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.

so many men have had a piece of you. Why not let

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can’t always let my cousin have all the fun. Let me in on

him off, but he

to scream, but his hand clamped

kill you.” He

but

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

slowly stopped fighting. My eyes were filled

I’d surrendered, he loosened his grip on my

15.02

I grabbed a rock from the ground and

looked at me, pain flashing in his eyes before he ran

curled up and hid in the garden for a long time. Until the autumn rain

I had to escape the Fitzgerald family.

I had to

of the Fitzgeralds. I would be dying by

no matter how hard I tried, it was never enough to

belle, Melody. They were

plotted against her, slandered her,

claiming I