Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

Chapter 30

“You’re nothing but a ball and chain, so stop hanging around my cousin.”

It was my freshman year at college, and Hank and I were classmates. We weren’t in the same faculty, but we shared the newbie status. I’ve always been a softie, so I let his comment–slide without a fuss.

But Hank was relentless. “Phoebe, why so high and mighty every single day? You’re just a nobody but a little tramp kept by the Fitzgerald family. My cousin’s just keeping you warm at night, and do why you think you’re some kind of lady?”

The people around Hank snickered, “Sure, she’s a lady. But she’s ‘Lady Escort“.”

I felt my face flush with humiliation, the sting of tears threatening to show.

Hank, with his entourage, circled me and spewed insults.

Desperate to escape, I turned and saw Dexter standing nearby, his face stormy.

I looked at him and pleaded for help.

But it was the first time he looked at me with such cold indifference; his gaze was filled with disgust before he turned and walked away.

Because he did nothing, Hank grew bolder in his harassment.

Then, on a crisp autumn day during my twentieth year, at the birthday gala for Dexter’s mother, Hank found his moment and pinned me down in the shrubbery of the back garden.

his voice was sickening and menacing, “Phoebe, so many men have had a piece

當

all the fun.

him off, but he

wanted to scream, but his

kill you.”

die, but he was overpoweringly strong.

Hank sneered. He continued as he

stopped fighting. My eyes

loosened his grip on my

15.02

a rock from the ground and smashed

flashing in his eyes before he ran off.

in the garden for a long time. Until the autumn rain soaked me

I had

needed to escape. I had

up dying at the hands of the Fitzgeralds. I would be dying by Dexter’s

for honors and scholarships, but no matter how hard I tried, it was

belle, Melody. They were

vile woman who plotted against her, slandered her,

led the charge; he was labeling me promiscuous, claiming I threw