Chapter 24: BACK HOME
MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: NESSA BARRET, GLITTER AND VIOLENCE.
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Harlow stepped out of Alanis’s villa, the place she had called home for years. Her gaze lingered on the grand estate that loomed behind her, its shadow heavy with memories of pain and regret. In her first life, this had been a cage, a place where she had suffered in silence, watching her dreams wither. Alanis had rarely been present, leaving her to raise their son, Alex, alone.
Her throat tightened at the thought of Alex. She couldn’t even remember his face anymore. The cruel hand of time had stripped her of even that small comfort. She blinked back tears. Alanis and his family had taken everything from her. Her child, her dignity, her life. She would never let them have a hold on her again.
This time, things would be different.
In her past life, Alanis had been her one and only. She had clung to him like a lifeline, enduring humiliation in the name of love. But not anymore. This time, she would explore the world, find someone who truly cherished her, and leave the shackles of one-sided love far behind.
Whatever had happened in Alanis’s study earlier was nothing more than a manipulative ploy. She refused to fall for it. Her focus was clear, ’Revenge and Freedom’.
Her voice was steady as she instructed her driver to take the private estate route. As they passed a familiar bend, her eyes locked on the exact spot where a car had struck her to this particular tree trunk. The memory hit her like a blow. It was the end for her.