Chapter 3

Alice Lewis I came home feeling like the world was crumbling beneath my feet. The weight of everything pressed down on me, making it hard to even breathe. I barely managed to close the door before reality came crashing back—louder, heavier, and more suffocating than ever. My tiny apartment, already suffocating with its peeling walls and secondhand furniture, felt even smaller that morning. Like a cage. I tossed my bag onto the couch and, out of sheer habit, went straight to check the mailbox. A stupid reflex, as if I were expecting good news for once. But, as always, it was the opposite. The overdue bills were growing in the pile on the table. Red notices, collection threats, final warnings—it was a disaster I couldn’t outrun. I stared at them for a moment . The stack of problems kept growing, and I was running out of ways to fight back. Was this really my only way out? Arthur’s proposal could wipe this all away—save my mother, clear my debts, buy me a second chance. But at what cost? Pretending to be someone else? Marrying a man I didn’t know, who had been locked away for crimes I didn’t dare imagine? My stomach twisted at the thought. With no one else to turn to, I grabbed my phone and called Clara. She picked up on the third ring, her voice as bright as ever, oblivious to the storm raging inside me. “Alice! You finally decided to show up. Where have you been hiding?” I gripped the phone tighter. “Clara, it’s a long story, and I really need you right now. It’s… complicated.” The moment she heard my tone, her teasing stopped. “Of course, girl. Tell me everything. What happened?” And so I did. I told her everything—Arthur, Aurora, the arranged marriage to a dangerous man, the prison sentence, and the fact that he’d be walking free any day now. For the first time since I met Clara, she was silent. “Alice… are you serious? This sounds like some insane telenovela.” “I know!” I nearly shouted. “I thought it was a prank too, but it’s real, Clara. He really is my father. Aurora is real. And now, somehow, this mess is my life.” Clara exhaled sharply. “Okay, okay. Let’s say this is all true. Are you really going to go through with it? Take her place? Marry him?” I swallowed hard. “I don’t know! I don’t want to do this, Clara. I don’t want to pretend to be Aurora, let alone marry her fiancé. And sleeping with him? No way!” Clara laughed—short and sharp. “Oh, Alice… virgins always think like that.” I felt my face heat up. “It’s not just that,” I muttered. “He’s dangerous. He’s in prison, Clara! And tomorrow, he’ll be free. How the hell am I supposed to trust someone like that? What if he’s a psychopath?” Clara went quiet again, and that silence scared me more than anything. “Arthur wants an answer by tomorrow,” I whispered. “And if I say no… he said things could get worse.” Clara’s breath hitched. “Worse? What the hell does that mean?” I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Because deep down, I already knew. Arthur hadn’t said it outright, but the way he looked at me, the weight behind his words… it was a threat. This wasn’t just about my mother anymore. If I said no, I wouldn’t be walking away unscathed. “Alice,” Clara’s voice was firm now, almost urgent. “Listen to me. You need to clear your head before making any decision.” “And how do I do that, genius?” “Easy. If you’re scared of sleeping with your sister’s fiancé, maybe the solution is simple. Get it over with first—with someone you choose.” My jaw dropped. “Clara!” “I’m serious! Let’s go out tonight. Have some drinks, find a hot guy. Even if you don’t do anything, at least you’ll feel in control. For once.” It was ridiculous. Completely insane. But so was my life. I glanced at the pile of bills. The suffocating walls. The mess I was drowning in. Maybe, just for one night, I could forget. Maybe, just maybe, I could pretend I wasn’t about to make the worst decision of my life. “Fine,” I murmured. “But no promises.” “No promises, babe. Just trust me.” As I hung up, my pulse pounded in my ears. Tomorrow, my world could fall apart. But tonight? Tonight, I could still run.