Chapter 2 2

The yellow cab jerked to a stop outside the massive iron gates of the Finley estate.

Christal dug into her cheap purse with shaking fingers. She shoved a few crumpled bills through the partition and pushed the door open before the driver could even count it.

The morning sun was blinding. It felt like a physical attack. She pulled her coat tighter across her chest, trying to hide the torn silk of her dress. Her fingers were stiff and numb as she punched the security code into the keypad.

The heavy gates swung open.

She expected the house to be dead quiet. Instead, the massive crystal chandelier in the foyer was blazing. The air inside the house was thick, heavy, and suffocating.

She froze in the entryway.

Sitting on the expensive leather sofas were her adoptive mother, Esther, and her sister, Kellie. Standing near the fireplace, with his back to her, was Ethan. Her boyfriend.

Ethan heard her footsteps. He whipped around.

His usually warm, handsome face was twisted into an ugly mask of rage. His eyes locked onto her messy hair, dropping instantly to the dark red bruises scattered across her neck.

Christal's stomach plummeted.

She took a step toward him, her instinct screaming for him to hold her, to protect her.

Ethan took a sharp step back. The absolute disgust in his eyes nailed her feet to the marble floor.

Kellie let out a loud, theatrical gasp. She rushed forward and grabbed the lapels of Christal's coat, ripping it open. The ruined, stained dress and the violent marks on her skin were exposed to the bright lights.

Christal screamed, trying to snatch the coat back.

Kellie shoved her hard in the chest. Christal's weak legs gave out. She crashed onto the hard marble floor, pain shooting up her spine.

Esther stood up. She looked down at Christal like she was looking at a dead rat.

"You disgusting little tramp," Esther spat. "You actually sold your body to Kurtis Kramer for a pathetic TV role."

Christal's eyes widened in horror. She shook her head frantically.

"No," her voice was a broken rasp. "You... you told me to go to that room. You said it was an interview."

Kellie wiped a fake tear from her eye. She looked at Ethan. "We set up a normal reading in the lobby. She couldn't handle the competition. She went up to his room on her own."

Ethan's jaw ticked violently. He grabbed a stack of glossy photos from the coffee table and hurled them directly at Christal's face.

The sharp edges of the paper cut her cheek as they fluttered to the floor.

Christal looked down. The photos showed her walking into the Zephyr Hotel. The next photo showed Kurtis Kramer walking through the exact same doors minutes later.

It was a perfect, manufactured lie.

She looked up at Ethan, desperate to find a single ounce of trust in his eyes. There was nothing but cold, hard contempt.

"You make me sick," Ethan sneered. "You threw away our future for a cheap role. You dragged my name through the dirt."

Christal crawled forward, grabbing the fabric of his trousers. "Ethan, please. I was drugged. They set me up. You have to believe me."

Ethan kicked his leg out, violently shaking off her grip. His heavy shoe caught her on the thigh, right over a dark purple bruise.

Christal gasped, curling into herself. The physical pain was nothing compared to the ice spreading through her chest. The man she loved was looking at her like she was garbage.

Esther crossed her arms. "The Finley family will not be dragged into your whoreish scandal. As of this morning, your shares in the family trust are revoked."

Kellie sighed softly. "Mom, don't be too harsh. She's just... ambitious."

But Kellie's eyes met Christal's. There was a sick, victorious gleam in them.

Christal stared at that look. A memory slammed into her brain. Kellie smiling as she handed her a glass of champagne last night. The bitter taste. The sudden dizziness.

The truth hit her like a physical blow.

She stopped crying. She placed her hands flat on the cold marble and pushed herself up. She wiped the drop of blood from her cut cheek.

Her eyes locked onto Kellie. They were dead and cold.

"How long?" Christal asked, her voice eerily calm. "How long have you been planning this just to steal him?"

Kellie's fake sad expression slipped. Panic flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by furious arrogance. She raised her hand high, aiming a vicious slap at Christal's face.

Christal's hand shot up. She caught Kellie's wrist mid-air, her grip tight enough to bruise.

She threw Kellie's arm away in disgust. She turned to Ethan.

"Were you sleeping with her the whole time?" Christal asked. "Is this just your convenient way out?"

Ethan's face drained of color, then flushed dark red. He adjusted his tie, his movements jerky and panicked.

"The engagement is over," Ethan shouted, his voice echoing in the large room. He turned his back on her and marched toward the front door.

Christal didn't move. She didn't beg. The love she had for him burned down to ash in a matter of seconds.

Ethan stopped with his hand on the brass doorknob. He looked back over his shoulder. His eyes were dark, obsessive, and terrifying.

"Don't think you can just walk away from me," he warned softly.

The heavy door slammed shut.

Esther pointed a shaking finger at the stairs. "Get your trash out of my house. Now."

Christal straightened her spine. A maid stepped forward to grab her arm. Christal slapped the maid's hand away.

"Don't touch me," Christal said. "I won't take a single thing your family bought."

She turned and walked up the grand staircase. Her legs shook, but she kept her head high. Behind her, Kellie let out a sharp, high-pitched laugh.

Christal heard Kellie dialing her phone. "Yes, TMZ? I have an exclusive on Christal Clay."

Christal walked into her small bedroom and closed the door. She looked at her ruined, bruised reflection in the mirror. Her hands curled into tight fists.

She was going to make them pay. All of them.