Chapter 3 ANOTHER CHANCE

NAYA'S P O V

I opened my eyes only to see that it was still dark outside, and the first thing that caught my attention was the long and heavy thing that was placed on my stomach. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to remember what happened last night and where the hell I was right now.

I gave a slight shake of my head. I still couldn't recall it. In an effort to avoid waking the man who was lying next to me, I slowly lifted his arm and stood up while holding my breath.

But then I froze. My tender skin and fragile bones screamed at me to stop moving so that they wouldn't break. I winced as I cautiously planted my feet down on the ground.

The unexpected realization just hit me when I saw the various items of clothing strewn across the floor. All of a sudden, as if a huge weight had fallen and been resting uncomfortably on my shoulders, the truth of the situation dawned on me as the events began to come to mind.

I had sex with a complete stranger!

Complete panic and regret took over me as I rushed to pick up my clothes and put them on in a hurry. I ignored my pounding headache and clenched my legs tightly together as memories of what had occurred to us kept playing over and over in my head.

Before I proceeded towards the door, my instinct prompted me to look at the face of the stranger with whom I had sex last night, so I slowly went back to bed and peered down on the man's face who was sleeping peacefully.

His dark brown hair, which I was tugging tightly last night while he was eating me out--- Damn! I couldn't help but feel the heat creeping up to my face at the clear thought of what he did to me last night. The hair was falling freely on his forehead, and I traveled down my gaze to those long and thick lashes. I couldn't see his eyes but I was already drawn to the sight of his handsome face. I was right though. He was gorgeous even though I couldn't see him last night.

His arms looked muscular, but not that too much. He was lean and tall, and I gulped when my eyes settled on his bottom that was only covered with white sheets.

My eyes widened when he suddenly roused in his sleep. Before he could catch me, I tiptoed towards the door, and opened it before I walked out in complete silence.

...............*****..............

''What have you done?'' my stepmother's angry voice echoed throughout the living room the moment I opened the front door of the house. Her eyes swept over my body and she noticed how messed up I appeared. ''Where the hell have you been last night?'' she lashed out, pulling me into the house, and a part of my clothes was torn, revealing the side of my neck as well as my bare back.

I was the second daughter of the White family, and was living with my parents and my sister Diane in this beautiful house when we were still young. But when my mom passed away, my father who didn't love me in the slightest, married Kelly, and shortly after, gave birth to Clover, my stepsister who became my best enemy. Dad took over all of mom's estates, enjoying the money she left behind, and even named some of her assets to Clover and Kelly.

Clover, who was walking down the stairs stiffened with mouth hung open and brown eyes grew wider when she saw the marks and bruises on my skin. ''Mom! See that? Did you see those bruises and kiss marks all over her body? It was so obvious that she had slept with someone last night! God, she's such a whore like her mother!''

No. Not my mother!

I bit my lower lip to control myself from freaking out, before I looked down and fixed my dress and hair so that the marks would be covered, before I slowly turned my head to my stepmom who was now looking murderously at me.

''You're a shameless whore for sleeping with a wild man last night, and protested to please the casino guest!'' Kelly hissed, and to my horror, she raised her hand and tried to hit me, but I stepped back, avoiding her hand, which caused her to become even more enraged. ''Because of what you did to the guest, and for losing such a well-paying job, I won't be able to pay for your nephew's treatment anymore! I will just let him die, do you understand?!'' she barked, her voice cold as she threw harsh words at me. ''That's your punishment for being such a bitchy whore!''

Kelly started to walk away from me, but I stopped her by grabbing her hand in which she immediately jerked away as if she had been burned by my touch. ''Please, mom... Don't do this to Nico. I'm begging you, please...'' I pleaded, my voice quivering. ''Please... I... I'll do anything. Everything... Just continue his treatment. Help him survive. Leukemia is not a joke. He's dying, please...''

Upon hearing what I had said, she halted, and a smirk plastered on her lips as if something good was running in her head. ''You're willing to do anything?'' she asked with a quirked brow, and I hesitantly nodded in response. ''Fine!'' she sighed dramatically, walking around me with her arms folded over her chest, scrutinizing me with her evil dark gazes, raking them over my body.

Clover, who was now in front of me, already had a triumphant smile on her face, giving the impression that she already had an idea what her mom was about to say to me.

''I'm giving you another chance, so don't be a failure this time...'' her eyes danced happily as she prepared to tell me what was on her mind. ''I want you to marry the ugly and unloved man from the Stewart family. You're going to replace Clover as the bride!'' Kelly announced, and it would be an understatement to say that I was shocked at the moment. My heart stopped beating, and I was not moving an inch from my spot.

Marry a man I don't know?

A man who was ugly and unloved?

''No...'' I whispered, my head shook in disagreement.