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.

was sickening and menacing, “Phoebe, so many men have had a piece of you.

當

let my cousin have all the fun.

off, but he was immovable.

but his hand

I’ll kill you.”

die, but he

hots for my cousin. The Fitzgeralds took you in out of charity, and you bite the hand that feeds you, thinking you can trap him with some marriage contract.” Hank sneered. He continued as he watched me struggle, “I’ll tell you the truth, Dexter sent me to teach you a lesson, to remind you of your place. You’re nothing

stopped fighting. My eyes were filled with

grip on my wrists and started

15.02

the ground

in his eyes

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

I realized I had

I had to leave.

of the

relentlessly, striving for honors and scholarships, but no matter how hard I tried,

campus belle, Melody. They were the golden

plotted against

the charge; he was labeling me promiscuous, claiming I threw myself at men and almost hit on him.