Chapter 9

The rope bit cruelly into her neck, leaving an angry red mark. The emerald pendant, once hanging there, was now ripped away, clenched tightly in Odalys's hand.

“Odalys! Are you fucking insane? How dare you steal from me?” Hannah’s voice was shrill, her perfectly made-up face contorted with rage. Fury etched every wrinkle onto her forehead like an accusation.

Odalys cast a cold glance at the pendant in her palm before shoving it into her bag. “Steal from you? Don’t make me laugh. This pendant was my mentor's gift—a protective charm. I gave it to you out of kindness, but that doesn't mean it ever belonged to you. My mistake was thinking you were worth it.”

Her lips curled into a sharp, bitter smirk. “You don’t deserve it now.” This pendant wasn't just jewelry; it was blessed, carrying protective energy. Her mentor had kept it close for over twenty years to ward off harm. When Odalys returned to the Rennett family and saw the dark shadow hanging over Hannah's face, she had handed it over without hesitation. That pendant had saved Hannah's life.

And how had Hannah repaid her? By forcing her into a proxy marriage and scheming against her at every turn. Enough was enough. Odalys wasn’t going to let them walk all over her anymore.

“You ungrateful brat!” Hannah shrieked, her chest heaving. “I’m your mother! How dare you talk to me like that? Do you want to be part of this family or not?” Her glare was sharp and venomous, filled with a hatred colder than ice. Odalys realized the chasm between them was unbridgeable. This wasn’t just family drama; it was war.

“Do you think I care?” Odalys shot back, her voice like steel. “You abandoned me, threw me into a marriage I didn’t want, and now you think I’d crawl back to you? You think you’re worth it?” Her smirk deepened. For the first time, she truly accepted it—this family didn’t love her, never had. The pain she expected wasn't there; only clarity.

“Odalys, you’ve gone too far!” Atlas stormed into the room, stepping between her and Hannah. His expression was full of anger, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Odalys,” Sophia chimed in, her voice trembling, her eyes watery. “You already took the bride price this morning—wasn’t that enough? Now you’re here to take Mom’s pendant? Why are you doing this to her? She’s always been so good to you.” But Odalys caught the flicker of malice and satisfaction in Sophia’s eyes—a flash buried beneath the crocodile tears. She’d seen it. Once, she might have fallen for it. Now? Not a chance.

Sophia’s performance only fanned the flames. “I should’ve strangled you at birth, you ungrateful—” Hannah spat, her voice cracking with fury.

Odalys stared at her mother, a calm, icy smile tugging at her lips. “Strangled me? For what? Let’s not rewrite history. I was missing for seventeen years, and none of you even bothered to look for me. I’ve been back for seven months, and not once have you treated me like family. Seven months of running errands for your precious son, working at your company for free, cleaning up after everyone in this house while your maids sat on their asses—and I didn’t get a single word of thanks. When I first came back and you were so sick you couldn’t even remember your own name, who stayed up all night by your side, taking care of you? You’re quick to throw around accusations, but where were you when I needed a mother?” Her voice was calm, but each word hit like a knife. The room fell silent. Even Caspian, who had just walked in, froze at the top of the stairs, his expression unreadable.

“You’re right about one thing, though,” Odalys let out a cold, humorless laugh. “I must be ungrateful. Otherwise, why would I have given my mentor’s protective pendant to someone like you? Turns out, you don’t fucking deserve it.” She wasn’t angry anymore. The whole thing felt absurd. Their so-called family ties? Severed long ago. This wasn’t a confrontation; it was a formality, a moment she’d forget as soon as she walked out the door. The only reason she’d come back for the pendant was Hannah’s relentless, vicious calls. That pendant had saved Hannah’s life once, shielding her during her darkest days. Without it, she might not have survived to stand here, screaming accusations and playing the victim.

(Second Part of Chapter 9)

“Odalys Stone! Are you out of your mind? I’m your mother! How dare you talk to me like that? Do you even want to come back to the Bennett family?” Hannah’s voice was shrill, her chest rising and falling with fury. For a moment, it seemed like she might keel over.

