Her Mysterious Savior

Faye Everhart was running for her life. Her clothes were snagged and torn by thorny underbrush, trickles of blood running down her forehead. She dared not slow down. Not far behind, a man and woman were quickly gaining ground. Her own husband and his mistress were out to kill her! Just an hour ago, Faye had rushed home from overseas after hearing her son was ill, only to walk into the ultimate betrayal. There they were—her husband and her so-called best friend—entwined on her own bed, reveling in their affair and scoffing at her naivety. Faye could hardly believe the scene before her eyes. She had invested everything into this marriage, striving to be the perfect wife and mother, not to mention her success in the corporate world. All she had ever wanted was Derek's love, which he had convincingly pretended to give. To everyone else, they were the perfect family: a loving husband, an adorable son, and a picture of domestic bliss. Now, it was all exposed as a cruel joke. Her dearest friend and her husband were in league against her. The irony stung her badly. Faye wanted to burst through the door and slap them silly, but her arms, weak with rage, barely responded. "Derek, I adore this bed," Regina purred, her voice mingling with a soft moan. "When can I finally become the lady of this house and truly own it?" "Trust me, babe, it won't be long," Derek replied between heavy breaths, lust thick in his voice. "Once we secure the inheritance, she’ll be nothing to us." ‘Inheritance? Property? Is he talking about me?’ Faye clawed at the doorframe, holding back her screams. "Oh, you heartless thing!" Regina planted a kiss on Derek's cheek, mockingly adding, "Especially since you two are everyone's favorite lovebirds!" Derek sneered, "If not for my grandparents' fondness for her, I’d never have married such a woman! She’s just an orphan, a nobody. How could she even become the lady of my family?" The truth was clear now. Derek had never loved her, and their marriage was a mere business arrangement. Faye felt like an absolute fool. She burst through the door and, grabbing a nearby hockey stick, swung it at the disheveled duo on the bed. "You deceitful scum! Go to hell!" Caught off guard by Faye's early return, Derek and Regina tumbled from the bed. More than the embarrassment of being caught, they feared what Faye might tell the Whitmore family's elders—Derek's grandparents. Faye was their adopted granddaughter, whom they believed to be the best choice as Derek's wife. If they discovered Derek's betrayal, it would definitely jeopardize his claim to inheritance. Regina scrambled for her scattered clothes. Derek recovered first, snatching the hockey stick and restraining Faye. "Cool it, I can explain; this is all a big misunderstanding." His shameless pleading continued, even as Faye's eyes blazed with fury. She headbutted him, and he yelped, forced to let go. Then, spinning around, she slapped Regina hard, glaring venomously at her. "Enough, Faye!" Derek yelled, dropping all pretense. "I'll put up with your temper, but keep your hands off my woman!" "Faye, I'm just too in love with Derek. Our actions might be immoral, but love is unstoppable!" Regina, now bolstered by Derek's support, began her provocation. "Or would you rather go from being the lady of the Whitmore family to a woman driven mad by her husband’s infidelity?" Faced with a two-on-one situation, Faye knew she had no chance of winning. She needed to leave immediately and head to Derek's grandparents' house, where she might find some protection. However, Derek seemed to realize this too. Just as Faye turned to leave, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her in a desperate attempt to detain her. "Check the drawer for rope and sedatives! Quick! We can’t let her just walk out like this!" he shouted to Regina. "Let go of me, Derek!" Faye struggled, but Derek slammed her head against the wall. Pain shot through her, blood likely seeping from her forehead. Then, she heard Derek gasp in panic. "What are you doing with that gun!" Regina rummaged through a chaotic drawer, finding both the sedatives and a handgun hidden beneath. "I just think the gun might be more effective," she said coolly, pointing it at Faye. "Honey, I know what you're planning. Don’t expect those old folks to help you now." Derek frowned, cautioning, "Be careful—it might go off!" He wasn’t ready for Faye to die just yet. A childish voice suddenly pierced the air from the hallway. "Daddy, Mommy, what are you doing?" The commotion had woken Kyle Whitmore, who now stood in the hallway, bewildered by the scene before him. The little boy was too young to understand the adults' conflict, only feeling a sense of helplessness. To Faye's astonishment, Regina quickly stashed away the gun and rushed to soothe Kyle. "Don’t worry, sweetie. We’re just playing a game with your mommy." Even Derek let go of Faye. Over the years, Regina, as her supposed best friend, had indeed grown close to Kyle, but Faye had never expected her to show concern for his feelings in such a crucial moment and hide her cruelty instantly. This interruption gave Faye the moment she needed to escape, so she shoved Derek away and bolted for the door. The villa was isolated on a hillside, and any screams for help would go unheard. Faye stumbled through another patch of underbrush, ignoring the sharp leaves slicing her skin. Finally, she reached a nearby road. "We have to catch her. We can’t let her spill everything, or we’re finished!" Derek and Regina’s voices were getting closer. Ignoring the pain and exhaustion, Faye tried to cross to the other side of the road. Just as she reached the middle, a car appeared out of nowhere, its headlights blinding her, giving her no chance to dodge. Accompanied by the sharp screech of brakes, Faye finally lost consciousness. ***** When she woke up, everything around her was unfamiliar. The room was lavishly decorated, the bed and blankets soft and luxurious... As memories slowly pieced together in her mind, Faye couldn’t tell how long she’d been unconscious or even if she was still dreaming. "Daddy, she’s awake!" A child’s voice drew her gaze. A little head peeked through a partially opened door, curiously observing her. Then, a tall, handsome man followed, pushing the door open. "How are you feeling?"