She’s Back, and Hell’s Coming with Her novel Chapter 2

Whatever Celine wanted, she had to hand over without question—no one dared say no.

At home, nothing she ever did could compare to a single tear that slipped down Celine’s cheek.

If Celine cried, everything was suddenly her fault.

When Celine pouted, they doted on her.

When Celine wept, their hearts broke for her.

But as for her? She had to tiptoe around everyone, reading every mood, forbidden to come too close, expected to obey without a word.

Every day was lived on edge, terrified of upsetting Celine and bringing another wave of scolding from the family.

If they loved Celine so much, why had they gone to so much trouble to bring her back?

She’d thought that returning to the Sutton family, finally having her parents, meant she was no longer that unwanted child whispered about behind her back.

Her parents had loved her, hadn’t they? After all those years, they’d never stopped searching for her.

Back then, she’d felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She’d wanted to shout it from the rooftops: her parents truly, deeply loved her. Look at the homecoming they’d given her, the grand welcome party in her honor.

But she’d been wrong—so heartbreakingly wrong.

All it took was a word from Celine, and she was instantly dispensable.

The three of them—her mother, father, and Celine—were the real family. She was nothing more than a stray, crawling from the gutter, coveting a life that was never meant to be hers.

All she wanted was a little affection. Just a little.

But Celine took every drop, leaving her with nothing. Celine made sure anyone who might have loved her, anyone she cared for, turned into an enemy.

She was her mother’s child too. So why was she treated like this?

The memories reeled through her mind, scene after scene, like a relentless film she couldn’t turn off.

The man who had once promised to love her forever had joined forces with Celine to send her to prison with his own hands.

“Celine is amazing! I watched her acceptance speech live last night and cried for half an hour. She finally won Best Actress!”

“Me too! I teared up when she did. And Marshall gave her a ten-carat diamond ring right on stage. Can you believe it? She’s so lucky.”

“She’s living the dream—great career, a gorgeous, wealthy husband… And I heard she’s pregnant again…”

A group of starstruck girls giggled, gazing up at the massive digital screen displaying the glamorous actress.

Sabrina, still crouched in the shadows, felt her empty eyes flicker with a strange light. Slowly, she rose and looked up at the glowing billboard.

Her amber eyes blazed with hatred, poison burning just beneath the surface.

Her fists clenched and relaxed, clenched again, so tightly her nails dug into her palms, but she felt no pain.

Thirteen years. Four thousand, seven hundred and forty-five days.

“Celine, I went to prison in your place. I have suffered every single day. How can you live with yourself, so perfectly content?”