Chapter 4
Dawn broke with merciless precision. Eugene’s assistant arrived to escort me to what should have been the happiest day of my life.
Just as Claire had promised, I arrived at the grand cathedral in my hospital gown- stark white cotton against the opulence of marble and mahogany.
Her dress whispered against my exposed ankles like a serpent’s scales as she arranged the veil over my head.
Her laugh echoed through the bridal suite.
“Happy wedding day, dear Victoria,” she whispered.
“Did you really think a veil would transform you into a proper bride? It’s just to hide those useless eyes of yours. We can’t have you embarrassing everyone, can we?”
When my face failed to show the devastation she craved, Claire’s frustration was palpable. But before she could strike, Eugene’s voice cut through the tension like a frozen blade.
“Where’s your wedding gown, Victoria? Is this pathetic display your attempt at revenge? Meeting me at the altar dressed like a pauper?”
The assistant’s practiced hands guided me toward the changing room. As I reached for the ties of my gown, heavy footsteps approached from behind.
“Blind or not, you’re quite the beauty,” a male voice growled, thick with menace.
“Be a good girl now, sweetheart. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Rough hands seized my shoulders. I fought back with every ounce of strength, but he was like a granite wall.
Desperate, I sank my teeth into his flesh until I tasted blood.
“You little bitch!”
He hurled me to the floor, his heavy breathing hot against my neck. “Time to learn your place.”
As he tore at my gown, a shrill voice pierced the air from the doorway.
“Victoria! How could you?” Claire’s voice dripped with theatrical shock.
“On your wedding day to Eugene… how dare you!”
The man above me paused in his performance, panting with exaggerated desire. “The blind whore couldn’t help herself.”
The cathedral exploded into a symphony of condemnation, voices lashing out like poisoned arrows in the dark.
“Eugene Thorne’s fiancée – blind?”
“No wonder she lost her sight,” another sneered. “Too busy spreading her legs to see what was right in front of her!”
“Whore!” The word cracked through the air like a whip.
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What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stre
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Chapter 4
I clutched desperately at the shreds of my hospital gown, the thin cotton offering little protection.
Curling into myself, I pressed my face against my knees as violent tremors wracked my frame.
Suddenly, the crowd fell silent. Heavy footsteps approached, each step echoing like a death knell.
“Victoria.” Eugene’s voice cut through the silence like a blade, “You dare betray me?”
His fingers found my throat, crushing my windpipe in a grip that spoke of barely contained violence,
The familiar scent of his cologne, once so comforting, now mixed with the acrid stench of his rage.
“I… didn’t…” The words clawed their way past his constricting grip,
Just as dark spots began dancing behind my useless eyes, he released my throat only to seize my jaw with bruising force.
“Seven years together,” he snarled, his breath hot against my face.
“Seven years, and you know nothing destroys me like betrayal. You must have lost your mind to throw yourself at such filth.”
“Guards! Take her to Ravencrest Psychiatric Hospital!”
Desperation surged through me like electricity.
I twisted violently, feeling skin tear under their grip as I wrenched free.
I ran blindly forward, each step a gamble between freedom and disaster.
“Stop her!” Eugene’s roar echoed through the cathedral, followed by the thunder of pursuing footsteps.
My heart slammed against my ribs, each beat a prayer for survival. The darkness before my eyes was absolute, but stopping meant
destruction.
I ran on, praying each step wouldn’t send me crashing into a wall.
Suddenly, I collided with a solid chest. Strong arms enveloped me, and a voice I’d know anywhere spoke from above, rich with
concern and barely contained fury:
“Victoria!”
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What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stred
