ZOELLA

The thudding in my chest grew heavier, and I clutched it, wincing in pain as hot tears cascaded down my cheeks while I ran down the stairs. I misplaced my step and fell, tumbling down the staircase.

“Argh!” I winced, clutching the left side of my head, confirming that the moist liquid was blood. But I didn’t care. I needed to get out of here.

I struggled to my feet, still holding my aching heart and gasping for breath while I dragged my sore body out of the mansion. Once outside, I gasped for fresh air as tears streamed down my face.

My knees hit the ground, my hand still clutching my chest, my breathing ragged—panic attack incoming.

“Ca-calm down. Calm… down. Calm down, Zo,” I whispered to myself through petrified stuttering as I wept.

My gaze turned toward the family mansion, and a chill swept through me. It suddenly felt horrific.

I shuddered. “Ca-ca-calm down, Zo,” I forced out between fear and heavy breathing.

My tears clouded my vision. “Breathe. Breathe!” I told myself.

Shakily, my hands reached into the pocket of my jeans, pulling out my phone. With trembling fingers, I tapped on my mom’s number.

She picked up instantly, as was her habit—and for the first time, I was proud of it.

“M-mom? Mom? M-m-mom, you need to get here,” I said, my breath catching.

“Zo, are you okay?” my mother’s concerned voice came through.

“Mom, you need to get here now. I can’t… I can’t,” I replied, struggling.

“Zo, what’s wrong? Where are you?” she asked urgently.

“I’m at the…” The tears overwhelmed my throat. “I’m at the family house. Tell Reina to come too,” I whimpered.

“What happened?” Mom asked.

“I can’t… I can’t,” I kept repeating until I ended the call.

Mom kept calling back and never stopped, but I didn’t have the will in me to pick up. Reina’s call came in too, but it also went unanswered. All the while, I sobbed for my life. Dad and Andreas never came out to check on me, probably continuing with their act.

But how? How could this happen? Why? When did it even start?

I thought Andreas and I were happy, doing okay. We’d been dating for two years! We started going out two months after I got my job at the startup company—the same place he worked at. When did he even get the time to meet Dad and start this thing with him? How did I not notice?

Andreas wasn’t in the office today. Said he had a cold. I should have known. All those times he claimed he was sick… was he faking it? Coming here to fuck my dad?

I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. All I could do was weep silently, my mouth trembling while blood from my injury trickled down my face.

How could the two most important people in my life betray me like this?

Where do I even start from? How long has this been going on?

My mind was in disarray, and luckily for me, Mom arrived with Reina. Their appearance immediately calmed me a bit.

I immediately rushed over and threw my arms around Mom, sobbing into her chest as my shoulders shook.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Mom asked gently.

“Zo, what happened?” Reina chimed in.

I pulled away and wiped my tears to face them. Mom was the exact replica of me—dark brown skin, black doe eyes, and very long black hair. Reina had blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. Both their eyes were filled with concern.

“Talk to us,” Mom urged, glancing at Reina and then back at me.

I sniffed. “Dad…” I let the word hang, unable to continue as I took a deep breath.

“What happened to your father, Zoella?” Mom asked, urgency rising in her voice.

“Dad… Dad is sleeping… with my boyfriend,” I choked out.

Mom’s mouth fell open in disbelief, her eyes widening. Reina’s face flushed red with immediate embarrassment.

“Andreas?” Mom whispered.

I nodded slowly. “They’re still inside. I caught them,” I said, pointing toward the house. Their eyes followed.

“Oh, those sons of bitches,” Mom muttered through gritted teeth, anger rising on her face.

“Well, come on, Zoella. We’re going to give them a piece of our mind,” she said with determination, and Reina nodded in agreement.

“I can’t. I can’t look at either of them,” I cried.

“Well, don’t you want to know why?” Reina asked softly.

“I do,” I muttered.

“Then this is the only chance you’ll get. And don’t worry, we won’t let any harm come to you,” Reina promised, gently wiping the tears from my cheeks.

I nodded and sniffed, taking hold of both their arms. Together, we walked back inside. Back into the house.

I was tired. I was tired and disgusted by the sight.

I approached the living room and met Andreas and Dad—could I even call him that now?

