Mesmerized and Attached

Stella's POV: My name was Stella Bynes, and I was sentenced to ten years in prison for the murder of my own father. It all started when I was nineteen, a college student when I discovered my father was having an affair with a glamorous woman. His mistress even brazenly brought her two children into our home. My mother, fearing that a scandal would tank the stock price of Bynes Group, founded by my recently deceased grandfather, chose to swallow her pride and endured the humiliation in silence. But the mistress's constant provocations crushed her spirit, and she passed away the next year, heartbroken. On the day of my mother's death, my father was hit with the truth: the mistress's children were not his. Overwhelmed with regret, he knelt by my mother's bed, only his tears and apologies falling on deaf ears. But that woman shamelessly moved into our house, trying to take my mother's place. Enraged beyond measure, I couldn't bear it any longer. In a moment of fury, I stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and attempted to drive her out with it. However, her son, about my age, grabbed my hand and plunged the knife into my father. Though neither my father nor the woman died, my fingerprints were all over the weapon. She accused me of attempted murder, claiming I tried to kill both her and my father. The trauma drove my father insane, leaving him unable to defend me. As a result, I was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to ten years in prison. Naturally, my once-promising academic career at a prestigious university came to an abrupt end. Everything I held dear, my family, my parents, my education, my future, and our wealth, collapsed overnight. What was worse, the mistress and her children seized control of our assets and company. I was left in a state of utter shock, fear, despair, and heartbreak. During my six years in prison, I made numerous attempts to end my life, using anything at hand, like towels, and toothbrushes, and even banging my head against the wall. But death didn't smile at me. Instead, my suicide attempts did nothing helpful but disrupt the prison's performance metrics, leading to relentless bullying from my cellmates. They starved me, beat me, urinated on me, and once, they kept me awake for three days and nights. Bearing all that became a numbing experience. Day after day, I threw myself into work, not for performance but because I had become a shell of my former self. It was a surprise that my tireless efforts eventually paid off, earning me a reduction of my sentence by four years. After six years, I stepped back into the outside world. I was no longer the naïve girl I once was. At 26, I had walked through hell. Adrift and directionless, I faced a world where my mother was gone, my father lost to madness, and my soul relentlessly battered. But as I stood on the highest rooftop in the city, gazing down at the bustling crowds, something inside me reignited. I refused a life with nothing but a series of defeats. I was determined to take back everything that had been stolen from me! Along with this renewed desire came the deep-seated hatred I had buried within me. It surged through my veins like a long-sealed demon, ready to be unleashed. I wanted revenge! I could never forget the scene of being dragged away by the police, watching my father bleed out while those three monsters grinned behind me. They had turned me from a carefree heiress into a prisoner, branded with the mark of a murderer. This hatred was embedded in my bones, coursing through my veins, consuming me. My very existence was just for the day I could make them experience the most horrible death they so richly deserved! I wanted to drive the blade of revenge inch by inch into their hearts, ensuring they lived in eternal pain and regret! After a while, my best friend Sheila Jones arrived in her car to pick me up. Over the years, she had been my lifeline, providing the funds necessary for my sustenance in confinement. Sheila came from a prestigious family, and despite the stigma of my conviction, she never turned her back on me and remained my closest friend. Upon seeing me, she ran over and enveloped me in a tight hug. "You're finally out!" She then stepped back to take a good look at me. "Oh my god, you're even thinner than the last time I visited!" Tears glistened in her eyes. "Stella, I'm sorry that you've been through so much." Compared to her, I felt a pang of discomfort, seeing her so clean and stylish while I was disheveled and worn out. My hair was dry and messy, my hands rough and calloused, and my nails still stained with dirt. I wore plastic sandals and clothes that still bore traces of blood from six years ago. To avoid dirtying her, I patted her shoulder lightly. "Calm down! Calm down!" But she didn't let go, holding me tightly as her warm tears dripped onto my neck. Moved, I stood still and let her hug me for a long time. Eventually, she released me, wiped her eyes, and headed toward the car as she said in a broken voice, "Let's go find a nice place to celebrate your new beginning. I got your back, sis. And I'll never let you suffer again." As she drove, she asked, "So, what's next for you?" "Revenge," I said immediately. The car screeched to a halt before she turned to glare at me, her eyes wide-open. "Are you crazy? Do you wish to return to those walls?" I looked out at the busy streets and replied, "I know what I'm doing." Despite her concern, Sheila was unwavering in her support. After a meal, she outfitted me in fresh attire and took me to her workplace, determined to help me secure employment. She was right. I needed to get back on my feet. Standing outside Azure Ocean's sales center, I hesitated. "Is this your family's new project?" Her face clouded for a moment before she composed herself. "My family lost everything, just like you. If it weren't for what I learned from your situation, I might have ended up in prison too. And that was three years ago." "What happened?" She shrugged. "It's a long story. We went bankrupt. But we're starting fresh. Come on, I'll introduce you to our manager." I looked at her for a moment but didn't push further. She hated pity as much as I did. I knew that look all too well. Sheila had already done more than enough, so it was time for me to rely on myself. I needed to earn my own way and pay her back for everything she had done. As we walked into the shiny lobby, I turned to her. "What kind of job are we talking about?"