Chapter 3 Shattered Truth

Aviah's POV

I stood frozen in place, my mind filled with a deafening roar as tears streamed down my face.

Completely shattered, I screamed with all the strength left in my lungs, "Why are you setting me up like this? Wasn't my father good enough to you? Wasn't I good enough? When your family fell on hard times, my father didn't hesitate to promote your father to an executive position, mentoring him every step of the way! I shared everything I had with you! Your family had just moved to Lakeview from that small town, living in our mansion, and this is how you repay me?"

"Repay?" Scarlett let out a mocking laugh, her eyes cold and contemptuous. "How ridiculous! Why should I repay you? What makes you think I owe you any gratitude? Those pathetic handouts you gave me were nothing but humiliation!"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, each word like a knife straight to my heart.

"Why do you get to stand so high above everyone else? Why was your family so wealthy? The elite of Lakeview? Why do you get to do whatever you want, whenever you want?"

"Why should all the good things in this world be showered upon you?"

"You know what? Kevin—he was actually in love with you! Do you have any idea how much he loved you? He was cold and distant with every other woman except you. Why did the man I loved have to fall for you too?"

"Why do you have to take everything that's mine! Why did you have to take my Kevin from me! You already had so much—why did you have to steal my man too? Wasn't August enough for you?"

I stared at her in shock, as waves of information flooded my mind. For a moment, I even forgot my grief.

What?

Kevin was in love with me?

But...

Almost instinctively, I asked, "Then why did he marry you?"

"Why?" Scarlett's laugh gradually turned to tears at the corner of her eyes. "Because I drugged him. I knew he wouldn't touch me, so to have him, I drugged him. Afterward, I threatened him—either marry me, or I'd kill myself."

"I thought I could win his heart that way, but even after we were married, he still thought about you! Always you, you whore!"

"Why should you have everything while I stand beside you, watching enviously?"

"Every time you gave me something, every single act of charity—to me, it was nothing but humiliation!"

"I hate you! I envy you! I want to destroy everything you have! Take everything from you!"

"And now, I've finally succeeded. Last night must have been wild, right? How did it feel, being with a man like that?"

"You!" I was so furious I couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"What's wrong? Can the spoiled heiress Aviah actually feel anger? I thought you were different from ordinary women like me."

"You must want to kill me right now, don't you?"

Scarlett smirked coldly.

"By the way, did you see August and me going at it last night? What did you think? He's quite addicted to my body, you know."

"He grovels like a dog to please me. The man you loved—he's so pathetic in front of me. Your man is mine now. And everything else you had will soon be mine too!"

Her words tore into my soul, grinding me beneath her heel, crushing my spirit and body.

I collapsed to the ground in agony, my body trembling uncontrollably as tears streamed down my face.

"Look at you now, Aviah. All alone, discarded. Why don't you just die quietly in some forgotten corner? That's the last mercy I'll show you."

"I need to go comfort August now. After all, we had such a wild night together."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Fighting through my humiliation, I forced myself to stand. I needed to go home, to find my father, Alexander.

I would explain everything to him properly. He would listen—I was his daughter. He was just angry earlier; he wouldn't abandon me.

This thought gave me strength. Once I explained everything to Alexander, he would help me get revenge.

Right now, he was the only one who could help me escape the mess.

With this in mind, I ran desperately toward our home. I needed to tell Alexander everything, the whole truth.

Just as I finally reached our front door, a dark shape plummeted from above.

With a sickening thud, the ground before me was covered in blood and flesh.

I stood paralyzed. It was my father.

My father, Alexander, had committed suicide?

Had he killed himself because he couldn't bear this disgrace?

The unbearable thought struck me: Was I responsible for my father's death?

In that moment, I completely fell apart.

I knelt numbly beside his body, which still retained some warmth. Just hours ago, at noon, he had been alive.

"Dad... Dad."

My voice was hoarse with grief as I called to him softly, desperately hoping for a response.

But he could never answer me again.

The only blood relative I had in this world was gone.

Years later, when I finally learned the truth, I would realize how terribly wrong I had been.