Trapped with the Ruthless CEO

Thelma Hayes POV I still remember the exact moment my life split into before and after. I was eighteen. Sitting in the middle of a lecture hall, pretending to take notes while my mind wandered to what I was going to eat later. My phone kept vibrating in my bag, over and over again, but I ignored it at first. Calls during class weren’t unusual. It was just my mom checking in, my dad asking if I needed money. Normal things. Safe things. But it didn’t stop. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. I frowned, finally reaching for it. Unknown number. I hesitated for a second before answering, keeping my voice low. “Hello?” There was a pause. Then a voice I didn’t recognize. “Is this Thelma Hayes?” Something about the tone made my stomach tighten. “Yes… who is this?” “I’m calling from St. Mary’s Hospital.” My pen slipped from my fingers. And just like that… everything after that moment feels like a blur. I don’t remember leaving the classroom. I don’t remember how I got to the hospital. I just remember standing there, staring at two covered bodies, my hands trembling so badly I had to hold them together to stop it. “They didn’t survive the crash.” Crash. Such a small word. For something that destroyed everything. I didn’t scream. Didn’t cry. I just stood there, waiting for someone to tell me it was a mistake. No one did. … The funeral came and went like a dream I couldn’t wake up from. People kept hugging me, whispering things like “be strong” and “they’re in a better place.” I nodded at all of them, like I understood, like I believed it. I didn’t. All I knew was that when everyone left… I had nowhere to go. That was when my aunt showed up. My father’s sister. She wrapped her arms around me tightly, smelling like expensive perfume and something unfamiliar. “You’ll come stay with me,” she said. “You’re not alone, Thelma.” At the time, I thought she meant it. I thought… maybe everything wouldn’t be so bad. … The first few weeks at her house felt almost normal. She gave me a room. Asked about school. Told people she was “taking care of her poor niece.” I was grateful. Too grateful to notice the small things. The way her tone would change when no one else was around. The way she’d sigh every time I asked for something. The way her smiles never quite reached her eyes. Then one day… it changed completely. “Since you’re living here for free,” she said casually, handing me a list, “you can start making yourself useful.” That was the beginning. It didn’t happen all at once. It was slow. Careful. Like she was peeling away pieces of me one by one. First, it was chores. Then more chores. Then rules. Then insults. “You eat too much.” “You’re just like your mother…useless.” “You should be grateful I even let you stay here.” I told myself it was temporary. That I just needed to finish school. That once I graduated, I’d leave. That things would get better. I’m twenty-one now. And I’m still here. Still in the same house that never feels like home. Still walking on eggshells. Still pretending I don’t hear the things she says. The only difference is… now I’m done with college. And I have no excuse left to stay I tie the apron around my waist, forcing a smile as I step into the restaurant floor. “Table six needs water!” my manager shouts. “Coming!” I called back quickly. The noise, the clatter of plates, the low hum of conversations….it’s overwhelming, but it’s better than silence. Better than being in that house. Here, at least, I exist. Even if it’s just as a waitress carrying trays and pretending my feet don’t hurt. Even if it’s not the life I want. … By the time my shift ended, my legs felt like they didn’t belong to me anymore. Every step home felt heavier than the last, but I kept walking anyway, my mind already dreading what waited for me behind that door. When I turned the corner to the house, I slowed. My aunt was standing outside. And she wasn’t alone. A man stood beside her tall, unfamiliar, his eyes immediately landing on me in a way that made my skin crawl. I forced a polite smile anyway. “Good evening, ma’am.” Her lips stretched into something that looked like a smile, but I knew better. “Thelma,” she called as I tried to walk past them. I stopped. “This is a friend of mine,” she said, gesturing to the man. “He just came to say hi.” I nodded slowly. “Hello,” I said quietly. But I didn’t believe her. Not for a second. Still, I didn’t question it. I couldn’t afford to. I just walked inside. My room felt like the only place I could breathe. