Chapter 2
Saul said, "We got a call. It's... it's from the Parker family, your arch-nemesis."
Martin's eyes narrowed instantly.
Parker family was the one family he both feared and despised.
Martin released me at once. He didn't look back, storming out.
"Get the car. We're going to the airport," Martin roared, his silhouette vanishing at the stairwell.
The attic fell silent again.
I clutched my red, bruised neck, coughing violently.
A cold breeze swept over me, raising goosebumps on my bare shoulders.
I slowly pushed myself up from the desk and walked to the window.
I watched as Martin's car shot out of the Turner estate.
An icy smirk finally curled at my lips.
Sandra was kidnapped?
The Parker family did it?
No. It was my people.
I picked up the phone he'd tossed aside and dialed a number.
The call was answered quickly.
"Miss Campbell." A steady male voice came through the line.
"How did it go?" I asked coolly.
"All done. No loose ends."
"Good." I walked over to the desk, picked up the crumpled divorce papers, and gently smoothed them out. "Send her to the place we've prepared for her.
"Make sure she stays alive. I want her to watch everything she treasures fall apart."
Lenny Carter's voice on the other end carried a trace of hesitation. "Miss Campbell, are you sure you want to go through with this?
"Sandra is the Campbell family's only daughter. If we touch her, both the Campbell and Turner families won't sit back and do nothing."
I let out a low chuckle. "Lenny, how long have you been by my side?"
"Three years," Lenny replied.
"Then you should know I never make a move unless I'm sure I'll come out on top."
I walked up to the mirror and took in the mess that was me.
The bruises on my neck stood out, ugly and raw, like a brand burned into my skin.
My wedding dress was ripped to pieces, and my hair was a disaster.
My face looked pale and thin, with a sickly vibe.
This was exactly what the Hall family and Sandra wanted to see: a pawn, obedient, easy to control, always kept in the shadows.
Too bad I was not the old Maya anymore.
"This is exactly what I want. I want them to fight for Sandra. Stir up the waters, and the fish will show themselves," I said.
I hung up, pulled out the SIM card, snapped it in two, and tossed the pieces into the toilet.
After that, I walked into the bathroom and took a bath.
Steam filled the room, fogging up the mirror and my mind.
I closed my eyes, and memories from my previous life surged in like a tide.
On my wedding night in my previous life, Martin humiliated me, just like tonight.
The difference was, back then, I really loved him.
I was such a fool, thinking that if I obeyed, he'd eventually see my worth.
I helped Sandra deal with Martin's family, handled all the chaos she left at work, and even covered for her when she got involved with other guys.
And what did I get for all that?
Martin's cold glare and contempt.
Sandra's use and betrayal.
In the end, the Hall family went bankrupt, my parents leapt to their deaths, and together Martin and Sandra locked me up in a psych ward, where I was tortured to death.
Before I died, I finally learned the truth straight from Sandra.
The Hall family's bankruptcy was a trap Martin and Sandra had set from the very start.
Martin needed a reason to make me willingly become his "substitute wife".
And Sandra needed a fall guy to take the blame for all the dirty games and infighting inside the Turner family.
We, the Hall family, were chosen to be their perfect sacrifice.
Sandra had said, "Maya, you never figured it out, did you? Martin never loved you. He only ever loved my face, my heart. And you? You're just a pathetic substitute."
Sandra's smug laughter still echoed in my ears.
The water in the tub gradually grew cold.
I opened my eyes. The chill in them could freeze anyone in their tracks.
This time, I wouldn't be their helpless sacrificial lamb.
I was out for revenge.
I'd make everyone who ever hurt me pay in blood.
*****
Early the next morning, I was woken up by urgent knocking at my door.
It was Saul.
"Mrs. Turner, are you awake? Mr. Rodrick Turner has asked for you in the study." He spoke with careful respect.
I raised an eyebrow.
Rodrick Turner?
He was Martin's father, the chairman of Turner Group.
He was also the real boss of the Turner family. I'd only ever seen on the news in my previous last life.
What did he want with me?