Chapter 1009:

“Hyde, what does Kaelyn have that I don’t? Why are you doing this to me? I gave you everything.” Mabel loved Hyde with every fiber of her being, yet he gave her nothing in return.

“You’re heartless, Hyde. One day, you’ll pay for this. I won’t let you get away with it, you bastard,” Mabel hissed, her fury rising as her thoughts drifted back to Kaelyn. The image of Kaelyn shamelessly giving herself to Hyde fueled Mabel’s anger even more.

The jealousy and betrayal burned deep, twisting her emotions into a whirlwind of fury. “Kaelyn, I treated you like a sister, bent over backward for you, and this is how you repay me?” she muttered bitterly.

Memories of Kaelyn’s past kindness twisted painfully in Mabel’s mind, and the night’s events only suffocated her more. She felt the sharp sting of betrayal like a slap in the face.

“I told you—Kaelyn was never going to set you up with anyone decent. Why didn’t you listen to me? Now look at you, used and thrown away.” Elyse’s voice cut in, soft but laced with satisfaction.

Mabel snapped out of her daze, staring blankly out the car window at Elyse, utterly confused. “How—how did you get out?” she stammered, her thoughts spinning. Elyse smirked.

“That’s not a question I need to answer.” Before Mabel could fire back, her words froze on her lips as she saw a figure approaching in the distance.

As the figure drew closer, Mabel recognized him, and a surge of fear overwhelmed her. Her eyes ballooned with terror. “Why are you here?” The man was Theo—the very man Mabel had feared above all.

Spoiled throughout her childhood by her parents, Mabel’s first taste of misery had come through Theo. The mere sight of him made Mabel’s knees tremble. She yearned to flee but found herself rooted to the spot.

Regaining some poise, Mabel shot a glance at Elyse and accused, “You orchestrated this, didn’t you? You and Theo conspired against me.”

Elyse extracted a chocolate bar from her purse, bit into it with gusto, and snapped back, “So, I can be sold by you, but I can’t set a trap?”

She hadn’t eaten all day; without Theo’s arrival, she might have collapsed from hunger.

Inhaling deeply, Mabel pushed Elyse aside and bolted. She had to evade Theo at all costs—he was a deranged maniac, unpredictable in his actions.

Mabel attempted to escape, but Theo’s henchmen quickly caught up. She hadn’t covered much ground before they surrounded her. Blocked and desperate, Mabel leaped into the bushes, only to discover they veiled the edge of a pit. . . .