spun. Everything dried up.
🎙 ANNOUNCEMENT: THIS STUDENT SHOULD PLEASE COME STRAIGHT TO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE… LOVELLA RODRIGUEZ.
She looked between Jane and Alex, wiped her tears, and walked out.
༆
"Lovella, you know this is serious…"
"I didn’t do anything wrong," she cut the principal off.
"So what’s this news about? Your uncle…"
"I don’t want to talk about my family here. Not in school," Lovella said firmly.
"So, what are you planning to do?" the principal asked.
"I have class. You’re making me late," she replied.
The principal nodded. "Then go. I’ll make sure the news stops, warn them—"
"You don’t have to. They don’t care," Lovella said, still red-faced from crying, and left.
••
After school, she was one of the first to leave. In the cab, her thoughts ran wild.
Everyone avoided her like she was a plague. Like a disaster. Maybe they had always hated her—the smiles and admiration just a facade.
She wasn’t from a rich family. She was on a scholarship, and she knew how cruel the wealthy kids could be. Somehow, she had earned their resentment early on.
Jane… Alex… dating? Her own best friend and her boyfriend? And now this vicious rumor about her uncle?
She pulled out a note she found in her locker earlier, read the simple sentence written in sharp letters:
IT WAS JANE, YOUR BEST FRIEND★
Of course it was Jane. Lovella wasn’t surprised, Jane was the only one who knew her family’s secrets.
But why would she do that? Not just spread it, but lie??
Why lie against her instead of telling the truth?
That was when Lovella realized she actually preferred this lie to the truth coming out.
How could she face her classmates if they discovered she lived with her uncle, who had been abusing and molesting her since she was ten??
How could she face them if they discovered her uncle had taken her virginity and continued to sleep with her until she was thirteen, before she finally reported him??
Her uncle was now in jail, but every night she still feared. What if he came back??
Just… what if…
"Young miss, we are here," the cab driver announced.
Lovella sniffed, wiped her tears, paid, and got out.
The weather looked like it might rain tonight. Lovella entered the house.
It was a two-bedroom apartment, old and nearly falling apart. She lived there alone. The only family she had was her uncle—now in jail.
She was five when her parents died. Her father had fallen from the top of a building while working as a construction worker; his head had shattered.
Her mother, pregnant at the time, went into premature labor upon hearing the news. Neither she nor the baby survived.
Her uncle came to live with her in her parents’ flat since she was too young to care for herself.
He treated her well for five years… before becoming a monster.
Unknown to Lovella, he had been waiting for her to grow before beginning his wicked acts.
•༆
It was exactly 8 pm when the rain finally started, just as Lovella had predicted.
She was in the kitchen, cooking the last noodle left in the house. She had intended to save it for tomorrow morning before school, but her hunger was too great to resist.
Lovella walked out of the kitchen, holding a small flashlight. The electricity had been out for some time.
Even in the dark, she sensed something was wrong. That’s why she left the kitchen with a knife in hand, ready.
As she reached the sitting room, it felt stranger. The door was wide open. Lovella froze.
She didn’t approach it. Then, a shadow emerged from behind the door. Lovella’s heart stopped as the person’s face came into view.
No one else… but her uncle.
"It’s been a while, my pretty nephew," he said in the voice that always irritated her.
How was he out of jail? How could they release him??
Lovella held the knife behind her tightly, her eyes filled with rage, fear and sadness.
—And that’s when the rain intensified, lightning flashing, illuminating her uncle’s sinister grin.
- Writer
