The Harbor

My legs buckled when I was told that they'd fished the body of Christopher Quinton from the sea. My knees smashed into the gravel beneath my feet because I knew he'd have survived if he hadn't tried to save me. Three days later, I dealt with all the enemies and became the demoness of Porton's elite circle. Five years later, the pier business expanded considerably. However, I kept the scar on my arm as a memento to remind me of him. It had been five years since he died, exactly five years. I bought a bottle of herbicide in an attempt to take my own life. Then, I saw the supposedly dead Christopher proposing to my best friend, Zoe Shaw. I saw all my underlings congratulate them. I froze for a moment before charging ahead, demanding an explanation. Gus, the guy who'd worked for me for 12 years, stopped me. "Everyone knows, boss. Zoe's pregnant! Calm down!" Henry, the butler my father had left me, stopped me. "My lady, it's been a thorny path for Mr. Quinton and Zoe, and now they're getting married. You're already the head of the pier. Give them your blessing. Everyone knows how possessive you are. "They had to fake their death to keep away from you. It hasn't been easy for them either." I stared at the men who stopped me, my nails digging into my palm. It was then that I realized that my life was an utter joke. I flushed the herbicide down the toilet and sneered at Gus and Henry. "Then, you'll be holding their funerals." Chapter 1 Betrayal The traitor fired at me, but Christopher shielded me with his own body. He grabbed the traitor and leaped off the pier, killing both of them together. When his body was fished out of the sea, I felt my legs go weak. Sure enough, my knees crashed into the gravel beneath my feet as I swore I would make the mastermind pay. Three years later, I hung the heads of the 10 remaining members of the enemy faction outside the gate as a warning. Everyone grew to fear and respect me. They called me the cold-blooded killer and demoness of Porton. On the anniversary of Christopher's death, I bought a bottle of herbicide for myself. I came to the pier where he died. Just when I was going to drain the bottle, a wedding cruise ship came over. I saw my underlings boarding the ship, so I quietly followed them out of curiosity. To my shock, the groom standing on the deck was my long-dead fiancé and my best friend, the one I was always worried about. Everyone was egging them on, and then they shared a deep kiss. I froze. Gus, the guy who'd worked for me for 12 years, saw me and his face twisted in shock. "Calm down, boss. Zoe's pregnant!" Henry, my father's butler, the one who had been there since I was a child, shielded Zoe. He said, "I called them back, Queenie. They had to fake their deaths because of how obsessive and controlling you are. You already have full control of the pier. Please, for my sake, give them your blessing." My underlings were huddled around them, and I said nothing. Then, I fired at the ship's engine and trapped the vessel at sea. "Treachery always ends with death. Either the waters take you, or I do. Who's going first?" … I aimed my gun at Christopher and Zoe. Then, dozens of guns pointed at the back of my head. "You can't force love, boss." I swept my gaze over their faces, my eyes stinging. The grotesque scar between my thumb and index finger happened because my barrel exploded when I was saving Tigre from our enemies. The red mark extending from my shoulder to my arm came from saving Gus from the gambling den. I was trapped inside for three days and nearly had myself killed from the fighting. Yet, they had all chosen to oppose me. Adrian, Scarlett, and all those familiar faces who I'd saved, who I'd supported. They had all sworn their loyalty to me. I wiped my tears away and stared them down. "Why? I never hurt you." They'd watched how I tormented myself to expand our turf for five whole years. They watched how I hurt myself every night because I missed Christopher. They saw how I turned into a shell of a human. Yet, none of them took pity and told me Christopher was alive. "Enough." Christopher sighed and pulled the throng apart as he approached me. "It's my wedding today. I don't want to start a fight." His gaze was cold, and he looked at me as if I was a stranger. "You're not going to explain?" I hurried forward and stared at the woman behind him. "Is this your answer after lying to me for five years?" Christopher turned back and held a gun against my forehead. Our eyes met, and I laughed. "That's it, huh?" Then, he turned the gun on his shoulder and shot himself. Smoke billowed from the gun, and he sneered at me. "That's repayment. We're square." Blood trickled through the cracks between his fingers. Christopher was pale from the agony. A screaming Zoe pounced at him. "You didn't have to do that!" She grabbed the gun and held it against her shoulder. "I failed her! I'll pay for it!" Christopher kicked the gun away and pulled her into his embrace. "It's not your fault!" He turned to me, his eyes filled with hatred. "We were only engaged, not married! You were pathologically obsessive, and I couldn't find any excuse to break