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Novel Catalog
Chapter 42
“Serves you right,” Sally said coldly. “No wonder Ethan dumped you.”
Catherine was completely speechless. Any hope or anticipation she had was completely shattered in that moment. How foolish I was to come back, she thought. The truth didn’t matter to her parents. What mattered was Rebecca, and Catherine was nothing more than an inconvenience.
With a defeated sigh, Catherine extended her hand towards Sally. “Give me back my phone. I’ll leave. A shameful person like me doesn’t deserve to come back. I don’t deserve to be related to any of you.”
“Are you planning to keep bringing shame to the family or causing trouble outside?” Jeffrey scoffed. “You’d better stay here and reflect on what you’ve done. When you’ve decided to be honest, I might let you go.”
Once Jeffrey finished speaking, he clapped his hands. A few bodyguards appeared from the entrance and immediately surrounded Catherine, grabbing her without warning.
“What are you doing? Are you kidnapping me?!” Catherine screamed, completely shocked. Never in her wildest dreams did she think her own family could be so cruel.
“I’m just teaching my daughter a lesson,” Jeffrey said, coldly. “Take her upstairs and lock her in her room.”
Rebecca, ever the manipulator, quickly interjected, “Don’t do this, Dad. Cathy is still young and immature. Besides, there are always guests coming by, and it wouldn’t be good if she screams from upstairs.”
Jeffrey, seemingly swayed by her words, nodded. “You’re right. Let’s lock her in the old house in Pennington.”
Catherine’s heart skipped a beat. Panic rose within her. Pennington’s old house was isolated, desolate, and eerie. She had only returned once in the past few years, and it had a chilling, abandoned atmosphere. The house had been in the Jones family for generations, but it was a shadow of its former self. It finally dawned on her why Rebecca had intervened.
“Rebecca, you’re such a b*tch—” Catherine’s anger flared, but before she could finish, Sally slapped her across the face.
“Shut up! Your sister is trying to help you, and you insult her. You’re truly awful,” Sally spat.
“Send her away now,” Jeffrey ordered with a wave of his hand, disturbed by the change in Catherine’s demeanor. He couldn’t understand what had caused her to become so bitter.
Still drowsy and disoriented, Catherine had no idea how long the car ride to Pennington lasted. When they finally arrived, the bodyguards immediately locked her in the old house. The main door was shut tight, and even the windows were nailed shut. There was no electricity or running water, and no blanket to cover herself with.
Her phone was with Sally, so Catherine had no way of knowing the time. The entire house was pitch black. Every gust of wind sent the door and windows slamming, creating eerie noises that sent chills down her spine.
Terrified and alone, Catherine curled up on the cold, hard bed, too afraid to move. She had never been so afraid of the dark in her life.
Eventually, she noticed that one of the windows had been opened, and an old lady appeared, placing a bowl of rice through the gap.
Desperate, Catherine grabbed the old woman’s hand and begged, “Please, Madam, let me go. If you can’t, at least turn on the lights, give me a bed, and a blanket. Please!”
“No way,” the old lady responded harshly. “This is an order from sir and madam.”
The woman pulled her hand away roughly, and there was a sharp bang as the window closed.
Catherine was left standing in the dark, her heart heavy with pain. What had she done to deserve this? Why was everyone treating her so cruelly? Her dignity had been stripped away, and now her freedom and even her life were at risk.
She was starving, with only stale rice to eat. Tears streamed down her face as she ate what little she could, wondering if anyone would come to save her. If no one did, she feared she might not survive this nightmare.
A voice came from outside the door. The old lady was making a phone call, her words sending chills down Catherine’s spine.
“First Young Lady, I’ve done everything as per your request.”
“Alright,” a cold, cruel voice responded. “Start reducing the temperature tomorrow. I hope… she dies in that house.”
“Don’t worry. By the look of things, she certainly won’t survive for more than four days.”
At that moment, Catherine understood the severity of her situation.