Burning Romance

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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CHAPTER 1

(Kia's point of view)

I woke up because it felt like someone was patting my cheek so I opened my eyes and I was not mistaken because the face of the conductor appeared to me.

"Lady! we are here in Manila, wake up and come down." Said the conductor, so I looked out the window to see if I was actually in Manila.

When I looked out the window, I was already in Manila because of the tall buildings and the many people walking and the many cars on the road.

so I quickly got off the bus, of course I thanked the conductor for waking me up, if you're wondering if I paid, of course, before I fell asleep on the bus, I gave the money.

"Wow, it's beautiful here in Manila." That's all that came out of my mouth because I'm actually in Manila, I can't believe I've set foot here.

I hope I can find a good job here right away, Manila is so big where I can rent, I said in my mind and sighed.

I started walking so that I could find something to eat. While I was walking, I saw old lady picking up her purchases. I said in my mind that there was a hole in her container so I quickly ran to her place.

"Manang let me help you." I offer to manang so she looked at me and smiled so I smiled back and helped her pick up her shopping.

"Thank you for helping, because this plastic has a hole." She said while pointing to the torn plastic so I smiled at her.

"That's not there, I have a basket here made of straw." I said to her, holding out the straw basket, "My mother made that." I smiled back to Manang.

"You're a very kind young lady, thank you for your straw basket." Manang said to me so I asked her. "It looks like you're new here in Manila ah" Manang said to me again.

"Ah yes, I'm new here, I'm looking for a place to rent, so tomorrow I'll start looking for a job because I really need a job....hmm, do you know of anyone I can rent to?"I made a long conversation to Manang, and Manang looked at me with a smile.

"Do you want to work together and live somewhere?" Manang asked me.

"Yes manang, do you know anything?" This is my answer.

"My boss is looking for a new secretary, I can offer you there."Manang said to me with a big smile, so I couldn't help but smile because I was going to work.

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