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, closing my eyes. Something felt… off. I pushed it aside. I was too tired to think. Slowly, I peeled off my clothes, dropping them on the floor as I grabbed a towel. All I wanted was a shower…something to wash the day off me, to clear my head. I opened my door. And froze. He was there. Standing in the hallway. Waiting. My grip tightened around the towel. “What are you doing here?” He smiled. Not kindly. Not normally. Something about it made my stomach twist. “I’m staying the night,” he said casually. I frowned, confusion creeping in as I took a step back. “What…?” He started walking toward me. Slow. Confident. Predatory. My heart started pounding. “I paid your aunt,” he said, his smile widening. “To spend the night with you.” For a second… I couldn’t breathe. “What?” I whispered. Then I turned to run. But he was faster. His hand grabbed my arm, yanking me back so hard I stumbled. “Let go of me!” I screamed, panic rising fast in my chest. “AuntyMargeret” He laughed. A dark, disgusting sound. “She knows,” he said. Something inside me snapped. I drove my knee up as hard as I could. He let out a loud, choked scream, his grip loosening instantly as he doubled over, clutching himself. I didn’t wait. I grabbed the nearest thing I could find..a vase sitting by the wall and smashed it against his head. The sound echoed through the house. He yelled, stumbling back, blood starting to trickle down his forehead. Footsteps rushed up the stairs. My aunt burst in. “Oh my God!” she cried, rushing straight to him. “Are you okay?!” I stared at her. My chest was rising and falling rapidly. “I…he…” my voice shook. “He tried to…” “You i***t!” she snapped at me, cutting me off. I blinked. “What?” “I said, are you stupid?!” she shouted, turning on me. “Do you know how much he paid?!” My ears rang. “I almost got r***d!” I screamed, my voice breaking. “And you’re worried about him?!” Her face twisted with anger. Before I could react, her hand shot out, grabbing my hair and yanking me forward so hard I cried out. “I should have left you on the streets like your useless parents!” she spat. Pain exploded across my scalp as she dragged me into my room. “No ... .please….” I begged, trying to pull away. She didn’t stop. She reached for her belt. And then the first hit landed. I screamed. The second. The third. Over and over again. Each strike burning into my skin, stealing the air from my lungs. “I hate you!” she shouted. “You and those good-for-nothing parents of yours!” “Stop….please…” I sobbed, my body curling in on itself. But she didn’t stop. She never did. Everything started to blur. The pain. The shouting. The world started spinning around me. Until finally everywhere went dark. … The sound of my phone buzzing woke me up. My eyes fluttered open slowly, my entire body aching like I had been run over. Even breathing hurt. I winced as I tried to sit up, a sharp pain shooting through my side. My phone kept ringing. Unknown number. For a second, I almost ignored it. Then I answered. “H-hello…?” “Good morning. Am I speaking with Thelma Hayes?” I swallowed. “Yes…” “This is the bank. We’ve been trying to reach you regarding your parents’ savings account.” My heart skipped. “What… about it?” “There is a fund left in your name. A significant amount. You are eligible to claim it immediately.” Silence. “Significant?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. “Yes, ma’am.” Something inside me shifted. Hope. Real, terrifying hope. An hour later, I was packing. My hands trembled as I shoved my few belongings into my suitcase. I didn’t care what I left behind. I just needed to go. At the restaurant, my manager frowned the moment she saw me. “Thelma… what happened to you?” I forced a small smile. “I’m okay,” I lied. “I just… I need my salary. I’m quitting.” Her expression softened, concern filling her eyes. “You’re one of my best waitresses,” she said gently. “Are you sure?” I nodded. “I have to go.” She hesitated… then sighed. “Alright.” By afternoon, I stood inside the bank. My hands were still shaking as they handed me the documents. The number on the paper didn’t feel real. It was enough. Enough to leave. Enough to start over. Enough to never go back. That night, I sat alone, staring at my phone. One thought repeating in my mind. New York. A new city. A new life. A place where no one knew me. Where no one could hurt me. I closed my eyes. Took a deep breath. And made a decision. I was leaving. And this time… I wasn’t looking back.