Chapter 10
794 Words
Anna chose to walk away from Liam. When Matilda had earlier asked him to accompany her, he hadn’t refused—but the chill in his demeanor was unmistakable, as if Anna’s presence itself were a burden. She understood the message perfectly. Quietly, she withdrew, unwilling to disturb someone who clearly did not want her there.
Several pairs of eyes followed her every step. Their gazes were sharp, judgmental. Anna lowered her head, pretending not to notice.
“Anna.”
That single call brought her to a halt.
Her body stiffened when she saw Lusi approaching, Rendy’s hand firmly clasping hers. The way Rendy looked at Lusi—gentle, protective—made Anna’s chest tighten, as if an invisible hand were squeezing her heart.
“How could you possibly be here?” Lusi asked, scanning Anna from head to toe. A thin, condescending smile curved her lips. “This is an exclusive party, Anna. Not your world. Or… are you here to chase after some rich man?”
She turned to Rendy, as though seeking his approval.
Rendy let out a quiet sigh and looked at Anna with clear disappointment. “So this is what you’ve been doing since our divorce?” he asked coldly. “Throwing yourself at wealthy men to survive?”
Anna curled her fingers into her palms. She said nothing.
“I told you already,” Rendy continued, his voice rising, “I was going to come back to you. I even had the divorce papers prepared—with a fair division of assets. You could have lived comfortably, Anna. But you chose to walk away with nothing—and now you degrade yourself like this?”
His stare cut like a blade. “You’re disgracing the family.”
“Family?” Anna laughed softly, bitterly. “Since when did I ever have a family—other than the one you destroyed?”
“Anna…” Lusi stepped closer, her eyes glistening. “I know I was wrong. I truly regret it. But please, don’t do this. Don’t seek revenge in such a pathetic way.”
The words struck harder than a slap.
“That’s enough, Anna!” Rendy snapped, pulling Lusi close to him. “Why is it that every time you appear, Lusi ends up hurt? Can’t you act like an adult for once and stop interfering in our lives?”
Our lives.
Anna felt her heart crumble piece by piece.
“I just want her to be at peace,” Rendy went on, not sparing Anna a single glance. “Your presence always unsettles her.”
Each word erased Anna’s existence from his past.
“We should leave,” Rendy said gently to Lusi, his hand moving instinctively to her abdomen. “I don’t want anything to happen to you or our child.”
Our child.
Anna’s breath caught in her throat. The ground seemed to collapse beneath her feet.
She stood frozen, staring at Rendy’s retreating back as he held Lusi close—like they were the only family that had ever mattered.
And Anna… was nothing more than someone they had discarded without hesitation.
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Anna staggered down the corridor after downing several glasses of wine. The bitter liquid hadn’t erased the pain in her chest—it had only numbed her enough to keep her upright.
The hotel hallway spun around her.
Suddenly, a hand seized her arm and slammed her back against the cold wall. The impact knocked the air from her lungs. Before she could even process what was happening, someone’s lips were already pressed against hers—rough, demanding, without permission.
“Mmm… let go!” she cried weakly. Summoning the last of her strength, Anna raised her hand and slapped him.
The sharp sound echoed in the corridor.
The man merely smiled—a dark, unsettling curve of his lips. “Help me tonight,” he said in a low voice, more command than request.
Anna stumbled as he dragged her into one of the hotel rooms. The door closed with a heavy thud.
Her head throbbed, her vision blurred. She struggled to focus as her body was pushed down onto the bed.
“S–Sir… Liam?” she whispered when she finally recognized the face hovering over her.
Liam.
His name made her heart stop for a split second.
He didn’t answer. His eyes were cold, his jaw taut. His hand moved, touching her—and instead of grounding her, the sensation only pulled her deeper into the haze she had been chasing all night.
“Stop…” Anna whispered, unsure whether she was speaking to him or to herself.
But he seemed deaf to her plea.
Instead, he crushed his lips against hers again, consuming her breath completely.
- Writer
