The CEO's Rose

Gwendolyn’s POV

The whole world was calling her a whore.

They were calling her a monster, saying that she was ugly. Her, the most beautiful woman to ever exist. Clearly they had all gone blind simply because Langston Terrell had blabbed about things that she had only done to prove a point.

Who were they to point fingers at her and call her all of those horrible words? Why were they acting like they had never slept with the siblings of the people they were dating? She knew a few people in her friend group who had gone through entire family members. It was simply a show of power, of irresistibility. It was nothing worth shaming anyone for.

***

Locked away in her mirror room, Gwendolyn tried to get her emotions under control. The snarls that were being reflected back at her just were not cute, but no matter how hard she tried, it was too difficult, she was too angry to keep her face neutral. When her phone rang and she saw her father’s name on the screen, Gwendolyn answered readily.

"Daddy, everything that they are saying about me is a lie. I would not do any of those awful things," She cried, not even bothering with a hello.

Instead of her father rushing to reassure her, and promising to fix it, there was silence and then... "Hello, Gwendolyn,"

Ryan?

Her breath stilled in her lungs, and she staggered before managing to catch herself.

"Ryan, to what do I owe the pleasure?" She questioned, hoping that he could not hear how uneasy she was feeling.

"Sweet Gwendolyn," He began, his voice so cold it froze the blood in her veins, leaving her unable to do anything but just stand there and listen.

"I have just been talking to your father about what you have been getting up to...he is very disappointed in you," Every single mirror was showing a look of pure terror, but her face muscles refused to shift from it.

" With a bit of persuasion, he’s agreed on the perfect punishment for you,"

Punishment?

Her father never punished her, she was too beautiful, too perfect for that. Not caring at all what her thoughts on the matter were, Ryan carried on.

"Three... two.. one..." Her phone vibrated with incoming messages, but she could not make her arm unbend and allow her to see the texts.

"Those messages all say the same thing. From this moment on, you have been cut off, Gwendolyn,"

What? There was no way.

Unable to breathe, she listened to Ryan’s soft laugh on the other end.

"I have no idea how much money you have on your person, but I wager it will not last you long. The moment it runs out, the streets will be waiting for you. And more importantly...I... will be waiting for you. Oh, say hello to Bryce for me, and tell him I will see him soon," He was laughing as he hung up, and all Gwendolyn could do was stand there.

What finally broke through her shock was urine running down her legs as she peed herself. Staring down at the growing puddle she could barely process what had just gone on.

What was she going to do?

***

Cut off.

No money, no nothing.

How could her father let Ryan force him into doing something so horrible?!

Realizing that she was crying, Gwendolyn forced herself to stop. She had already lost her money. It would not do for her to mess with her looks as well. Reaching for her phone, she dialed a number. And on the second ring, the person she was calling picked up.

"What do you want?" Not even having to fake her distress. Gwendolyn answered.

"Grandfather, everything that you heard was a lie. I do not know who told you that I did all of that, but I didn’t. Please believe me, and talk to my father for me. He cut me off," There was silence on the other end. The quiet going on for so long that she ended up staring at the pee that she’d left in the center of the room, wondering if she was going to be forced to drink it while living in the streets.

When Langston Terrell spoke again, it was with such venom that Gwendolyn almost felt as though he could poison her with just words.

"My grandson is the one who finally told me what happened between the three of you,"

What?!

Ryan had told on her. Why? He had protected her this entire time. Why now?

"Listen here, Gwendolyn. If you ever set foot on my property, I will bury you so deep that your father will not be able to dig up a single bone. Do you understand me?" With that the old man hung up? And Gwendolyn was left reeling.

How had things spiraled so quickly?

***

Gwendolyn was a spider, A black widow at heart. That was her nature. There was no denying it. She had woven a web with the sole intent of capturing Ryan Terrell and never ever letting him go.

But then he had started to buck and fight until he’d gotten free.

Then he had come back and he’d set her web alight with Gwendolyn still in it. Now her world was on fire and she had no idea what to do. But as much as she hated what Ryan telling the truth had done to her, she could not bring herself to hate the man.

He was hers.

She had created him, made him so vengeful, so twisted... how could she be mad at him for that. The only person that Gwendolyn could really blame was Vivian Rose.

Vivian, the cruel and vicious thing, had ruined Gwendolyn’s life...she had to pay. Now that Gwendolyn was...poor, it would be difficult to get her revenge. But she would find a way. Her initial plan to ruin the other woman’s looks would no longer be enough. Ryan had chosen that woman over her, and she was going to make him regret it. Forget about getting him back, she was going to hurt him way worse than the affair with his brother had. To achieve that, there was only one thing that would work.

Vivian Rose had to die.