The Shackles of an Innocent Girl

A tall, broad shouldered man threw a stack of money at the face of a sobbing woman.

"Pick up all that money and never bother me again! Ungrateful bitch!" His voice boomed. The veins in his neck were clearly visible, revealing the peak of his anger.

For the next few moments, my mother could only cry and regret her foolishness for getting involved with such a cruel man.

It has now been eighteen years since I've tried to forget that bitter incident, but it still haunts me. That was the day my mother decided to end her life, leaving her three-year-old child in an orphanage in Los Angeles.

What do I do now? Despair because I was born illegitimate? Grieve because I never had a father? Or wallow in misery because I grew up an orphan?

No! I'm done with all of that!

Everyone's got it wrong!

If I'm an illegitimate child, then I will make sure that man has no right to happiness in his life either.

Today, I've resolved to trap him. He won't realize that the woman he hired is his own flesh and blood. The 21 year-old woman he plans to sleep with tonight is going to destroy him, very soon!

"Your downfall is about to begin, Henry Austin," I muttered with a sly smile right in front of the hotel room door.

Not long after, the man himself appeared. Finally, my prey has arrived!

"Oh, hi Bianca! Sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?" he greeted cheerfully.

I waved my hand, dismissing his small talk it was already tiresome. I quickly grabbed his hand, yanking the tie still wrapped around his neck, and started unbuttoning his black shirt.

What a dirty old man! I have to admit, despite being nearly fifty, his body is still remarkably fit. But that doesn't change the fact that he's already halfway to the grave.

This old man deserves to die! My heart pounded as I gave myself to him. Will I succeed in killing my own father?

"Baby, you're impatient, huh?" he said with a smirk, locking eyes with mine.

Damn it! That question should be for you, you bastard!

"You can clean yourself up first. I can wait, dinner should be here soon," I said, trying to neutralize the tension.

I'm not a real whore! I mean, I'm seriously not that kind of woman! This is just a mission for revenge!

And there's no way I'd willingly give my body to this old creep!

"Alright then! Let's make this beautiful woman squirm after I clean up!" he teased, still trying to flirt.

He stood up and started leaning in closer to me, attempting to sniff my neck, which was covered by my hair.

Disgusting! I fought the urge to gag, even though I was completely repulsed.

Then he walked toward the bathroom. I bit my lip. This is going to be good. He's about to walk right into my trap! I eagerly watched his every step.

I spent an hour carefully setting up the trap in the bathroom. I decorated the bathtub myself, making it look like a surprise that would leave a lasting impression on the whore he hired.

The moment Henry began to open the door and stepped inside, the trap was triggered!

"Oh my God! You did all this for me?" he shouted in excitement.

Then I heard the door swing open again, followed by a loud thud! What was that? Did the old man fall?

I rushed to the bathroom door, my heart racing with anticipation. Did he fall right into my trap?

A second later, my eyes squinted in disbelief. What the hell? Did he just slip?

I groaned in frustration as I saw the old man lying at my feet. This fool had slipped right next to the bathtub, hitting his head on the edge, and knocked himself out!

"I can't believe it! Not only is he easy to manipulate, but he's also clumsy! Why didn't you just fall into the tub and die in there, huh? Useless!" I muttered in frustration.

I was furious! I had painstakingly prepared the chemical mixture in the bathtub water, and now my target had already collapsed! What do I do now? Should I just let him live for a little longer?

Staring at Henry's body, which was turning more and more blue, I quickly called Justin, my close friend who also worked at the hotel. He had been working with me on this mission!

It only took five minutes before I could report the end of my plan to him. Justin entered the room just as I was changing clothes, ready to leave before things got even more complicated.

"Bianca, you crazy girl! Your trap may have failed, but it seems your enemy will suffer greatly from his own carelessness," Justin said after checking on Henry, who still hadn't regained consciousness.

I adjusted my shoes and replied, "Stop trying to cheer me up, Justin! You're just calling me a loser, right?"

Justin shook his head firmly. "No, really! You still have a shot even with this failed mission, Bianca!"

I looked up at him, staring intently as I thought.

"What are you thinking, Bianca? Of course, you can! Henry has a history of high blood pressure. Didn't you ever come across that important detail about your father's health?" Justin explained, giving me a serious look.

"He's not my father!" I snapped back. "Just take care of him, alright? Let me know how he's doing later."

Justin smiled, giving me a thumbs-up, before he got up and dragged Henry's body out of the room.

If Henry ends up with a serious health problem after this, that would be good news for me. I don't like wasting my time off on something useless.

I'll destroy that man another way slowly, but lethally!

It took me nearly two hours to get back to my apartment. All I wanted was to clean myself up and get some rest, but the ringing of my phone interrupted that plan.

I glanced at the caller's name carefully. It was Nathan-my boyfriend.

["Baby, where are you? Please hurry! I'm coming to pick you up. Come with me to the hospital now,"] Nathan said in one breath.

My brow furrowed in confusion. Who could be sick to make this usually calm 23-year-old sound so worried?

I admit that throughout my relationship with Nathan, he has never once involved me in his family matters. He hasn't even introduced me to his parents.

"I'll be packed by the time you get here, babe. Who's sick?" I replied quickly, starting to feel a bit panicked myself.

["My dad. Mom just called me in the middle of my office meeting today. I need to get there right away. But, babe, I really need your help with my mom,"] Nathan explained, answering all the questions swirling in my head.

Then I heard the sound of heavy traffic. He must've been driving recklessly.

How serious is the situation for him to be this panicked? So far, I've known him as a reserved guy, hardly ever showing much emotion. But today, he seemed completely different.

What kind of bad news about his dad could make him risk his life on the road?

"Alright, babe. Calm down first, okay? Drive safely, and we'll make it to the hospital in one piece, alright?"

I tried to reassure him, helping him regain focus. It would be a cruel irony if he ended up needing to join his dad as a patient in the hospital.

Not long after I had finished fixing the makeup that had been ruined by today's mission, Nathan arrived, looking incredibly distressed.

"Oh, my love. Come here, give me a hug!" I stretched out my arms, pulling him into a warm embrace.

I knew this would take some time, but I also knew he needed it to center himself and prepare for whatever we might face once we reached the hospital.

"I don't understand what carelessness my dad could've done," Nathan whispered into my ear.

I cupped his face in my hands, looking deeply into his eyes. Although another man had looked at me as if I were a prostitute earlier, Nathan's gaze was different. The lines of his face gave me an inexplicable sense of protection. I felt safe and at peace looking at him so closely.

Then, suddenly, the distance between us vanished. Nathan kissed me before I had the chance to react.

The light touch of his fingers on my cheek felt cold, but the warmth of his kiss on my lips spread through me.

Those bright blue eyes were still staring at me intently, making my heart work harder to stay conscious.

"I'm ready for you, Nathan. Let's hurry, or your mom will be mad at me for making you late in this situation," I said, trying to speak as softly as possible to help him understand.

Although I knew he seemed eager to touch me more, there were other urgent matters waiting for us.

It didn't take long before Nathan stepped on the gas. He took me along to his family's difficult situation. Minute by minute, we made our way through. The tall, high-class hospital building appeared before us. Nathan hit the brakes and started to glance at me.

I met his gaze calmly. It seemed like he was about to explain something. Nathan likely understood that I was waiting for a reasonable explanation here.

"My mom called me to say that my dad had a brain hemorrhage. He was found lying on the bathroom floor after his meeting today," Nathan explained in one breath.

"Maybe it was his carelessness, or I don't even know. All I know is that it made my mom cry hysterically, and that's why I'm so worried," he added.

And in that moment, I froze completely.