Three

A searing pain wakes me up the next day. As my eyes blink open, the blurry view of the sunlight meets my gaze. I stretch my arms, allowing the golden rays of the sun and its warmth to wash over my skin.

On looking around, I realize that the bed I am lying in doesn't feel familiar. Neither does the room. That makes me sit up, my back relaxing on the headboard.

Where am I? How did I get here? I wonder, still looking around the room and searching for a clue. My gaze goes over the floor-to-ceiling window, and I gasp on seeing the view beneath it.

I try to climb out of the bed to go admire the magnificent view, but that is when the memories from last night begin pouring in. Each comes with a stab of pain, twisting deep into my chest.

"Matt…" I mutter as tears start forming in my eyes. Many hours have passed, but I still can't believe he betrayed me like this.

"Amanda… Lauren…" I continue, the weight on my chest shutting off the tears. I suck in a deep breath, only then did I get the courage to try and forget.

So I get my feet off the bed and try to climb down. My legs make a crackling sound before I end up landing on the floor with my butt.

A flash from the accident scene crosses my mind. Gasping I look down at my legs again, a thought replacing the accident scene in my mind.

What if I can no longer walk? I shut my eyes, gingerly trying to remember if I had found my way to the stranger's car or if he had carried me to it.

A shudder runs down my spine on realizing that he did actually scoop me up from the ground where I had fallen. The last thing I remember from last night is him agreeing to help me after I told him about my family.

I fell asleep after that. My gaze goes back to my feet, and I stare at them with wide eyes. My heart begins pounding hard on my chest as the possibility of having been crippled by the accident resonates in my mind.

'I should have just allowed him to take me to the hospital. I should have…' I thought.

Shutting my eyes tight, I pinch my leg with my finger.

When I feel the pain spread on my leg, I sigh in relief. I might be heartbroken, but at least I'm not crippled too.

I try getting up again, this time slowly. I head to the door, and on opening it, I hear some voices whispering at a far distance.

The hallway that leads to the staircase is long and lined with different pieces of breathtaking artworks. I admire each one as I walk past them. On reaching the staircase, my breath catches. Wow, just wow.

I suck in a deep breath as I take one step after the other. Everything in the living room is decorated in duo-chromatic colours of white and gold.

"Do you think she's one of his girls?" I hear a voice ask as I approach the kitchen area.

Another woman with an older voice replies, "I doubt it. He would have kept her in one of the rooms downstairs. Maybe a family friend or something, or didn't you see the way he was carrying her?"

My brows furrow as I listen more to their conversation. It looks like the Mr. Stranger that saved me last night is popular among the girls. He gets lots of them to visit him and wastes no time in dropping them off after getting what he wants. He sounds like the typical city bad boy to me.

"C'mon! Put on the television. They're showing something important!" a third voice announces as she joins them in the kitchen.

"What is it?"

"It's about Sir Jameson's latest girl. I saw her on the news."

My heart skips a beat on realizing that she is referring to me. What news? What could she be talking about? My first instinct is to rush into the kitchen to see what it is, but on second thought, I retrace my steps. Deciding it's best if I wait to hear whatever they have to say about the news.

The TV comes on, and a second later, I hear the three of them gasp in unison. That makes me rush into the kitchen as I can no longer bear the suspense.

Their widened gaze turns to acknowledge my presence.

"She is the one!" one of them exclaims.

"Did you run out of your husband's house?" the other one asks.

"But of course she did. She is a fugitive. Look what the news title says."

My gaze goes to the TV screen. I blink back on seeing, 'Bella becomes a runaway bride after fleeing on their wedding night'

My eyes remain on the TV screen, even though my thoughts are now running in a thousand different directions. How did my disappearance get to the news? Who told them? Was it Matt?

My jaw begins clenching at the thought of Matt going straight to those damn journalists to report me missing, after having a hand in it in the first place. What does he take me for? A lifeless baby doll without emotions that he can throw around however he wants?

I listen more to the news, even though I am no longer paying attention to it. What will Mom think about this? Would she act her usual nonchalant self, or would she be worried about my whereabouts?

And Dad…

My heart skips a beat on imagining what his reaction will be like when Matt discloses the news to him. As long as he is concerned, his business empire comes first before anything else. Including us, his daughters.

I place a hand on my throbbing chest and squeeze it a little in an attempt to calm myself down. Dad won't be happy with the news. That, I know for sure. In fact, he would be mad about it. And if Matt threatens to pull out of the contract he signed with Vanderblibs Group, Dad is going to tear me into pieces the very next minute he sets his eyes on me.

The thought of knowing I am alone in all this runs another shiver down my spine.

"Miss? Are you alright?" the older woman asks on getting in front of me. The way her brows are furrowed in concern tells a lot about how I look.

I nod at her.

"No you don't! You look pale! Come sit down right here." She takes my hand and gently pulls me to sit on one of the long stools in the kitchen island.

"Let me get you something to drink. Water or coffee?"

The mention of coffee makes my stomach growl, reminding me that I haven't had anything tangible to eat since yesterday.

She rushes off, and the next minute, she returns with a glass of water.

"Looks like you haven't eaten anything in a while. Drink this while I fix you something to eat."

I grab the glass and finish the water in one drink. Right from the corners of my eyes, I can see the two girls still watching me with a suspicious gleam in their eyes.

Not knowing what else to do, I bend my head on the kitchen island, hoping that whatever the kind woman is making for me will hold me down until I make my next decision.

Just then, I hear a familiar voice on the TV, which makes me raise my head right back up.

"Lauren?" I mutter.

Her emerald green eyes which are just a shade lighter than mine, shine with fake concern as she speaks about my disappearance.

"One minute we were all right there in the reception hall toasting with her and wishing her marital bliss. The next minute, we can't find my little sister anywhere."

My heart further twists at the blatant lies. How could she keep such a straight face and lie without blinking? After what she did to me just a few hours ago.

The interviewer asks her something and she goes on blabbing about how secretive I had been as a child, and how I was a bit strange throughout the wedding preparation.

Fresh tears begin clouding my eyes on realizing where she is going with the lies. It's one thing to betray your very own blood. But it's another thing not to feel remorseful about it.

I hold onto the glass cup with all my might just as the memories of last night flood into my mind, blocking out everything else she is blabbing about.

"You're gonna see the other side of me, Lauren. I won't let you get away with this. Each and every single one of you will pay for all the pains you have caused me…"

The glass cup shatters in my hand, a perfect representation of how broken my heart has been since last night.