up with you! I had to fake my death just to ditch you!" I clenched my fists. I thought Christopher and I fell in love at first sight. I thought our relationship was about two powerful figures coming into union. On the night of our engagement, he said he would stay with me forever. I took his vow seriously, so much so that I was going to kill myself on his death anniversary. Now, I finally discovered that it was nothing but a lie. Zoe shrank in his embrace, the edges of her eyes red. "I'm really sorry, Queenie, but I do love Christopher." She was as soft and frail as the day I saved her from the human traffickers. "How could you do this to me, Zoe?" Christopher pulled her behind him. "I should thank you." Then, he started laughing softly, as if he was reminiscing. "If you hadn't had Zoe keep an eye on me, I'd never have fallen in love with her. She's gentle, gracious, and a thousand times better than a demon like you." I was shivering, but Christopher wanted to twist the knife further. "You stood frozen at my funeral for three whole days, while Zoe and I were in the house right across from you. The sight of you crying soothed my bitterness and resentment." My tears fell. "Leave. You're in the way of my proposal." He held Zoe and went upstairs. The people behind him wasted no time blocking the stairs. Chapter 2 Threat "Leave, boss." Someone hustled me. My gun was taken away, and they pushed me into the sea. The salty sea breeze brought in a drizzle, drenching me to my very bones. Once I swam back to the pier, I looked at the countless scars on my wrist and dialed a specific number. "Bomb the pier tonight." … I was standing at the shore when the flames engulfed the ships. I watched the whole pier burn to ashes. The fires were still lingering when Gus and Henry came charging at me. "You've just destroyed everyone's livelihoods by bombing the pier! That was impulsive, boss!" Gus jabbed a finger at me. Henry heaved a long sigh. "I can see why Mr. Quinton didn't choose you. This is disheartening." Gus grew up with me, while Henry was always there since I was a kid. They were two of my closest friends, but they had chosen to stand against me. I choked on tears as I questioned them sharply, "Why didn't you tell me? It's been five whole years! You saw the hell I've been going through!" Gus scratched his nose. "You had the pier. You had all the riches you could ever want. You had everything, but Zoe only has Mr. Quinton!" He even seemed indignant about it as he continued, "He'd never have dumped you if you had been less controlling! You should reflect on yourself!" Henry nodded. "She brings us presents whenever she visits us, and she's the one who did all the work. We helped them fake their deaths to repay their kindness." Gus added, "Zoe's been nice to me. She was the one who took care of me when your punishment landed me in the hospital." I froze, my heart filled with shock and disgust. They were grateful for her actions, but I was the one who ordered her to do it. She never would've done it on her own initiative. Yet, she had somehow won over everyone anyway. I laughed. "I was the one who asked her to do those things." Gus was stunned, but he stuck to his guns as he argued, "So what? What matters is she did it instead of you. It doesn't matter why she did it! That fact remains that she's the one who actually helped us!" Henry held my hands like an elder who wanted to give sagely advice. "Let them go if only for our sake. It's already hard enough that she helped you tend to Mr. Quinton for five years. Besides, she's pregnant now." I tried to say something, but I didn't have the words. Gus took out an invitation from his shirt. "Zoe said you have to be the witness, or all of Porton will always see her as a homewrecker." I stared at the invitation, and I fell into a calm silence. "Fine, I'll be there." … Three days later, the whole of Porton was airing Christopher's wedding. "A Revival? No, Quinton Heir Faked Death to Cheer Up His True Love!" I came into the hall wearing a black dress, and everyone's eyes fell upon me. "The demoness is here. This is going to be good." "Do you think she'll shoot them? We should stay far, far away just in case." Christopher came up to me, holding Zoe. He mocked, "At least you're not totally stupid." Then, he shoved the speech into my hand, but I let it fall to the ground. "You…" He was about to rip me a new one when he saw my red eyes, making him freeze in his tracks. He looked in the direction of my gaze, and what he saw shut him up. Zoe was in a pearl-white satin wedding gown. It was a custom-made gown Christopher had designed himself five years ago, and he had even gone overseas to have it commissioned. That dress was our engagement present. On the day of our engagement, he proposed to me with an emerald ring he got at an auction. Now, that ring was on Zoe's ring finger. My face fell as I felt the last of my hopes wither and die in my chest. Christopher coughed awkwardly. "Wedding's starting soon. Get to the stage." I was holding the dusty speech. "I wish you a long-living…" My stomach churned as I clenched my fists and snarled. "As if!" I turned to