Chapter 3

The scene inside was pure chaos.

Rhys was caught with two guys.

And apparently, he was the submissive one in all this.

His legs were bent in ways they shouldn't be.

Clearly, they were broken.

His face and body were covered in black and blue marks.

He'd blacked out from how rough things got.

My mom was frozen in place, not knowing what to do as she stared at the chaos unfolding before her. She was trembling from head to toe, scared out of her wits.

This was what I'd expected.

When it came to me, she was always yelling at me, acting superior, and finding fault with everything I did.

But for this golden son-in-law, whose status was even higher than Rowan's, she went out of her way to please him.

Now, she'd blown the lid off Rhys's hidden secrets.

She was terrified that disaster was about to strike.

My mom was pacing frantically, totally losing her cool. "Wait, something's wrong here. Where's Willa? Where did she go? We're supposed to be here for her."

Liora put on her sweetest innocent face, acting like she had no clue. "Yeah, where's Willa? Wasn't this supposed to be her room? How did Rhys end up in here instead?"

My eyes flashed with intense hatred as I stood outside the door.

Even now, after everything that's happened, my mom was still trying to throw me under the bus.

But I wasn't going to let her have her way anymore.

The next moment, I stepped right in front of her.

"Mom, were you looking for me?" I asked, acting like I didn't know anything.

As soon as I saw what was going on with Rhys on the bed, I cried out in agony. "No! Rhys, how could this happen to you?"

I tried to rush over to Rhys, but my mom moved quicker and got in my way. She stepped right in front of me and slapped me hard across the face.

She shouted, "You filthy thing. It's bad enough you can't control yourself, but why drag your own husband into your mess? Look at what you've done to Rhys."

Her words made everyone in the room look at me with disgust.

The way they stared at me, it felt like I was reliving that nightmare from three years ago.

I was already so broken.

I'd lost the legs that made me a ballerina.

I couldn't have kids anymore.

I was left to rot in the dirt.

But my mom, the one I adored most, didn't defend me. She was the first to slander me. I'd never forget how those people stared at me that night. There was so much disgust, revulsion, and malicious curiosity in their eyes.

But now, I could make them taste everything they put me through.

I grabbed my mom's hand as she tried to hit me again.

With a swift motion, I slapped her right back.

I slapped her once.

I slapped her twice.

I slapped her three times.

For the girl I once was, I slapped her hard.

My mom shrieked.

Nolan and Liora pulled me away, both of them staring at me in utter disbelief.

"Willa," Nolan murmured.

"Willa, why are you doing this?" Liora whispered.

I pulled my hands free and said, "Why? Don't you know why?

"Three years ago, in that alley near this villa, you all acted like you were blind, pretending not to see me, beaten and broken. And you didn't just ignore me, you made things even worse, throwing mud at me when I was already shattered.

"And now, you're using the same tricks to try to frame my husband in this very house. Do you really think I'm still that helpless girl you could bully three years ago?

"You're wrong. I'm Rhys's wife now. I'm here to protect him. I'm not someone you can walk all over anymore."

I turned to everyone and spoke up, "You're all Rhys's business partners and friends. I want you all to be witnesses. The Fitzgerald family will never let this slide.

"And as for the Campbell family, I'm cutting ties with you today. If I find out you really did this, I'll make sure every last one of you pays with your life!"