The CEO's Contracted Heart

Chapter 4: Break Up

Many security guards were patrolling the entire yard. I immediately closed the curtains of my room and the windows, then looked at myself in the full-length mirror to check my appearance. I was just wearing casual clothes since I had no intention of attending the family dinner they were planning. I had no desire to face Augustus's family. Right now, I just wanted to escape from this house because I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating from the way my family was treating me. Over the years, I endured and followed their wishes, but I couldn't take it anymore, so I became rebellious against them.

After waiting a few hours, I left my room and peeked around. I knew that all the workers, maids, and everyone else were busy in the kitchen attending to Augustus's family. From here, I saw my family except Rain. She must still be preparing because somehow it’s still early.

"Oh dear, by the way, I just want to ask, where is Rachel Valentine? Isn't she supposed to be here having dinner with us? How are we going to talk about her and Augustus living together here if she's not here?" Beatrice, a woman in her mid-fifties who still radiated elegance and attractiveness despite her age, inquired across the family dining hall.

"Don't worry, Beatrice," my mom replied to her question. "I will ask the maid to call Rachel. She might just be getting ready and preparing for this family dinner because she's so excited for it. She's been anticipating it ever since we announced earlier that she would be marrying your son."

Lies. All lies. This is how they've always been, constantly protecting their image. They go to great lengths to prove their worth to others by being desperate people. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to escape now. With my backpack in hand, I made my way out. I was about to run away when I heard Augustus speak, which made me pause for a moment.

"Maybe we shouldn't pressure her. Let's just leave Rachel in her room for now. Let her breathe. After all, this arranged marriage was sudden for her."

I didn't know why his explanation to my family, asking them not to pressure me to come out of my room, made me hesitate. But I shrugged it off and continued my escape. I had been doing this for years, and it had become easy for me to evade our security guards, even though their number had increased because the Blackwell family was here.

Once I was out, I made sure they wouldn't be able to trace me. Even though Augustus said not to pressure me, I knew my mom would secretly send a maid to check on my room. I made sure to lock my room and kept the key with me.

When I finally hailed a taxi to Xander's apartment, I hurriedly got in and told the driver the location. As we drove, my heart pounded because I knew they were expecting me at the dinner meeting, but I couldn't face them now. I was humiliated in front of Augustus, pregnant, and overwhelmed. All I wanted was to escape with Xander. Despite our recent argument, I planned to apologize and run away with him, never to see my family again.

"Driver, you can drop me off here," I said as we arrived. I paid the fare, got out of the taxi, and walked through the narrow, somewhat dirty alley towards Xander's apartment. It was crowded, but I was used to it after years of sneaking out.

When I reached his apartment, I knocked. "Xander, this is Rachel, open up." I waited outside, but after a few minutes with no response, I felt puzzled. I tried the door, expecting it to be locked, but it was open. This meant he was inside because he never left the apartment unlocked.

I entered cautiously, my heart racing as I tiptoed through the dark apartment towards his bedroom. "Xander, are you here? It's me, Rachel. Look, I'm sorry about our argument. I know you don't want me to abort the baby, and I've decided not to. Let's run away together and build a family."

I stopped when I almost tripped, feeling something under my foot. Looking down, I squinted and saw I had stepped on something soft. I picked it up, and my heart pounded faster when I realized it was a woman's undergarment. As if on cue, I heard the sound of skin slapping coming from Xander's room. I dropped the undergarment and rushed to his bedroom door, flinging it open slightly to peek inside.

"Ohhh!"

"F*ck! Ahh!"

There, I saw Xander having s*x with another woman.

Who is very familiar to me…

"R-rain..?" I whispered to myself. No, it can’t be. She should be in the mansion with my family having dinner with the Blackwells'. T-that can’t be right…she knows about Xander? B-but how? H-how dare she?

They continued what they were doing, clearly they haven’t noticed me so I ran away with a broken heart and a confused mind.

I rushed out of his apartment, tears blurring my vision. I couldn't believe he would do this after everything I had sacrificed for him. My chest ached as I marched away.

I was ready to build a family with him. I was ready to run away from my family for him! But what did he do to me?! He betrayed me with my own twin sister. And now, I'm going to marry a man I don't even love.

I hope they’re satisfied with what's happening in my life now.

For some reason, I found myself hailing a taxi back to my house, crying all the way.

When I arrived home, I found a way to get back to my room. Despite the pain, I tried to compose myself. I put on a dress, did my makeup, and went to the kitchen to face the Blackwell family and my own as if nothing had happened.

When I arrived, they were laughing and giggling when all eyes were on me. I narrowed my eyes at Augustus, who paused and stared back at me. Our eyes locked for a moment before I cleared my throat and announced...

"My name is Rachel Valentine Everhart, and I accept Augustus Theodore Blackwell as my soon-to-be husband."