leave, but Christopher tossed a photo at me. It was a picture of my sister. She was supposed to be studying abroad, but now she was hogtied with a knife held to her throat. "Are you sure you want to leave?" Chapter 3 The Usual Routine I stared at Christopher in disbelief. After our parents died, my sister was the only family I had left. He knew how important she was to me. "Get back there and finish the speech." He wrapped his arm around Zoe's shoulder and grinned at me. I clenched the photo tightly, my nails digging into my palm. "I, Queenie Zimmer, congratulate Mr. Christopher Quinton and Ms. Zoe Shaw on their marriage…" I couldn't even remember how I left the church. All I remembered was how the reporters watched me like I was a complete joke. "Demoness Now a Coward? Erstwhile Friend Turned Romantic Rival. Worse Than Murder." Christopher hired a lot of sock puppets to shift the narrative online. "Mr. Quinton faked his death to get away from her. Any guy would be scared of an obsessive woman." "I'd have run a long time ago if I were him." "She's nothing but a violent lunatic! It serves her right to be unloved and unwanted!" I couldn't sleep that night. I found my luggage tossed out in the rain when I came back to the villa the next day. The door opened, and Zoe was leaning against the door frame. "Sorry, girl, but I don't need this trash." "What are you doing here?" I tried to look past her and see inside the house, but Christopher blocked me. "You gave me this house. It's now in its rightful owner's hands." I blinked in disbelief. "But this was supposed to be where we live after we're married." Christopher snapped at me impatiently as he shoved me, "That's enough out of you! My wife's right here! I've given her the house! Take your things and scram!" I staggered and leaned on the luggage for support. Then, I looked up and saw the pearl necklace my mother gave me hanging around that woman's neck. The sight of it made me shake with rage. "Give it back! You don't get to touch my mother's stuff!" I strode ahead, but I didn't even touch her when she suddenly arched backward and rolled off the stairs. "Zoe!" Christopher went white. Then, he saw the blood pooling under Zoe. He roared at the bodyguards, "Call an ambulance! Call a doctor!" … They were in the ward. The doctor shook his head in resignation. "I'm sorry, but she lost the baby." Zoe fell into Christopher's arms and cried her heart out. "Our baby! We lost our baby!" I was pushed to the ground as Christopher glowered at me. "You did it on purpose, didn't you? You wanted this to happen!" Then, he slapped me hard. My cheek swelled up while Christopher continued to glare at me like he wanted to tear me apart. "Your face disgusts me! You think I'd fall for you? I only wanted you because you had power over the pier!" Chapter 4 Disappointment He looked at me as if I was trash. "I didn't push her." Zoe's sobs turned a notch louder. "So, you're saying I'd kill my own baby?" "Hey, I'm not discounting the possibility," I blurted. A furious Christopher sent me flying with a kick. My forehead hit the edge of the coffee table, causing blood to trickle down my forehead. Christopher froze at the sight as his chest heaved. "Did you ever notice that you've been the one who pushed me away? You'd be busy with work whenever I wanted to go out on a date with you. You'd be on a business trip whenever I wanted to go on vacation. You never put me first! You deserve nothing from me!" Christopher clutched my collar tightly. "This is your last chance. Apologize to Zoe publicly. Tell Porton you took me from her by force and ruined our relationship! Do it, and I will release your sister." My whole body was hurting, but nothing hurt more than his demand that I make a public apology. However, my sister was held hostage. I closed my eyes with a heavy heart. "Fine, I'll do it." Someone dragged me to the stage the next day. The camera flashes blinded me as I held the apology letter in my hand. "I formally apologize to Ms. Zoe Shaw. I got in the way of her and Christopher's relationship…" Every single word was a bitter pill of humiliation I had to swallow. … The crowd erupted. "How dare you show your face! How dare you stand there after you got her baby killed!" "Get out of Porton! You're a disgrace to this city!" "Grovel and apologize to Zoe!" Rotten eggs smeared all over my eyes. I stood frozen on the stage, unable to say a single word. "Enough!" Christopher called a stop to the farce and told his men to shove me into a car. Then, he tossed a black bag in. "This car will take you straight to the pier. Your sister's waiting on the boat. Leave and never return." The black bag was filled with money. He closed the door and held Zoe's hand as an indulgent smile appeared on his lips. I closed my eyes, my heart weighed with nothing but bitterness. … Zoe was planning their honeymoon, but Christopher was spacing out. "What's wrong, Christopher?" He shook his head, trying to forget the sorrowful look I had when I was in the car. "Nothing." He wiped his face, but then his phone started ringing. "Sir, bad news! The boat that was supposed to send Ms. Zimmer away exploded!"