Mr. Valor Moreau, my stepfather, sadly, was dressed in a blue button-up shirt and dark pants. As much as I hated to admit it, he didn’t look like someone about to turn sixty in two days. He held a glass of red wine in his hand, sipping from it casually.

I quickly averted my gaze as his cold blue eyes met mine.

“Well, look who finally came crawling back,” he said mockingly as we stood before him.

My eyes shifted to Andreas, wearing a hoodie and blue jeans, mouthing I’m sorry to me. I shot him a vulgar glare before returning my gaze to Mr. Valor, who was now staring at me expectantly.

Suddenly, the room felt smaller. My chest began to ache again, my vision started to blur. I took a deep breath as tears streamed down my cheeks.

I can’t do this. I’m a failure. I’m weak. I can’t face him. I think I’m going to pass out.

I stumbled backward, about to lose my balance, but Reina and Mom held me up.

My stepfather chuckled—delighted, amused by my devastation.

I couldn’t believe it. This was the man who once treated me with so much love? Who helped me secure my job at the start-up company, who had come up with our father-daughter bonding time? Now he laughed—laughed—at my pain. A ripple of shock ran through me, numbing everything else.

Mom gently turned my face toward her. “Hey, hey, hey,” she murmured, wiping away tears I hadn’t even realized were falling. “We’re here, just like we promised. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

I nodded, wiping my face. And in that moment, a strength I didn’t know I had surged through me, fierce and unwavering.

I turned to face him. My stepfather. Mr. Valor Moreau. Swirling his wine glass with the same smug elegance he used to swirl birthday candles out on my cakes.

“Why?” I asked, my voice steady with rising confidence.

“Uhmm… because I’m gay,” he replied with a careless shrug and no trace of shame.

Disgust twisted across my face. How could he be so brazen? So unapologetic?

“I don’t care that you’re gay. Why Andreas? Why did it have to be my boyfriend?” My voice cracked as rage clawed its way up. “We’ve been together for two years. You knew that!”

He placed his wine glass on the side table and stood slowly. A terrifying smirk curled his lips as he folded his arms.

“The finer things in life,” he said, glaring at me, “are the ones you’re not supposed to have. The forbidden fruit.”

My mouth hung open. I had no words. Just hot, fresh tears trailing down my cheeks again.

“Out of all the millions of people you could have had,” I whispered, voice breaking, “you chose the one person closest to me. How could you be so shameless?”

“Hey,” he said with a shrug, “it’s not my fault. And if I may add… you’re the one who brought us together.”

My heart stopped.

“I came to visit you one Saturday at your apartment,” he continued, casually, like he wasn’t ripping my soul apart, “but you were out. Probably off on one of your morning runs. And guess who opened the door? Andreas. In glasses.” He chuckled darkly. “You know I can’t resist a man in glasses. I took one look and decided… I wanted him. And I always get what I want.

And God… his moans,” he added with a twisted grin. “He is so perfect.”

Bile rose up my throat as a wave of horror crashed over me. My knees buckled, and I slowly sank to the floor, trembling. I could feel Mom at my side, cradling me, whispering words of comfort while I sobbed into my hands.

Then suddenly…

“You fucking bastard! We had a deal!” Reina’s voice pierced the silence like a blade.

My head snapped up.

She stormed to the front of the room, face flushed, eyes blazing as she faced my stepfather.

“I warned you to stay away from her relationships,” she spat, breathless with fury. “You promised. We reached a conclusion. But now you've broken that promise, and I can’t protect you anymore. Do whatever the hell you want to me, but I’m done shielding you.”

“Reina, don’t you dare!” my stepfather thundered, lunging toward her.

But Reina darted behind Mom in a flash, and Mom stepped in front of her protectively like a shield, eyes locked on the man she once loved.

What the hell is going on?

I looked between them all, the pieces refusing to fit. A deal? A conclusion? What deal? What had Reina promised him? What was she hiding from me?

“Reina,” my stepfather growled, his voice low and laced with venom, “if you utter a single word, I will ruin your life.”

“Go ahead!” she shouted back, eyes wild with defiance. “I don’t fucking care anymore.”

Then she turned to me.

And everything went still.

“Zo,” she said, her voice quieter now, but shaking. “there’s something you need to know.”