Samantha’s POV

"You worthless girl!”

His drunken laughter echoed through the dimly lit house accompanied by the heavy thud of his shoes against the floor. My heart pounded.

Not again.

I barely dodged as my father’s shoe came flying across the room, missing my eye by inches. The sharp sting just above my cheekbone told me it had still grazed me.

I touched the spot, feeling the warmth of my own blood mixing with the sweat on my skin. My heart pounded in my chest as I took a shaky step back.

“Can’t even take a hit properly? A useless daughter like you brings nothing but bad luck.”

"You should have never been born!" he barked, staggering toward me, his breath reeking of whiskey. "You ruined my life, just like your mother did. You’re nothing but a burden!”

I swallowed hard, fighting back tears. I wasn’t going to cry, at least not in front of him.

For as long as I could remember, my father had made it clear that I was nothing but a disappointment. I wasn’t the son he wanted, the heir to his so-called legacy. My mother had only been able to bear one child me and in his eyes, that was her greatest failure.

I didn’t wait for another blow. I turned and sprinted out of the house, into the cold night.

“Go on, run like you always do. But don’t come crawling back when the world treats you worse than I ever did.”

The rain poured down in heavy drops, drenching me instantly. My feet hit the pavement as I ran, my breath coming in ragged gasps. There was only one place I could go Rayden’s.

His house wasn’t too far from mine. My thin hoodie clung to my soaked skin as I sprinted beneath the storm, but I didn’t care. I pushed forward, ignoring the ache in my legs, my heart clinging to the one person who had always been there for me. Rayden. My safe place. My only escape.

I reached his front porch, shivering, my soaked shoes slurping against the floor. The door was slightly open which was kind of odd.

But I didn’t think much of it.

Maybe he just forgot to close it properly. The thought lingered in the back of my mind.

Without giving it any much thought, I stepped inside.

“Rayden?” I called out, my voice hoarse from running.

No answer. I was drenched and freezing. My throat burned from running and all I wanted was to relieve myself of the scorching pain.

Ignoring the eerie silence, I headed straight to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and gulped down water as if I’d been stranded in a desert. My hands were still trembling, but I focused on calming my breath.

Then, I heard it.

A faint, rhythmic sound.

I stilled, swallowing the last sip of water. I then slowly turned, my eyes darting around the empty kitchen. Nothing. But the sound continued. This time followed by soft gasps and a hushed giggle.

Where was it coming from?

I stepped out of the kitchen, my bare feet making no sound against the cold floor. I followed the noise, my heart pounding harder with every step. The closer I got to Rayden’s bedroom, the more distinct it became.

Soft moans. Muffled whispers.

My fingers trembled as I pushed the bedroom door open.

The bed was empty but unmade, sheets rumpled, clothes thrown across the floor. My breath hitched.

Then I heard the water running. The moans… they were coming from the shower.

I took a shaky step closer.

And voices.

"I know Sam doesn’t deserve you like I do. When are you getting rid of her?"

A woman’s voice. Sweet, manipulative, dripping with confidence.

My chest tightened as uncertainty flooded my veins, pulsing with every heartbeat. I pressed a hand to the doorframe to steady myself.

"She’s nothing compared to you, my darling. I’ve always wanted and desired you." Rayden’s voice responded smoothly.

My stomach churned, and it took everything I had not to spill its contents all over the floor.

"She gives me nothing but complaints. Always scared, always holding back. She won’t even let me touch her." Rayden’s voice dripped with frustration. "I’m done with her. It’s you I love."

The words hit me harder than any blow my father had ever dealt me.

I gripped the doorframe, my knuckles turning white. My vision blurred as the reality sank in.

Rayden. My Rayden. The person I trusted and loved with everything I had. The person I thought loved me back and had promised me the world.

To think he had been lying to me this whole time.

To think he had been seeing another woman while telling me that I was the only one for him.

To think he had been using me all this time.

I wanted to scream. To cry. To tear down that door and demand answers.

Instead, my body acted on its own. I stumbled back, knocking into the small table beside me and the teacups sitting on top crashed to the floor with a loud shatter.

The shower turned off instantly.

The moaning stopped.

The bathroom door flung open, and there they stood soaking wet, naked.

"Sam…?" His voice cracked in panic. "Wha….what are you doing here?"

The woman beside him smirked, unfazed her wet hair sticking to her skin. She looked... pleased.

Of course she was pleased.

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred and my mind shut down.

So I did the only thing I could think of. The only thing I’d been doing since I realized I was alone in this world.

I turned and I ran.

Rayden’s voice chased after me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I ran back into the rain, my tears mixing with the downpour.

I didn’t know where I was going, only that I had nowhere to go.

The one person I always ran to had betrayed me.

But then, through the storm of emotions ripping me apart, it hit me.

There’s one more place I can go.

A place where pain was turned into power. Where fists spoke louder than words.

The underground boxing arena.