Odalys watched the tremor in her body, the haze in her eyes, and felt a flicker of satisfaction. “Life has a twisted sense of humor, doesn’t it? You could fight fate all you want, but in the end, you will only exhaust yourself,” she thought.

“Don’t bother showing me the door. From now on, I wouldn’t come back to the Bennett house even if you rolled out a red carpet,” she said, her tone breezy, almost mocking, as she turned to leave.

But her steps were cut short by Henry, his brother. His anger was palpable, radiating like a thunderstorm. He stood there, his broad shoulders casting a long shadow, his eyes fixed on her with cold, unwavering fury.

“Move,” she said, her voice like ice. She sidestepped, but his hand shot out, grabbing her arm so tightly it felt like he might snap her bones.

“Apologize,” he demanded, his voice low and commanding. “Apologize to Mom. Right now.”

Odalys turned her head slowly, fixing him with a stare oozing contempt. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Odalys,” Henry growled, his voice darker, heavy with warning. “Don’t push me. I’m only saying this once: apologize to Mom and return the Stewart family’s wedding gifts. Or else—”

Before he could finish, her palm connected with his face in a sharp, echoing slap. His head snapped to the side, and the room went deathly silent. Henry staggered, his gold-rimmed glasses flying off and landing with a clatter. A bright red handprint bloomed across his cheek.

The Bennetts stared, their eyes wide with shock. The Odalys they knew would never have dared raise her voice, let alone her hand. But the woman before them now looked untouchable, fierce.

“You’re unbelievable, Henry,” Odalys sneered, her voice sharp. “Thick-skinned, entitled, and delusional. No wonder you’re next in line to run this circus. Who the hell do you think you are to stand there and bark orders at me? And don’t even get me started on your little fantasy about the Stewart family’s gifts.” Her gaze locked onto his, cold and unrelenting. “Listen carefully. My name is Odalys Stone. I’m not a Bennett, and I sure as hell don’t belong to this family anymore. So don’t you dare think you can tell me what to do.”

She stepped back and stomped her heel onto the fallen glasses, the satisfying crunch punctuating her words. Without missing a beat, she turned toward the door.

“And stop fucking calling me,” she threw over her shoulder before striding out.

As she reached the foyer, Caspian descended the stairs. He took one look at her defiant posture, and something in him snapped. His face darkened, and he stormed toward her, his fist clenched.

Before he could get close, a loud voice boomed from the doorway. “Mrs. Stewart, Mr. Stewart is waiting for you at home. He’s asked you to return for dinner.”

The words “Mrs. Stewart” cut through the chaos. Caspian’s raised fist wavered before he swung it wildly at a decorative vase, shattering it.

Odalys smirked, her eyes flicking toward the chauffeur. His interruption couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. Clearly, he’d had enough of the drama. She was grateful—Caspian had just dodged a world of pain.

“Let’s go,” she said curtly, brushing past the stunned onlookers. The chauffeur followed, guiding her into the waiting car. As they sped away, Odalys glanced in the rearview mirror and caught sight of Caspian, looking ready to storm after her. Henry grabbed his arm and held him back.

“Ma’am,” the chauffeur ventured cautiously, glancing at her. “Are you alright?”

Odalys leaned back, closing her eyes with a long sigh. “I’m fine. They’re nothing but background noise.”

Back at the Bennett estate, Caspian wrenched his arm free from Henry’s grip, his face flushed with rage. “Why the hell did you stop me? That bitch deserves to be put in her place!”

Henry shot him a sharp look. “That wasn’t just anyone, Caspian. That was the Stewart family’s driver. If you’d hit her, you’d have dragged us all down with you.”

This revised version corrects grammatical errors, improves punctuation, and enhances readability. The excessive use of profanity is retained as it appears to be a stylistic choice reflecting the characters' emotions. However, consider your target audience before publishing.