The Caged Canary Finds Her Sky

Chapter 3

Word Count: 771 | Released on: Today at 17:38

n hitting the glass echoed in t

shrank back slightly, letting

cold metal casing of the Montblanc pen. The moment

ble. I let my wris

lass coffee table and rolled a few inches away, leaving

together. A hard line of irri

nd, squeezing it tight as if trying to stop a painfu

ctly. "My wrist. The old injury is acting up a

had walked miles in the snow to bring him hot soup at his office. I had slipped on the icy steps outside h

. For one brief second, his expression stiffened. He

o push the papers aw

look like a child's scribble. If I sign such an important family document lik

e stared at me with an intense, predatory focus. He was loo

. I let one tear spill over my

onizing seconds. I could hear my

eath. He reached over, grabbed the

eriority. "We will do it tomorrow. After the Hamptons fami

th, letting my shoulde

ght. She is a crucial business partner for the Dalton family. I expect you to b

lms of my hands. "I understand

e paused in the doorway and looked b

A second later, the sound of the

elted off my face instantly. My tears

k ink off the glass, pressing down so hard my knuckles ached.

iny print at the bottom. *The female party shall have no right to interfer

ntract. It was a legally

. I stopped in front of the dress I had prepared for tomorrow night. It was

ooth fabric. My other hand moved down

ought I was just a stupid orphan who would

ame, Holden," I whispered to the empty close

Chapter End

Claim Your Bonus at the APP

Open

The Caged Canary Finds Her Sky

Shi Liu Modern

“My hands shook as I stared at the pregnancy test: "Pregnant." My dream of a family, born from a lonely orphanage childhood, was finally coming true. Then, a woman's laugh on the intercom, followed by Holden's cold voice revealing I was just a "tool" he'd dump with a check. The digital screen glowed, announcing the life growing inside me. After years in sterile orphanage rooms, I was finally going to build the complete home I always craved. I planned a romantic surprise for Holden, eager to share our news. But then, a piercing static from the intercom panel shattered the quiet. A woman's purr, Estella's voice, cut through the air, asking Holden when he'd dump "that boring, common woman upstairs." Holden's reply, flat and calculating, revealed I was merely a spotless tool to clean up his family's image, to be discarded after next month's charity gala. My knees gave out. I collapsed onto the freezing tile, the pregnancy test now a disgusting joke. Holden's footsteps approached, forcing me to hide the symbol of my shattered future deep in my makeup bag, dreading his discovery. He later presented a brutal prenuptial agreement, ensuring I'd leave with nothing. At a family dinner, Estella, adorned with the diamond necklace Holden bought for his "future wife," publicly humiliated me by spilling wine on my gown, while Holden embraced her and coldly ordered me to clean myself up. My tears stopped. The pathetic, frightened mask melted away, revealing a woman no longer naive, no longer controlled. Wiping away the ink of his false promises, I clutched my flat stomach, a silent vow forming. He thought I'd leave with a check and my shame, but I would make Holden Dalton learn what a real price was.”