The Prank That Broke Her

The Prank That Broke Her

Gavin

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I was on my way to tell my boyfriend, Cooper, that I was pregnant. He was my savior, the man who rescued me after a brutal assault left me an orphan. But when I arrived at his penthouse, I overheard him talking to his sister, Kenya. My entire life was a lie. The assault wasn't random; it was a "prank" they had orchestrated so he could play the hero. It only got worse. Kenya tortured and killed my dog for "surgical practice," and Cooper defended her. They leaked a private video of me, destroying my reputation at school. When I tried to escape, Kenya sent thugs after me, and the attack caused me to miscarry our child. As I lay bleeding in the hospital, Cooper blamed me for losing the baby. He then told me the miscarriage had left me permanently infertile. His final demand was the cruelest. He said I had to "compensate" his sister for all the trouble I'd caused by donating one of my kidneys to her. But they had made one fatal mistake. They thought I was a powerless orphan. They didn't know I had just inherited a billion-dollar empire from a secret aunt. And I was about to use every penny to burn their world to the ground.

Chapter 1

I was on my way to tell my boyfriend, Cooper, that I was pregnant. He was my savior, the man who rescued me after a brutal assault left me an orphan.

But when I arrived at his penthouse, I overheard him talking to his sister, Kenya. My entire life was a lie. The assault wasn't random; it was a "prank" they had orchestrated so he could play the hero.

It only got worse. Kenya tortured and killed my dog for "surgical practice," and Cooper defended her. They leaked a private video of me, destroying my reputation at school. When I tried to escape, Kenya sent thugs after me, and the attack caused me to miscarry our child.

As I lay bleeding in the hospital, Cooper blamed me for losing the baby. He then told me the miscarriage had left me permanently infertile.

His final demand was the cruelest. He said I had to "compensate" his sister for all the trouble I'd caused by donating one of my kidneys to her.

But they had made one fatal mistake. They thought I was a powerless orphan.

They didn't know I had just inherited a billion-dollar empire from a secret aunt. And I was about to use every penny to burn their world to the ground.

Chapter 1

I held the small, gift-wrapped box tight in my hands. Inside was a positive pregnancy test. A surprise for Cooper. My heart was beating fast, a nervous but happy rhythm against my ribs. I pictured the look on his face, the way his eyes would light up. We were going to be a family.

I used my key to let myself into his lavish penthouse apartment. Music and laughter spilled from the living room. I paused, my smile faltering. He was having a party. He hadn't told me.

"Just get rid of her, Cooper. It's been long enough."

That was Kenya's voice, sharp and spoiled. Cooper's younger sister.

I froze at the edge of the hallway, hidden in the shadows.

"She's so boring now," another voice, a friend of theirs, chimed in. "The fun was in breaking her. Now she's just... a pet."

My breath hitched. I leaned against the cool wall, the gift box suddenly feeling heavy and cold.

I waited for Cooper to defend me. He would. He always did. He was my savior, the man who pulled me from the darkness after the assault that had left me an orphan. He wouldn't let them talk about me this way.

My phone vibrated in my pocket at the exact same moment I heard his voice, smooth and calm.

"I know, Kenya. Don't worry, I'll handle it."

It was a gentle compromise. A promise to his sister.

My phone screen lit up with a text from him.

Hey babe, something came up at work. Stuck here for a while. Don't wait up for me.

A lie. A casual, effortless lie.

I looked from the glowing screen to the sliver of the party visible down the hall. Laughter. Music. And the man I loved, choosing them over me.

A coldness spread through me, so profound it felt like my blood had turned to ice. My fingers trembled as I typed a reply.

Okay. Take care. Don't work too hard.

A moment later, a phone buzzed from inside the living room.

"Ugh, she's so clingy," Kenya complained. " 'Take care, don't work too hard.' Makes me want to puke."

"Just block her number for the night," someone else suggested. "I can't stand looking at her mopey face."

Cooper's voice was light, amused. "It's fine. We'll be done with her soon enough."

He then mentioned the assault. My assault. The one that destroyed my life, the one he saved me from.

"You really went too far with that prank, Kenya," he said, but there was no anger in his tone. Only a hint of mock chastisement. "You almost killed her."

My world tilted. Prank?

He was talking about the night I was attacked, left for dead in an alley. The night my parents died in a car crash rushing to my side. Prank?

"It wasn't my fault she was so weak," Kenya shot back, her voice full of indignation. "Besides, it was worth it. It made you a hero. You love that, don't you? Playing the savior."

"He does," another friend laughed. "Especially since you're the one who really saved him from that fire when you were kids. He owes you."

The room erupted in agreement. They were all in on it. This whole time.

My mind went blank. The sounds from the party faded into a dull roar. The foundation of my life, the one truth I had clung to for years-that Cooper was my rescuer-crumbled into dust.

It was all a lie.

A sick, twisted game.

My stomach churned, and a sharp pain shot through my core. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was suffocating.

Was this real? Was any of it real?

"Enough," Cooper's voice cut through the noise, firm and final. "We're not talking about this anymore." There was a pause. Then, his voice dropped, laced with a chilling amusement that I had mistaken for affection for so long.

"She was a mess when I found her. So broken. It's been fun putting her back together, making her exactly what I want."

He described me.

"Like a little doll. Or a pet. She does whatever I say. She thinks I'm her whole world."

I could hear the smile in his voice.

"What about marriage?" Kenya asked, a taunting edge to her words. "You're not actually going to marry that charity case, are you?"

Cooper laughed. A cold, ugly sound.

"Don't be ridiculous. She's not Snow family material. She's just a placeholder. Something to pass the time."

A bitter, choked laugh escaped my own throat. It sounded like a sob.

I turned and stumbled away, my movements jerky and uncoordinated. I didn't know where I was going. My brain was a fog of white noise. The world was a sick, absurd joke, and I was the punchline.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed against the wall in the empty hallway, sliding to the floor.

His words echoed in my head, each one a fresh wave of agony.

Pet. Doll. Placeholder.

I thought about the night of the attack, the blood, the terror. I thought about my parents, gone forever. I thought about Cooper arriving like an angel, his arms around me, promising to keep me safe.

All of it a lie. A meticulously crafted lie.

Nausea rose in my throat, and I retched, but nothing came up.

He had found me in that warehouse, broken and terrified. He had held me as I cried for my dead parents. He had stayed by my side when I tried to end my own life, whispering words of hope and a future. He gave me a beautiful ring, not for marriage, but as a symbol of his "eternal protection."

Every act of salvation was just another link in the chain holding me captive.

My hand went to my stomach, to the tiny, secret life inside me. The surprise I had been so excited to share. Now, it felt like the final, cruelest joke of all.

They had taken everything from me. My family, my safety, my sanity. They would not take this child.

I pulled out my phone, my fingers shaking so badly I could barely dial. I called my academic advisor, Professor Albright.

"Professor," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I need your help. The study abroad program... is it still possible for me to go?"

"Alaina? What's wrong?" his voice was full of concern. "Yes, of course. We can sort it out. Are you okay?"

"I need to leave," I said, the words coming out in a rush. "I need to leave now."

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