Determined to find her place in a life she no longer recognizes, Camilla sets out on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, she uncovers truths about herself, her family, and the betrayal that changed everything. With every step, she grows stronger, unearthing a resilience she never knew she had.
Camille's POV
A sharp, throbbing pain pounded in my head as I stirred awake. My body felt weak, and my senses were clouded by the lingering haze of the night before. Blinking against the harsh sunlight piercing through the curtains, I tried to sit up, only to realize-I couldn't move freely.
A weight pressed against my body. My breath hitched. My heart slammed against my ribs as my gaze darted to the figure lying beside me. A man. His arm draped over my waist like a claim. What? I screamed internally, my pulse racing in terror. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed myself up, the sheets slipping from my bare skin.
Then I saw them-my clothes. Scattered. On the floor.
A cold chill ran down my spine. My hands trembled as I clutched the duvet to my chest, my mind scrambling to piece together what had happened. How did I end up here? Naked. In bed with a stranger.
Tears burned at the back of my eyes. Then, like a cruel whisper in the wind, realization struck. Bella.
I gasped, the betrayal stinging deeper than anything else. She set me up. My own step sister had done this. Why? My chest heaved, anger bubbling beneath my skin. Before I could even process my emotions, the door suddenly burst open.
I froze.
There, standing in the doorway, was my father.
"Dad..." My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. My heart clenched as I saw the look on his face-disappointment. No anger, no yelling. Just silence, thick and suffocating.
I scrambled to pull the duvet tighter around me. "I can explain," I pleaded, my voice shaky, desperate. But he simply raised a hand, stopping me from saying anything further.
Then, from behind him, she stepped out. Bella.
A victorious smirk curled on her lips. "I told you, Father," she said, her voice dripping with false sincerity. "She lied about everything."
My stomach twisted into knots.
"Bella," I choked out, betrayal lacing my tone. "How could you?"
She just tilted her head, pretending to think. "Hmm... what do you mean Camile " she mocked, I don't understand the question she said faking her innocence.
I swallowed hard, shaking my head as tears spilled down my cheeks. Before I could even defend myself, my stepmother sauntered into the room, her lips curling into a sinister smirk.
"Well, well..." she hummed, scanning the scene before her. "Looks like you were having quite the fun night."
My throat constricted. Shame and anger warred within me. But it didn't matter what I said-none of them would listen. None of them cared.
I turned back to my father, my voice barely holding steady. "Dad, please..." But he said nothing. Without a word, he turned and walked away.
I felt something inside me break.
Bella let out a giggle, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers. "I hope you had fun," she teased, stepping further into the room. She leaned slightly, trying to get a look at the stranger still fast asleep beside me, but his face remained obscured. "I wonder who my friends picked for you," she mused. "Not that it matters-I bet he's ugly anyway." She let out a mocking laugh.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palm. "Why did you do this?" My voice cracked.
Bella's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Do what, sister?" she taunted, her tone dripping with fake innocence.She just tilted her head, pretending to think. "Hmm... because it was so easy?" she mocked, crossing her arms. "Honestly, Camille, you were always too trusting. Too naive."
"I thought..." My voice wavered. "I thought you wanted us to be a happy family. I thought we were trying to make things right."
She scoffed. "Oh, Camille, how stupid can you be?" Her smile widened. "Did you really think I'd let you marry someone as influential as Raymond?" Her eyes gleamed with wicked amusement. "No, no, no. You don't deserve that. Now let's see if Daddy still wants to go through with your engagement."
My breath hitched. This was all about my marriage?
Bella gave me one last mocking glance before stepping toward the door. "Bye, sister," she chirped, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Enjoy the rest of your day." And with that, she was gone, leaving the room eerily silent.
I sat there, letting the tears fall freely. My mind raced with one desperate question-what do I do now?
I turned to the man beside me. His slow, steady breathing made it clear he was still fast asleep. My stomach churned in disgust. I reached out hesitantly, shaking his shoulder.
No response.
I shook him harder. Nothing. He was deep in whatever slumber held him hostage.
A fresh wave of anger surged through me. I wish I could just kill him. Right here. Right now. But what would that change? Nothing. The damage had already been done.
I had trusted Bella. And I had walked right into her trap.
I am sorry, Alexa; I just had to do it. It was at this point that it dawned on me that I was poisoned by the only person I trusted on earth. I fell flat to the ground and I was crawling with my tummy, trying to reach the door. I felt a warm sensation down my legs and when I looked back, I saw blood flowing out of me. At this point, I couldn't tell if my babies were gone. Life was never rosy for Alexa. She agreed to marry Lex for five years but after the contract was signed, life became a living hell for her. She was poisoned by the person she trusted the most. Will she lose her triplet or her life? Here lie love, hate, and sacrifices to be made for the people she loves.
In order to save the life of her grandmother, samantha signed a marriage Contract with a wealthy and powerful man. little did she expect her heart to be captured by another, she finds herself torned between the duty she pledged and the love she can't deny. Will she follow the path of her heart or stay by the bound of contract forever longing for the passion she would never have.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Marriage was a bed of thorns for Stella. She lived like an overworked and unhappy slave for six years in her matrimonial home. One day, her uncaring husband, Waylon said to her, "Ayla will be back soon. You have to move out tomorrow." "I want a divorce," responded Stella. She left without shedding a tear or trying to change Waylon's stone-cold heart. Days after their divorce, they met again. Stella was in the arms of another man. Waylon's blood boiled at the sight of her looking so happy. "So, you couldn't even wait a while before jumping into another man's arms?" he queried distastefully. "And who are you to question my decision? It's my life, so I call the shots. Stay out of my business!" Stella fired at him before turning to look at her new man with shiny eyes. Waylon immediately lost it.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." She stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You are not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked in a quivering voice. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She looked at me in the mirror. "You can't even look at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of looking at that face?" Heather Bailey had a surprise from her husband that night: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. But she was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman because that person was closest to her. Shortly after she put her signature on their divorce papers, shock waves caught her up. Her flower shop was severely burnt, beyond repair. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers who came from influential families, she started her action against Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted. But that was just the beginning.