Scarlett: The Billionaire's Secret Wife

Chapter 2

Aunt Julie looked surprised seeing Scarlett home at this time of the day. She couldn't help but ask, "What happened to you, Scarlett? Why are you back from work so early? Are you trying to get out of work?" Aunt Julie sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.

Scarlett mustered a weak smile, attempting to hide her agony. "I had an accident at work, Aunt Julie," she replied, her voice barely audible. "I slipped and fell while carrying some heavy boxes."

Uncle Sam's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and greed. "You, Stupid girl. ..Accident, huh? How convenient. You know we can't afford any setbacks, Scarlett. You're here to bring in money, not make excuses. If you allow a little injury like that stop you from working, if they deduct your pay, how do you intend to pay back all the money your foolish dead father owes us?!"

Scarlett's heart sank, and fear gripped her. "I... I don't know if they'll deduct it from my pay, Uncle Sam. I didn't make much today, and if they cut my earnings, I won't be able to contribute as much as usual. Please, I’ll pay you back. I just need my hand to heal a little."

Uncle Sam sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Foolish girl! You always never contribute enough, do you? You're just a burden to us. We're tired of carrying you."

Scarlett's eyes welled up with tears, her voice trembling. "I'm trying my best, Uncle Sam. I didn't mean for this to happen. I just need to heal a little, then, I’ll get back to work tomorrow; but I'm scared you'll punish me for it."

Aunt Julie laughed cruelly, her eyes cold and unforgiving. "Punish you? Oh, Scarlett. You haven't seen punishment yet. If you can't bring in the money we need, you'll find out what true suffering is."

Scarlett's tears streamed down her face, her voice choked with despair. "I'm sorry, Aunt Julie. I never wanted to disappoint you. I'll do anything. Please, just don't hurt me."

Uncle Sam's voice dripped with wickedness. "We'll see about that, Scarlett. Maybe a little pain will teach you a lesson. We can't afford to be lenient anymore."

Aunt Julie's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Well, if you can't bring in the money, then you don't deserve to eat. Go to your room, Scarlett. You'll spend the night hungry."

Scarlett's eyes widened in disbelief and despair. "But... Aunt Julie, I'm injured. I need nourishment to heal."

Uncle Sam's voice dripped with malice. "Your healing doesn't matter to us, Scarlett. You've always been a burden, and now you'll learn what it means to suffer, now get out of here you filthy piece of trash."

Scarlett's tears streamed down her face, her broken wrist throbbing in pain. She trembled as she realized the true extent of their cruelty. Without a word, she turned and made her way to her small, empty room, her hunger pangs intensifying with each step she made.

Locked away in her solitude, Scarlett clutched her injured wrist, her hunger gnawing at her stomach. She cried for the loss of her beloved father who had died years ago, leaving her in the care of her wicked uncle and auntie.

They said her father owed them lots of money, and she must live with them till she repayed everything he owed.

Scarlett's body trembled, trapped in a world of heartlessness and cruelty. In that moment, she realized that her aunt and uncle were not her family, but monsters hiding behind familiar faces. As she cradled her broken wrist, she knew that her dreams of escape and freedom seemed more distant than ever.

Scarlett was alone in her room, tears streaming down her face as hunger and despair consumed her. Suddenly, a soft knock on the door caught her attention. She wiped her tears and opened the door to find her best friend and neighbor, Rita, standing there.

"Rita? What are you doing here? You know I’m not allowed to have friends?" Scarlett asked, her voice filled with surprise.

Rita flashed a mischievous smile. "Well, I heard through the grapevine that you were having a bit of a rough time, so I thought I'd pay you a visit, and don’t worry, they didn’t see me. I snuck in through the backdoor. You know, the supportive friend that I am."

Scarlett sighed, a mixture of gratitude and exhaustion. "I appreciate the gesture, Rita, but it's not the best time. My aunt and uncle are being particularly cruel tonight. They've even locked away the food."

Rita's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh, that's a shame. But listen, I have this brilliant idea. How about we sneak out and have some fun? Forget about all this misery for a while."

Scarlett's surprise turned into concern, anytime Rita wanted her to follow her somewhere. It was always to do something bad.

"Sneak out? Rita, you know my wrist is broken, right? I can barely move, let alone go on some escapade."

Rita rolled her eyes playfully. "Come on, Scarlett, stop being so dramatic. It's just a broken wrist. Besides, you're always moping around in this dreary room. It's time to live a little."

Tears welled up in Scarlett's eyes once again. "Rita, I'm in pain, physically and emotionally. I can't just ignore that and go off on some reckless adventure. I have responsibilities, even if my aunt and uncle treat me poorly."

Rita sighed, her expression softening. "You're right, Scarlett. I can see how much you're hurting. I shouldn't have pushed you like that. I just wanted to distract you from all the hardships."

Scarlett managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Rita. Your friendship means the world to me. But for now, I need to focus on getting through this challenging time."

Rita nodded, her enthusiasm tempered with concern. "Take your time, Scarlett. Just remember that life is passing you by while you're trapped in this miserable existence."

As Rita turned to leave, Scarlett felt a mix of emotions. She knew that Rita wanted the best for her. As soon as Rita reached the door, Scarlett let out a weary sigh, knowing that difficult choices lay ahead but determined to navigate them with strength and resilience.

“Wait..” Scarlett called, making Rita halt in her tracks.

“Fine. I’ll come with you, even though I know I’ll regret it.” Scarlett relented.

“No. I promise, you won’t regret it. We’ll even get you something to eat.” Rita promised with a smile.

“Ok, fine. But, let’s sneak out the back door. I don’t want Uncle and Auntie to see me with you, you know they don’t like me having friends”.

“Yes, yes. Alright, let’s go.” Rita said.

They snuck out through the window of her room and climbed down to the street. They immediately took off running and giggling, excited to be doing something naughty.

But in the pit of her stomach, Scarlett knew that Rita was planning something evil.