Chapter 4 - The Shattered Illusion
I tore through the dense forest, sharp branches mercilessly ripping the expensive lace of my gown.
My lungs burned with every desperate breath, but I refused to let my brother catch me.
I kicked off my white high heels, choosing to run barefoot over the freezing, muddy ground.
The sound of Jason crashing through the underbrush grew louder and more frantic with every passing second.
I spotted a small, abandoned groundskeeper shed hidden behind a cluster of massive oak trees.
I dove inside the dark shed, pulling the rusted metal door shut just as Jason burst into the clearing.
I crouched behind a broken lawnmower, pressing my hands tightly over my mouth to muffle my ragged breathing.
Through a crack in the wooden planks, I watched Jason pacing angrily in the mud.
"You are making a huge mistake, Maya!" Jason yelled into the silent forest.
"Evelyn isn't even your real mother, so you owe us that house for raising your ungrateful life!"
My heart stopped completely, the horrific words piercing straight through my soul.
I had always felt like a stranger in my own home, but I never imagined my entire life was a lie.
Jason continued his cruel, taunting rant as he searched the bushes.
"Your real mother left you a fifty-million-dollar trust fund that unlocks on your twenty-fifth birthday!"
Today was my wedding day, but it was also the exact day I turned twenty-five years old.
They didn't just want the house to pay off Liam's syndicate debts.
They needed the house because my real mother had hidden the original trust documents somewhere inside the walls.
My breathing hitched, and my foot accidentally kicked an empty metal paint can.
The loud clatter echoed terribly in the quiet shed.
Jason stopped pacing and turned his head slowly toward the rusted metal door.
A wicked, triumphant smile spread across his bruised and bleeding face.
May you like
He pulled a heavy hunting knife from his belt and walked menacingly toward my hiding spot.
"Found you, little sister," Jason whispered, raising the blade high in the air.
