The Scars She Hid From The World

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener's shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose-the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Chapters

Chapter 4

Clarisa stood under the recessed lighting of the porch. Mud dripped from her sweatpants, pooling on the imported Italian marble. She was a stain on the pristine facade of the Dillon family.

The heavy oak door swung open.

Helen Dillon stepped out. She was wearing a silk evening gown, emerald green. Her hair was coiffed into a helmet of blonde perfection.

"Oh my god," Helen gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Look at you. You're... a mess."

Clarisa looked at her mother. There was no hug. No tears of joy. Just shock that her daughter had ruined the aesthetic.

"Hello, Mother," Clarisa said.

Kaleigh stepped out from behind Helen. She was wearing a soft, white cashmere cardigan that looked like it cost more than a car. She looked angelic. Innocent.

"Clarisa!" Kaleigh squealed. She rushed forward, arms open. "You're finally back!"

She lunged for a hug.

Clarisa sidestepped. It was a smooth, practiced movement. Kaleigh embraced the air.

"Don't," Clarisa said flatly. "You'll get your cashmere dirty. It's dry-clean only."

Kaleigh froze. She looked at Clarisa, then looked past her to Ambrose, who was walking up the steps. Her lower lip trembled perfectly.

"I just missed you," Kaleigh whispered, her voice breaking.

Ambrose reached the top step. He moved to Kaleigh's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. A protective gesture.

Clarisa felt a sharp pang in her chest, sharper than her bruised ribs. That used to be her spot.

"Let's go inside," Helen said nervously, glancing at the driveway. "Before the neighbors see."

They moved into the foyer. The crystal chandelier overhead was blinding. The light reflected off the polished floors, making Clarisa squint.

A maid stepped forward, reaching for Clarisa's plastic bag. "Let me take that for you, Miss."

Clarisa jerked the bag away, clutching it to her chest. "No."

Brady, who had been leaning against the staircase banister holding a tumbler of whiskey, laughed. "What's in there? Gold bars? Drugs?"

The word drugs hung in the air like smoke.

"It's my life," Clarisa said quietly. "It's the only thing I have left."

Brady rolled his eyes. "Dramatic. Just like always."

"Clarisa," Helen chided, smoothing her dress. "Watch your tone. Brady is your brother."

Clarisa turned her dead gaze on her mother. "And what am I? The stray dog you let in out of the rain?"

Helen paled. She looked away, unable to hold eye contact.

"Your room is ready, sister," Kaleigh said softly, leaning into Ambrose. "I made sure they put fresh flowers in it."

Clarisa looked around the foyer. The walls used to be lined with family photos. Now, they were different. There were photos of Kaleigh graduating. Kaleigh winning a debate trophy. Kaleigh and Ambrose at a gala.

Clarisa was gone. Erased.

"I don't see my room," Clarisa said. "I don't see me anywhere."

The room spun slightly. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving only the pain in her ankle and the gnawing hunger in her belly. She swayed.

She bit the tip of her tongue, hard. The sharp pain grounded her. Do not faint. Do not give them the satisfaction.

"Mary," Helen snapped at the maid. "Take Clarisa to her room. Let her get cleaned up."

Clarisa turned to follow the maid. She didn't look back at Ambrose. She didn't look at her family. She walked with a limp, dragging her bad leg, a broken soldier marching away from the war.

Continue to next part

Two years ago, my fiancé, Connor, tossed the only life jacket to his mistress, Ilene, and watched me drown. I was pregnant with his child. He found me living a quiet life as a fisherman's wife on a remote island, dragged me back to his world, and revealed a shocking truth: our son, the one I thought I'd lost, was alive. He had been raised by them all along. Connor divorced Ilene and tried to force me into marriage, using our son as a pawn. But the boy he'd raised was a stranger, twisted by his father's cruelty, calling me a "bad woman." That's when I knew I had to destroy them. I returned to the island, not as a victim, but as Ayla Garcia, the island chief's long-lost daughter. "Connor Foster," my father roared, his voice echoing through the hall, "you dared to touch my daughter? Get out of my sight, now!" He thought he could ruin my life, but he never realized he was trespassing in my kingdom.

