Fated To Three, And I Broke Them All

Chapter 140: 140-Her Punching Bag

Verity:

I arrived home after hearing the good news that I’d been accepted for the job.

I’d caught a glimpse of Gigi’s face, and the way she had looked so lost was satisfying to see.

It seemed like my plan was working, even if the progress was slow.

The effects would be long-lasting.

I’d also slipped in a little information about Gigi’s stalker and how Jaguar and the others feared what he might do.

Their reactions had been telling.

They hadn’t wanted me to bring it up because they didn’t want Gigi to seem even more frightening after the revelation that she had a dangerous stalker who might come after their family, possibly even one of Lady Lucille’s grandsons.

I hummed under my breath as I arrived home.

My head turned toward Mrs. Baker’s house, and I noticed her son-in-law standing behind one of the windows, partially hidden by the curtain.

The moment he realized I was looking at him, he quickly pulled the curtain shut and hid.

I was already suspicious of him. This wasn’t the first time I’d caught him peeking through the window.

Whatever they were up to, I was going to find out.

But for now, I had better things to do.

When I opened my phone, I saw that freaking Roman had sent me so many messages that the constant notifications were giving me a headache.

It looked like he’d been calling me every half hour to check on me.

I finally answered.

"Hello," I said with a smile, standing in front of the mirror and looking myself up and down.

Today was a huge success.

Now that I’d made my way into their mansion, I was going to keep an even closer eye on everything.

"Freaking hell, where the hell have you been?" Roman snapped the moment I answered.

"What do you mean, where have I been?" I asked, pretending not to understand, even though I knew exactly why he was losing his mind.

"Tell me something," he muttered. "Are you okay? I mean, what happened yesterday? After you got home, did you get any rest? After whatever work the alpha king brothers gave you, did you at least get home safe?"

There was a strange hesitation in his voice.

Every time he spoke, he tried his best to sound normal, as if he was only worried about me and nothing more.

"Actually—" I paused dramatically.

"Actually what? Tell me what happened."

The agitation in his voice felt like a victory.

"I don’t understand what happened yesterday," I said before pausing again. "I went to work, and Jaguar was there. We were talking, and I just started to feel weird. Like— I don’t know. I’m not a cheater, I swear."

I delivered the words as dramatically as I could before falling silent.

"What? Verity, what did you do? Fucking tell me. What do you mean you’re not a cheater? Did you cheat on me?" he exploded.

"I’ll talk to you later."

I ended the call dramatically and tossed my phone onto the bed.

He called me several more times afterward, but I didn’t answer once.

Flashback:

I didn’t leave my brother because I wanted to.

Neither did I leave because I needed to be with my mother.

I remembered what my mother had told me a few years ago when she kicked me out of her house.

She had told me I wasn’t needed.

I wasn’t welcome.

That I was a burden to her, just like my brother.

I swallowed those words as I arrived at her house.

"Please have a seat here," the maid said, leading me to a couch in the living room.

It was incredibly soft and plush.

I looked around at the décor and realized how much had changed since the last time I had been there.

Everything was new.

The place was enormous.

There were at least five wings, each like a small mansion of its own.

The prettiest one belonged to my stepsister.

"Who are you?"

The voice came from behind me, and my body stiffened.

It was her.

Veronica.

I gulped before slowly getting to my feet and turning toward her.

The moment her blue eyes landed on me, they widened.

She recognized me, though it took her a moment.

But of course she did.

How could she not?

I had been her punching bag while I lived there.

"Oh my Goddess, look at you. You got so fat. I mean, I knew you were heading that way. That’s why I used to tell you not to eat, you fat pig."

She laughed, her hands planted on her hips.

She was still slim, with perfectly styled red curls framing her face.

Her makeup looked effortless, and her skin was flawless.

A beautiful purple dress only made her look even more striking.

She circled me, casually flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Ugh, look at your dress. And you smell so bad," she complained, covering her nose as she stepped back.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she paused while letting out a gasp.

"Oh my Goddess, did you sit on our new couch?"

She hurried over and shoved me aside so she could inspect it.

"Ew, look! The color is different from the rest of the couch. That’s because you left your dirt on it," she yelled.

It was a lie.

The color was exactly the same.

The sight of her made me start trembling.

"I can’t believe this. Why are you back?" she yelled again.

Annoyance was written all over her face.

Then she took a deep breath and turned toward the staircase.

"Brenda! Brenda!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The way she called my mother’s name was so humiliating.

Why was she treating my mother like this?

"Brenda, come downstairs!" she screamed again.

A moment later, my mother appeared.

She was wearing a beautiful, fitted white dress with red heels.

A gold clutch rested in her hand, and it looked like real gold.

"Yes, sweetheart."

Despite Veronica shouting for her at the top of her lungs, my mother’s response was full of warmth.

She came downstairs with a smile in her eyes, but the moment her gaze landed on me, something inside me crumpled.

"Look, she’s back! Why is she back?" Veronica yelled, clenching her fists before stomping her foot.

"Verity?"

Sadness flickered across my mother’s face as she looked at me.

It was the same expression from her, hoping that one day she would look at me with happiness instead.

End of flashback.