Chapter 5 Fleeing
1001 Words
The maid gasped, covering her mouth as Catherine looked down, finally registering the pain.
Blood. Bright, red, pooling around the shattered glass and smeared across her feet.
"What are you standing there for? Get the first aid kit!"
The door slammed shut behind her.
Catherine limped back to her bed and lay down, her head spinning.
The pain kept her anchored, sharp, dragging her mind back to the fight with Alvin just days ago.
It had been their worst argument yet.
They'd clashed in his study, and Catherine had smashed everything she could reach.
She remembered how his face, red with fury, had drained to a sickly pale. And in that moment, she had felt something close to joy.
But it wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
The sting of betrayal still burned deep in her chest.
'If only I could tear his face apart the way I tore up his office,' she thought bitterly.
That nonsense about marrying Andrew, securing the necklace, and gaining her freedom...
All lies.
The maid returned, finally, with the first aid kit.
Catherine ignored her, rummaging through the supplies until she found what she was really after—a pregnancy test.
Minutes later, she stood frozen in the bathroom.
Two bright red lines.
"I'm pregnant..."
Her mind flashed back to that night. That wild, chaotic night.
"Louis... this baby is Louis'..."
She wasn't sure if the tears welling up were from joy, confusion, or both.
That night with Louis had been more than she could have ever hoped for.
But now, she was carrying his child. It felt like some sort of cosmic gift.
'I'm going to keep this baby,' she thought, wiping her tears away.
And this time, she wouldn't let anyone else dictate her life. Not her father, not anyone.
This child deserved a new life—one free from the suffocating control she had endured.
It was her responsibility now, as a mother.
*****
In an estate in Serenvale, Catherine accepted the glass of wine Brayley handed her.
A few days earlier, she'd had "negotiations" with her father.
But in reality, it was more of a surrender—she'd agreed to seduce Brayley in exchange for the sapphire necklace.
And now, here she was, stuck with him at Serenvale.
"Try the wine. I picked it especially for you," Brayley said, his voice edged with impatience.
After days of Catherine resisting him at every turn, he was growing restless.
"If this is what you want, fine," she said, lifting the glass to her lips.
"I heard something interesting from your father," Brayley said casually, as if discussing the weather.
"Apparently, Andrew and Daisy are getting along rather well. By the time we return, we might be hearing some good news."
Catherine scoffed, feeling a strange warmth spread through her skin.
Brayley moved closer, his fingers brushing lightly against her cheek.
"My dear, are you jealous? Don't forget—you belong to me now." His lips hovered just inches from hers.
Something was wrong.
An unfamiliar heat pulsed through her veins, an urge she had never felt toward this disgusting old man.
"What did you put in the wine?" she demanded.
"Oh, just something to bring us a little closer together." He smirked, his voice sickeningly smooth.
Catherine's body screamed for her to move, but Brayley was on her in an instant, pushing her down.
"I've waited long enough, Catherine. If you won't cooperate, I'll have to make you."
He tightened his hold, forcing her to stay beneath him.
This was it—the moment he had been fantasizing about for so long.
With the drug coursing through her, she wouldn't be able to resist. She'd finally give in and finally bend to his will.
Catherine struggled, but her strength was no match for his.
Her eyes darted to the side, catching a glimpse of the wine bottle. Without thinking, she grabbed it and smashed it against Brayley's head.
A dull thud echoed through the room as he slumped over, blood spilling from the gash.
The impact jolted her back to clarity.
"I need to get out of here. If he wakes up..."
Her mind raced as she forced herself to stay calm.
First, she needed a car.
The estate was tucked away in the hills, far from any neighboring properties. Without a car, she wouldn't make it far.
She had to escape before the security team realized what had happened.
There was no time to waste.
Catherine sprinted upstairs, remembering something Brayley had once bragged about: he kept the key to his prized vintage Ford hidden in... a candy tin.
She rifled through his things, her hands shaking, until she found it.
But just as she snatched the key, she heard shouts coming from downstairs.
The servants had found him.
Heart pounding, Catherine turned and bolted back toward the balcony. She glanced down at the grass below.
There was no time to think. She climbed over the railing and jumped.
The landing was hard, but adrenaline pushed her forward. She scrambled to her feet, running as fast as she could toward the garage, hoping no one had spotted her.
Everything seemed to go too smoothly as she slid into the driver's seat and jammed the key into the ignition.
The old Ford roared to life, tires screeching as she floored it.
Within minutes, she was tearing down the winding road, leaving Serenvale behind.
The sky darkened as night fell, the road blurring in her vision.
Her grip on the wheel weakened as the drug in her system began to take hold.
The cuts on her arms throbbed, bleeding steadily, and her head spun, the heat burning through her body.
'I'm not sure I'll make it through the night,' she thought, panic rising.
She needed help.
And then, in the distance, she saw it.
A castle, its grand lights glowing like a beacon against the night sky. The extravagant decorations, the luxurious flowers—everything signaled that a grand wedding was about to take place.
- Writer
