The Spiteful Bride, Marry to Rival's Son-Chapter 105

THE SCARS SHE HID

"I did it," she repeated, a little louder this time. "I hurt myself."

"Why? Why..... Would you hurt yourself this way?" Shock was written clearly all over his face.

"Because at that time, it was the only option I had. So I thought." Stefan stared at her speechless, waiting for her to continue.

Mia sighed before sitting up slowly, wrapping the sheets around her chest as if they could protect her from what she was about to relive. Stefan sat beside her, his back straight, his eyes never leaving her face. He could see something was coming, something deep. Something painful. And he was ready to let her share all of it with her.

"After my mom died," Mia began quietly, her voice a near whisper. "Everything changed so fast. One minute I was her little girl, and the next... she was gone. My dad sent me abroad right after her funeral. Said I needed time, and that he wanted me to stay out of everything. Like I was a reminder he didn’t want around."

Stefan didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. His silence told her she had all the time in the world to speak.

"When I turned eighteen, he asked me to come back. Said it was time I started learning about the company..... that I was going to inherit everything one day. I was so happy. I thought... maybe things would be different. Maybe he sent me away because it hurt him too much to see me. Maybe he just didn’t know how to grieve."

She shook her head, laughing without humor.

"I was wrong. He didn’t want to grieve. He just wanted to groom me into something useful. Not a daughter. A tool." Stefan’s brows knit together, but he still said nothing.

"A month after I got back, he called me into his study. Didn’t even ask how I was settling in. He just handed me a file and said I had a contract to sign the next week. Told me to study it, understand it, and be ready. That was it. No explanation. No guidance whatsoever. Just instructions."

She paused, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"So I did what he asked. I read it cover to cover, day and night, trying to understand what he saw in it. Trying to prove that I belonged in the world he built. I thought maybe, just maybe, if I did it right, he’d look at me like I mattered."

Stefan reached over and gently touched her hand.

"Then the day came. I thought we’d be going to some kind of office or boardroom. But no. It was a private bar downtown. Secluded. Dark. Not the kind of place you take your daughter for a business meeting."

Her fingers tightened around the sheet.

"When I got there, I met a man. He looked older than my dad. Maybe ten, fifteen years older. He smiled like he owned me the moment I walked in." She bit her bottom lip.

"He offered me a drink. I declined. He asked me to sit. I did. Then he started talking about how smart I looked, how my dress hugged my figure. I tried to keep the conversation on the contract. But every time I brought it up, he steered it back to me. My body. My voice. My eyes." Her voice grew softer, more hollow.

Stefan’s jaw flexed.

"Then his hand brushed my thigh. I froze. Tried to act like I didn’t notice. But he did it again. This time higher. More deliberate."

She inhaled shakily.

"I stood up. Told him I was leaving. That I wasn’t comfortable. He laughed. Told me that if I didn’t cooperate, there’d be no signature. And if there was no signature, I’d go back to my father empty-handed."

She glanced at Stefan. "And I couldn’t do that. Not after everything I’d studied. Not after all the pressure to prove myself." She took a deep breath.

"So... I grabbed a wine bottle. Broke it on the table, as fast as I could. Held the sharp end to my stomach. And told him if he didn’t sign, I’d stab myself right there in his bar. I knew his signature was important, but I was also aware no one would want to hurt a Meyer..... Or being the cause one gets hurt."

Stefan looked stunned. Speechless.

"He thought I was bluffing. That I didn’t have the guts to hurt myself. So I pressed harder. Enough to draw blood. And then... I did it. I stabbed myself. Not deep. But enough."

She pulled the sheet aside just enough to show him the faint scar above her left hip.

"He panicked. Signed it right away. Begged me not to say anything. I took the contract and walked away." Stefan’s hand trembled as he reached to touch the scar, but stopped just short.

"What did your father say when he saw you? When he saw the wound?" Mia gave him a long, quiet look.

"Nothing. He didn’t even ask. At first, I thought he wasn’t aware. I wanted to believe he didn’t, but over time, it became clear. He did. I tried to convince myself he was doing it to know if I was as strong as a male. If my gender would be an hindrance to his business. But he just didn’t care."

She laughed again, softer this time. But sadder.

"And the others? The other scars? How come you have multiple scars then?" Stefan asked like he was about to explode.

Mia looked at his reaction, a small smile appeared on her face. By his reaction, there was no doubt he cares about her. The realization made her tummy dance in excitement.

"Because he kept giving me contracts. One after another. Every time I completed one, he gave me another. Bigger. Riskier. Same setup. Different man. Same game. With people who didn’t respect me. So I did what worked, everytime. I used the same scar. Pressed a blade against it. Let the blood remind them I wasn’t someone they could control. I... I had no choice. I couldn’t lose" She responded, her gaze locking to his.

Stefan looked like he was barely breathing. He ran a hand in his hair, stood up and started walking around the room. He wanted so badly to hit something. Actually, he wants to hit someone so bad.

"Same place," Mia continued. "Always. I didn’t want my stomach full of scars. I wanted to look in the mirror and forget. So I used the same spot every time. I made them believe I was dangerous. Crazy, even. And it worked, everytime. They let me go when I start bleeding." She gave a small smile.

"But, it only stopped," she continued, "when I had to attend a business school abroad. When I came back, I made sure no one could ever look at me the wrong way again, let alone touch me." She gave a light, almost sad chuckle.

"They stopped being bold. Started being scared. And that was the day I realized... I didn’t need to bleed to be taken seriously anymore."

Stefan’s legs moved on it’s own. He got to the bed, sat beside her and pressed his forehead to hers.

"You didn’t deserve that. Any of it. What kind of father let’s his child go through something so horrible?" His voice were breaking.

"Maybe I didn’t deserve it. But it taught me how to survive. How to never be weak again. And Samuel is the type of father." She chuckled.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her close like he could shield her from the past.

But he couldn’t. All he could do now was promise her one thing:

She would never face anything like that again. Not while he was still breathing.

And every single one of them would pay.