When Love Becomes Pain

On the way to a dance competition, a massive truck rammed into me. My legs were shattered, and my mother was sent flying from the impact after she tried to protect me.

My stepbrother, who was also my secret boyfriend of six years, went crazy after hearing the news. He had the driver dragged off to a lawless borderland and called in the best doctors in the country to save me and my mother.

Not many people knew, but I was born with a rare sensitivity to pain. The more it hurt, the clearer my mind became.

That was how I ended up lying wide awake on the bed, listening to Luke Quinton and his friend, Harvey Lane, talking just outside my hospital room.

"Luke, are you sure about this? You really want to let Queenie practice on Natalie's mother's heart?"

"She deserves it. That vile woman seduced my father and drove my mother to her death. If not for revenge, do you think I'd stomach being with her daughter for six years?

"She should be honored that Queenie is dissecting her heart. Keep it from Natalie for now. If she loses it, she might ruin my wedding with Queenie. What would I do if that happened? The only woman I'll ever have as my wife is Queenie. No one will ever take her place."

So, that was the truth.

What I thought was a love strong enough to defy the world had been a lie from the very beginning—just a carefully crafted act of revenge.

"Enough. Just do as I say."

Luke Quinton's voice was cold and devoid of emotions.

He was speaking to Harvey Lane, his personal doctor and best friend. Harvey glanced at me, and a flicker of unease crossed his face. I was lying motionless on the hospital bed, my face ashen.

After hesitating momentarily, Harvey tried to persuade Luke. "Luke, Natalie's mother has always treated you like her own son. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding? Why don't we wait a bit more? I'm worried that Natalie—"

A loud crash echoed through the air, followed by Luke's roar. "How can it be a misunderstanding? Melanie Smith was a homewrecker! Natalie is no better! If she had any self-respect, she wouldn't have slept with me six years ago!

"She's just a toy to me—always eager to please at the slightest gesture. I've already done more than enough for her."

Harvey sighed at Luke's rage, and his shoulders dropped in resignation. "Fine. Just don't regret it later."

Luke sneered. "Regret? I don't know the meaning of that word!"

Harvey sighed again as he shook his head, and he looked at me with pity in his gaze.

"By the way, I just examined Natalie's legs. Although they were crushed, the damage isn't as severe as it looks. She'll need surgery, but she should be able to dance again soon with proper rehabilitation."

Luke's expression darkened. "Why bother? Amputate them. Make sure she never stands again!"

Harvey sucked in a sharp breath and frantically said, "Isn't that too much, Luke? Natalie just lost her mother, and now you're taking away the one thing she's most proud of? If you stop her from dancing again, isn't that the same as killing her?!"

Luke gently brushed a stray lock of hair from my forehead. His touch was soft, but his words were sharp.

"Queenie doesn't like seeing Natalie dance. She'll only be happy once Natalie is completely crippled. And if that makes her smile, I'll do whatever it takes—I don't care how much blood gets on my hands."

Luke paused for a moment, then continued, "Perhaps it's for the best if she loses her legs. That way, she won't turn out like her mother in the future—throwing herself at any man who crosses her path. If she behaves, I might consider keeping her around. Like a pet."

Harvey knew there was no changing Luke's mind. With a heavy sigh, he motioned for the doctors to come in. The wheels of the gurney rattled against the floor as they pushed me toward the operating room.

I wanted to scream and fight, but the icy anesthesia seeped into my veins and pulled me under.

Somewhere in the haze, I heard Luke's assistant, Michael Judd, talk. "Mr. Quinton, the driver and his family have been sent to Meldora. Just as you instructed, we gave them five million dollars. They'll never show their faces in front of Ms. Johnson again."

"Good," Luke said before turning to Harvey. "One more thing—Natalie always cared about her looks. Make sure the amputation is clean. I don't want her waking up and being upset over an ugly scar."