No Escape
Jane drove to the beach and spent an hour walking the beach holding her shoes in her hand and letting the waves suck at her feet. She found a little café and ate her salad watching the wash of the waves towards the shore.
What was she going to do? She wondered. Just over a month married, and her husband did not want her and openly kept a mistress who believed that it was just a matter of time until he divorced Jane and married her instead.
She turned her phone over in her hands. She finished her meal and returned to her car, sitting in the driver’s seat, and dialling her father’s number.
“Hello Jane,” he answered promptly.
“Daddy,” she fought back her tears. “I want to come home.”
He sighed heavily. “Jane,” he said with patience. “What is this ridiculousness about?”
“Baron doesn’t love me,” the tears fell free and tracked down her face. “He only married me because of the connection to you. He keeps Angelique openly as his mistress, and she says that he will only keep me as his wife for as long as the connection matters, and then he will divorce me and marry her instead, and, oh,” her voice broke on a sob. “Daddy, please.”
He was silent for a long moment. “Why would Angelique think the connection would cease to matter?” He wondered.
That was he took from her babbled distress, she thought bitterly. “I don’t know.”
to find out,” he was curt with it.
covered her face with her hands and
next in line to inherit from Matthew both the family wealth and the leadership of the pack. Her two brothers, Jason and Anthony, were both betas, and as such had always followed Alice’s lead, and that
telling her that she could play with them and then pretending that they couldn’t see or hear her, or running away, and when she had complained to her mother, innocently telling her that their cruelty was just
Jane had experienced at
and their wedding had been arranged, she had foolishly thought that finally someone saw her for herself, despite her rank in the pack, and that she would escape the daily torment, and finally be
thought angry with herself. Of course, there was no escape for her, because she was still her, still part
returned to Baron’s estate, finding the driveway blocked by a bright array of expensive sports cars, leaving her no choice but to park under a tree,
servant’s stairs up, so as to avoid any that might be inside the house. Her bedroom door was open, and she pressed herself
a woman declared. “This one isn’t bad, actually. Could be cute if done up right.” They were going through her things,
earrings are cute,” another commented. “Do you think these diamonds are
wouldn’t be interesting to read anyway, her whole pathetic life is
“Who is this?”
her. That would be her mother.
laughter, and Jane felt a
of them, she hurried into the room, startling
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!