Chapter 223: Flashback – The Shattered Mirror

Author’s POV (23 Years Ago)

Morgan bolted upright from the bed, his frame shuddering under the weight of a suppressed fury that threatened to incinerate everything. He approached Meredith with heavy, rhythmic steps that sounded like the fall of a hammer. His bare chest rose and fell with ragged, turbulent breaths.

In a swift, predatory motion, he seized her jaw in an iron grip, forcing her head up to meet gray eyes that had turned into smoldering embers of contempt.

"Other people?" he hissed through gritted teeth. "Is that your profession?"

Meredith let out a bitter, mocking laugh that shook her very core.

Despite the searing pain in her jaw under the crush of his fingers, she lifted her chin in defiance. "Yes, it’s my job. The only thing that matters is the money. Are you going to pay, or not?"

Morgan shoved her away with intense revulsion, as if he had touched something contaminated and sickening. He marched to his dresser, snatched a thick stack of cash, and hurled it at her feet with such force that the bills scattered and spiraled across the floor. "Is that enough?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

Meredith bent down with a hollow, practiced coldness. She began to gather the banknotes from the floor with a provocatively slow deliberation, feeling each piece of paper cut into what remained of her dignity like a blade.

But she played her part to the bitter end. She stuffed the money into her bag, then looked at him with a pale, sickly smile. "Goodbye, sir. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you."

She turned and walked out of the room, forcing her steps to appear confident, while Morgan remained standing in the center of the room, ashen-faced.

He couldn’t grasp how the image of the "Angel" had disintegrated in a single heartbeat. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The moment she stepped into a taxi, Meredith’s tears fell in a torrent. She couldn’t bear the weight of what had happened; the realization that she would never see Morgan again made her heart burn with genuine agony.

She was supposed to feel victorious for tainting Violet’s image in his eyes, but instead, she felt an internal ruin. She entered her house with red, swollen eyes and headed straight for her room, slamming the door and collapsing onto her bed in a fit of bitter weeping.

Violet had noticed her sister’s distraught state the moment she walked in. She knew something was horribly wrong. She knocked and entered the room to find Meredith in shambles.

As soon as Meredith saw her sister, she shrieked hysterically, "Get out of my sight!"

Violet approached with a worried expression, her voice soft. "What’s wrong? Why are you crying?"

"None of your business!" Meredith snapped, wiping her tears aggressively.

"Tell me," Violet insisted, sitting beside her. "I’m your sister."

Meredith lunged to her feet, her voice piercing. "You’re not my sister! You are a barrier in my life... an obstacle I need to remove!"

Before Violet could respond, their mother entered the room, standing at the door with a stern gaze. "What is this talk?"

Meredith rose from the bed, a mocking smirk dancing on her lips. "Oh, look... Her Majesty the Queen has arrived to defend her little Princess!"

Her mother marched toward her and, in a swift motion, slapped her across the face so hard it snapped her head to the side. Tears spilled from Meredith’s eyes as she clutched her stinging cheek. "You’re hitting me... for her?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"I’m hitting you because your words are poisonous," her mother replied firmly. "What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with me, Mom?" Meredith screamed, gesturing wildly in despair. "Am I not your daughter too? Why do you love her and not me?"

"Is that what you think?" the mother asked in disbelief. "That I don’t love you?"

"Yes! And don’t lie, please," Meredith said bitterly. "You love her, you pamper her, you treat her like royalty while you treat me like a goddamn servant!"

The mother shook her head in sorrow. "You are mentally ill. You need professional help."

Meredith laughed with pure gall. "You are the ones who made me this way!"

The mother raised her hand to strike again, but this time Violet stood in the way, catching her mother’s wrist. "Enough, Mom," she said calmly.

The mother looked at Meredith with disdain. "Look at your sister. Even after what you said to her, she defends you."

Meredith stepped back, bowing with scathing sarcasm. "Thank you, Princess, for your royal mercy!"

Violet looked at her with pity, forcing a gentle smile. "Get some rest. Your nerves are shot." She took her mother’s arm. "Let’s go."

As they reached the kitchen, the mother placed a hand over her heart. "Violet, your sister’s condition worries me deeply."

Violet sipped some water with a detached coolness. "Don’t worry. She’s probably just had a difficult day."

The following day, Violet was walking through the university gates with confident strides, chatting with classmates about grueling lectures.

Suddenly, a sleek black luxury car screeched to a halt right in front of them, making the girls gasp as they watched the sunlight glint off its polished frame. The door opened, and Thomas stepped out, looking impeccable.

He looked directly at Violet with a steady smile. "Hello."

The girls began whispering behind her. "Oh, is that your boyfriend?" one asked eagerly. "He’s so handsome!" another gasped.

Violet shot them a sharp look that silenced them instantly, then approached Thomas, standing before him with a stoic expression. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Thomas replied, scanning her face.

"Why?" she asked sharply.

He raised an eyebrow. "Does there have to be a reason?"

"Yes," she said sternly.

Thomas sighed with a light smile. "Fine. I didn’t realize you’d be so annoyed."

"Now you know," she said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

He opened the car door for her. "Alright, let me make it up to you."

"How?" she asked, a hint of curiosity she tried to hide.

"I’m taking you somewhere."

"I don’t want to go," she said, turning and walking away. But he followed, his voice deep and persuasive. "Please, Violet."

She stopped and turned. "Where are you taking me?"

He winked playfully. "It’s a surprise."

Violet gave in and got into the car, sitting upright and formal. "How did you find my university?"

"A little research," he replied, starting the engine.

"Are you obsessed?" she asked accusingly.

Thomas laughed from his heart. "Well, if I said yes... would you be afraid?"

"Why would I be afraid?" she asked firmly, looking at the road.

"I don’t know."

"I don’t get afraid," she challenged.

Thomas didn’t respond; he was content just watching her serious expressions, admiring every word that left her lips. After a while, he pulled up to a vast racetrack. "We’re here."

Violet looked around. "What is this place?"

"There’s a horse race today. I hope you like horses."

"Is this where people bet on which horse will win?" she asked, scanning the area.

"Have you ever been to a race?" he asked with interest.

"No," she replied shortly.

Thomas hopped out to open her door, but she was faster; she opened it herself and stepped out, leading the way inside.

The place was buzzing with people shouting and betting feverishly. "You choose the horse," Thomas said, leaning in. "And I’ll place the bet."

She looked at him in surprise. "I know nothing about horses."

"I trust your intuition," he said sincerely.

"Hmm," she replied with a dry smirk. "You just have so much money that you don’t mind losing some of it on a horse."

Thomas laughed aloud, leaning toward her. "Is your tongue always this sharp?"

"My tongue is sharp?" she asked coolly. "No, never."

A deep, familiar voice ranted with scathing sarcasm from behind her: "Never!"

Violet spun around quickly, only to find Morgan standing there. But his features were steeled in a way she had never seen before. "Oh, Morgan!" she said with a calm smile, unaware of the storm brewing behind his eyes. "Hello."