RENEÉ GREY

41 | Hello, Amanda

41 | Hello, Amanda

CH 41: You are so beautiful, no one should make you feel less

🌸Renee Grey🌸

I quickened my pace, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead, the palms of my hands slick with nervousness.

"Hello, Amanda," a voice hissed behind me. I froze in my tracks, the blood draining from my face.

The last thing I remember is a handkerchief, reeking of some sweet, cloying scent, being pressed against my face. My body sagged, my limbs becoming leaden and useless, my vision blurring into darkness.

And then, nothing.

I awoke some time later, my head throbbing with pain, my mind fuzzy and disoriented. The stench of the handkerchief still lingered in my nostrils, mingling with a bitter, metallic taste in my mouth.

I blinked, my eyes struggling to adjust to the dim lighting. Where was I?

I blinked again, the world coming into sharp relief as my vision cleared. I found myself in a small, dingy room, the walls stained with grime and the faint outlines of old, peeling wallpaper. A single, naked lightbulb swung from the ceiling, its dim glow casting ominous shadows around me.

I tugged at my limbs, only to find them bound tightly with coarse rope. My ankles and wrists were secured to the legs and arms of a chair, leaving me immobile and helpless.

"Welcome back, Amanda," a voice drawled from the darkness.

"Amanda," the voice purred, savoring the syllables of my name like a cat with a freshly caught mouse. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

I tried to peer into the shadows, to catch a glimpse of my captor, but the dim light made it impossible. All I could see was the vague outline of a figure, their features obscured in the darkness.

"Who...who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear and confusion.

As the figure stepped into the light, I gasped in horror, my mouth falling open in shock. It was Kate Miller, my foster mother from years ago, her face hardened with a cold, calculating stare.

"Kate..." I whispered, my mind struggling to comprehend the situation.

Kate smiled, her lips curling into a cruel, mocking grin. "Oh, did you think you were rid of me? Did you really think you could run away from your past, Amanda?"

I stared at her in disbelief, the memories of my childhood rushing back in a torrent of emotion.

"You really thought you could put my husband behind bars and still get to live a happy life, didn't you?" Kate snarled, her eyes glinting with malice in the dim light of the room. "You think you can just go around ruining people's lives and not pay the price? Well, you were wrong, Amanda. Dead wrong."

She stalked closer, her steps measured and predatory as she leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear.

"You were nothing but a slut, a whore, from the moment you stepped into our home.

"You seduced my husband," Kate spat, her voice dripping with venom. "You led him on, tempted him with your innocent façade, your little girl act. And then, when he gave in, you screamed and ran away. You called the police, you pointed the finger at him, and you sent him away like a common criminal. Like a murderer."

She paused, a cruel smirk twisting her lips as she watched my face contort with anguish. "Well, now it's your turn, my dear. It's time for you to pay the price for what you've done."