BOUND BY BETRAYAL

Chapter Three

As I pushed the door open, a chilling silence enveloped the room. The atmosphere felt eerie and ominous, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

It was as if the very air was frozen with an unsettling presence. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping over me.

The atmosphere in Daniel Harlow's house has never been this tense, I could feel the tension hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. It was a stark contrast to the usual atmosphere, even more intense than when he had brought his side chick, who happened to be Olivia's mother, into the picture. Memories of my mother's passing flooded my mind, adding to the already palpable heaviness in the room.

As I ventured further into the lounge, the thick tension in the air became even more noticeable. My eyes locked onto a towering figure seated on the couch, emanating an aura of masculine intensity with a deep scowl etched across his face. It was impossible to ignore his imposing presence, adding to the already charged atmosphere.

"Fa... ther," I stammered, my voice trembling as I tried to find the right words to address the tense atmosphere.

But as soon as my eyes met his sharp gaze, my words caught in my throat, leaving me feeling completely thrown off. The intensity in his eyes was enough to silence me, leaving me at a loss for what to say next.

"How could you after everything I have done for you? How could you, Ashley?!" He yelled out in rage.

He has never addressed me by my full name before, this is actually the first time that I have seen my father this upset and mad. What could have inflicted his anger?

"Dad, I........."

"How could you, Ashley? Despite everything, you decided to pay me back like this!" His low growl had the words stopped at the tip of my tongue.

"Dad," I called but he instantly shut me up, "Don't you dare call me Dad!"

"Why are you yelling at me? I don't know what I did," tears started brimming my deep blue ocean eyes. I have already been through a lot today and I don't think that I have the strength for this.

"I gave you everything that you needed, even those that I couldn't afford; I always strived just to ensure that you never lack anything in life but you chose that tarnishing my image and dragging my reputation to the mud was the best!!"

My tears were now trailing down, I could not possibly hurt my father and he knew it. Even when he brought in another woman with my mother still under the same roof with him, still I never hurt him. So what is he talking about?

"Dad," I sniffed more tears in my eyes,

"Dad, I'm really struggling to understand where you're coming from. It hurts me deeply to see you so angry and upset. Can you help me understand your perspective better?"

"How could you understand when you sleep around with men for money!!"
Chills crawled down my skin as I wildly dazed at him, his accusation had my body frozen in place.

Sleeping with different men for money, his words were still looming in my head when he angrily switched on the television.

The headline on the television caught my attention, my name and my picture were boldly displayed on that television. There was a video attached to the lower side of the screen though it was white and black and not that clear but the lady in the video has long blonde hair just like mine.

She is naked with a huge man towering all over her, their faces were not captioned since they were surely feasting on each other's lips with the duvet doing little or no justice in covering them that well.