Adventure Modern Romance

7.8

Branded By The Devil's Cruel Kiss

7.8

Elie Joyce’s entire life was controlled by Ebert Ewing, a ruthless billionaire who held her sick grandmother's survival and her family's freedom in his hands. But on a freezing, stormy night, he forced her into a scandalous scrap of red silk and handed her over to a notorious, disgusting predator. "You aren't an escort. You're just a free gift." Ebert mocked her, using her as a disposable bargaining chip to secure a corporate funding round. When the predator humiliated her, forced high-proof vodka down her throat, and violently pinned her to the floor, Ebert simply watched with dead eyes. And when Ebert finally intervened to brutally beat the man, it wasn't out of mercy. "She is my property. Even if she is trash that I threw away, a filthy pig like you doesn't get to touch her." Afterward, he dragged her battered, barefoot body into his car, only to kick her out into the torrential rain, leaving her on the dark streets to die. Standing in the storm, shivering and bleeding from broken glass, the last shred of Elie's hope shattered. She had sacrificed her dignity and soul, enduring his violent bites and cruel control, just to keep her family alive. Why did she have to suffer this endless, twisted humiliation for a psychopath who only saw her as trash? But she didn't break. Tearing a strip of his expensive shirt to bandage her bleeding foot, Elie gripped her broken stiletto like a knife. With her eyes turning cold and calculating, she limped out of the shadows. She was going to survive, and Ebert Ewing would soon realize she was no longer his obedient prey.

Adventure Billionaire Modern

7.7

Chasing back my ex wife

7.7

Kiara Mitchell thought she had it all, until her husband Leo brought her world crashing down with divorce papers, after three years of sacrifice. She abandoned her dreams and career just to be the perfect wife for Leo, yet her devotion meant nothing to him. Instead, he went on to betray her with none other than her envious step-sister. After being abandoned and broken, she vows to make them pay. She rebuilds her life with the help of Alex, her childhood sweetheart. Five years later, she re-emerged as a top interior designer. When Leo sees the transformation of his ex-wife, he vows to stop at nothing till he wins her back. Will Kiara go ahead with her quest for revenge or will she accept him back?

Adventure Modern Romance

7.1

ICE- The Alpha's Unwanted OMEGA

7.1

The captain is dead to the world. And I'm the only one holding the kill switch. Ethan Carter, the "Glacier of Silvercrest," was the most feared Alpha to ever step onto the ice. Now, he's nothing but a shell-a broken, comatose legend trapped in his own body. My life? It was supposed to be simple. Graduate, survive the pack's bottom-tier status, and pay off my father's ruinous blood-debts. Instead, the pack elders handed me a contract soaked in cold, hard malice: I am the designated "Stabilizer." My only job is to touch him, scent him, and keep his wolf from flatlining. I thought I was just a glorified nurse. I didn't realize the Alpha was listening. When Ethan finally wakes, he isn't the hero the Kingdom of Valeria remembers. He's a starving predator with amber eyes that burn holes through my defenses and a temperament that makes the frost in the mansion seem warm. He hates the bargain, he hates the pack, and-most dangerously-he hates the way his scent turns wild whenever I'm near. He wants me out of his sight. I want to be out of his reach. But in a pack built on secrets, someone is still trying to finish the job they started on his life. Now, the man who wants me gone is the only one who can protect me. And as the rink turns into a battlefield, I'm realizing the most dangerous thing about the Alpha isn't his temper... it's the fact that once he claims a mate, he doesn't know how to let go. Frozen hearts are meant to shatter. But in the fire of this pack, we're both going to burn.

Adventure Fantasy LGBT+Werewolf

8.4

Leaving My Cruel Mate

8.4

In Belmor Town, I, Isabella Frost, was bound to Lord Adrian Stone, but his love for Sylvia Harmon, a lotus-picker with a harsh ten-cent rule, shattered our bond. Once cherished, I faced betrayal, enduring Sylvia's cruelty-whippings, humiliation-and Adrian's cold indifference. Heartbroken, I used a rare decree to break our sacred bond and fled to Joravia Town. There, rebuilding my life, I found solace with Nathan, a kind healer. As Adrian seeks redemption, I embrace a new love, leaving my painful past behind in this journey of resilience.

Adventure Modern Romance

7.3

Married To The Thorn In My Flesh

7.3

Alexander Thorne is vice-danger wrapped in billions, immorality, and a smile that feels like sin. And unfortunately for Sophia Rose, he's the man she's been arranged to marry. Sophia may be young, spoiled, and rich, but she's done having her life dictated for her. With her father's crumbling empire and society waiting to feast on their downfall, she has only one escape left: RUN. But no one warned her that Alexander would become her weakness. She shouldn't want a man like him. She definitely shouldn't marry him. However, Alexander is so deliciously irresistible. He makes it his mission to claw his way into her heart, her thoughts, her fears. Every private moment with him leaves her breathless, wanting more, and tangled deeper in his hands. By the time Sophia realizes that he's the thorn that will ruin her life, she's far too trapped to run. ~ Content Warning: This book contains mature and sensitive themes, including sexual sins, exploitation, and manipulation, addiction, trauma, violence, and emotional struggles. These topics are portrayed with honesty and care. Characters wrestle with serious issues on their journey to healing and light. Intimate scenes are sensual but not explicit. Please, read with discernment.

Adventure Billionaire Romance

The Scars She Hid From The World

Chapter 4

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