Reclaiming Her Heart

"Auntie, it was Selena. She left me there, and that's why that guy..." Mia's voice cracked as she tried to get the words out.

While Mia was out cold, Grace had already checked out her medical report. Her lower body was a mess, showing just how bad things had gotten.

"Mia, you mean Raymond's ex, Selena?" Grace asked.

Mia just nodded, tears streaming down her face, and pulled the blanket over her head.

Her whole vibe screamed how messed up she was.

Grace and Catherine shared a heavy look.

But one thing was still bugging them: How did Selena end up there?

Catherine jumped in, "Selena's from Ridgefield. She was probably shopping or something while visiting her old stomping grounds. To save her own skin, she shoved Mia out. What a piece of work! Why did Dad ever let Raymond marry her? Even after the divorce, she's still throwing the Montague name around."

Grace's face tightened at that.

Catherine quickly added, "Don't worry, I'll handle Selena. She won't get away with this."

Grace nodded and sat next to Mia, softly asking, "Want some water?"

But Mia just kept crying under the blanket, not wanting to talk to anyone.

Knowing Selena was involved, Catherine was fuming.

'No way this was a coincidence. Selena must've been tailing Raymond, trying to get him back. What a shameless woman! She still hasn't given up!' Catherine thought.

Taking a deep breath, Catherine knew she had to deal with Selena quietly. Plus, she couldn't let Selena keep using the Montague name.

She quickly hatched a plan.

That evening, Catherine decided to throw a party at Montague Manor. She invited a bunch of rich folks from their circle.

Before her divorce drama with Donovan, Catherine was a social butterfly. She'd have coffee with the rich ladies or hit the spa with friends. Lately, she'd been too caught up in her divorce to show her face. Everyone in their circle had heard about her split with Donovan, so most of the guests came ready to gossip.

The women in this crowd loved these get-togethers. They didn't have jobs and spent their days figuring out how to keep their husbands happy, win over their mothers-in-law, and blow through cash. Wherever there were people, there were pecking orders. Women who married into the circle were usually treated like outsiders and often got the cold shoulder.

To have any clout at these shindigs, your family had to be loaded too.

Catherine had one of the servants shoot a text to Selena, saying William would be at Montague Manor tonight and wanted to chat. Selena didn't think twice when she saw the message.

With all the drama around Mia and her recent wake-up call, she figured William might've heard something from Mia and wanted to talk.

From Selena's angle, she didn't know all the details of that day, just that Mia had been assaulted and now hated her guts.

She braced herself for the Montague family to come at her when she showed up at Montague Manor.

She sighed, eyes downcast.

She'd taken Mia with her because the Montague name was too flashy in Silver Bay City. The kidnappers probably knew who the Montagues were. If Mia got recognized, it could mean game over, so Selena thought hiding her was the best

move.

Even if they got caught, as long as she had the seal as a bargaining chip, both she and Mia would be safe.

But now, it was all a mess. The tragedy had already gone down. She felt a heavy guilt and knew she owed Mia big time. Mia's hatred was totally justified.

A lot of people hated Selena, but what really stung was when folks who used to like her suddenly turned on her.

That was a thousand times worse than being hated from the get-go.

She drove herself to Montague Manor.

At the entrance, she was led inside.

When the hall doors swung open, she saw a long table in the center, loaded with all kinds of desserts.

The women around the table were decked out, from their hair accessories to their shoes, looking super fancy.

Selena almost instinctively wanted to bail, but Catherine's bodyguards blocked her.

The women at the party were all Catherine's circle buddies. They were shocked to see Selena.

Catherine sneered and yanked Selena forward.

"Let me introduce you all. This is the woman who recently divorced my son, Raymond's ex-wife, Selena," Catherine announced.

The people in the circle didn't know Selena, but some had seen her around. They only knew her as Penny and were surprised to find out her real name was Selena. Catherine held onto Selena tightly, and with bodyguards around, there was no way for Selena to escape.