When Despair Comes Novel – To make sure my sister married my fiancé, my family planned everything. The night before the wedding, I was tortured by two asholes for three hours. My father raged, swearing revenge. My doctor brother promised to help me recover. But lying in the ER, I heard my brother whisper to my father— “Dad, wasn’t it too cruel to let those bastards do this to Grace?” Reed paused before replying quietly, “I didn’t expect them to go that far.
But this works. Antonio won’t accept her anymore so that Nicole can take her place.” I closed my eyes in despair. Fine. If that’s how they want to play it, I won’t hold back. *** Travis’s assistant checked me over and hurried out. “Travis, she’s got multiple wounds. Shall we operate right away?” “Okay, let’s—” Travis began, but Reed cut him off. “Hold on. Wait until Nicole and Antonio’s wedding is over. “Grace’s injuries aren’t that serious. You guys can treat her quickly after.
If you do it now, she might try to ruin their wedding.” The assistant was stunned. “We can’t delay the surgery. There might be other risks,” he urged. “I agree. We need to do it now. I won’t let anything happen to Grace,” Travis said firmly. Reed smacked him, and the sharp slap echoed in the room. “You fool! We’re too far in to back out now. Grace needs to stay here for this plan to work. Nicole has to marry Antonio first. “Just do what I say.
Find Grace the best painkiller you can and push the surgery to tomorrow night,” Reed demanded. Their conversation sent a chill down my spine. When Reed divorced my mother, he refused to let her take me. I thought it was because he loved me and couldn’t bear to lose me. I never thought he would hurt me for his so-called adopted daughter. And Travis? He used to fight for me when we were kids. Whenever he had something good, he always thought of me first. But now, he stood by as the thugs abused me and even delayed my surgery on purpose.
How did it come to this? Before I could figure it out, they walked back in. I shut my eyes, pretending to be unconscious, but my fists clenched involuntarily. Reed noticed immediately. He grabbed my hand. “Grace, are you awake? How are you feeling?” he asked. To keep up the act, he called out, “Travis, why are you just standing there? Check on her! Make sure she gets the best painkillers.” Travis leaned over, tending to my wounds.
He stopped the bleeding and wrapped them with care. They acted concerned, but I knew the truth. Their pretense only made me sick and sad. The thugs had pulled out my teeth, and my mouth was still bleeding. In great pain, I looked at Travis. “It hurts so bad down there. When can I have the surgery?” “Grace, we’re waiting on a key drug. Travis already ordered it, but it might not arrive until tomorrow night. “Don’t stress.
He’ll stay with you and keep an eye on everything,” Reed said before Travis could answer. I was so disappointed. I turned to Travis again and asked, “Is that true? I feel like I’m dying, and you can’t operate now?” He avoided my eyes, guilt written all over his face. But in an instant, he composed himself. “Why? Dad already told you everything. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re safe.” Chapter 2 As Travis spoke, he cut open my pants with scissors to find the source of my abdominal pain. “What happened? How did it get this bad?” he asked in a trembling voice.
The pain made my body tense. I met their stunned gazes and replied softly, “I’m a woman, and they’re brutes. Did you think I’d get away with just a few scratches? “They treated me like a toy, like they wanted to tear me apart.” Distressed, Reed looked away. Travis held me close, his body trembling. “Grace, just stop. I’ll do my best. I’ll make sure you’re as good as new, even your face.” Reed followed, promising to put a hefty bounty on the two thugs and make them pay.
Even so, Travis held off on the surgery as instructed. He just stopped the bleeding and gave me painkillers. In my haze, I caught his voice. “Dad, Grace is already suffering. Do we really have to post this incident? “And saying she lured those thugs? People online are gonna tear her apart.” Reed said firmly, “We don’t have a choice. Antonio’s obsessed with her, and just her injuries won’t be enough. “We need to ruin her reputation so the Kaufman family will shut her out completely. “And I’ve got a backup plan—wipe it all after the wedding and pay people to clear her name.” I broke down silently.
That night, I went out for a night run. Then those thugs dragged me into the woods. How could my family twist that and make me out to be some loose woman? A few minutes later, my phone buzzed. It was a message from my best friend with a TikTok link. “Grace, check this out. Someone’s talking about you.” I tapped it. The video showed “me” flirting with the two thugs and willingly following them into the woods.
My gut told me Reed and Travis were behind it. As the victim, I knew it was fake. The comment section was filled with insults. “Isn’t this Ms. Grace Parrish? I didn’t know she wa