From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 89

**Chapter 3**

My heart pounded violently in my chest as I beheld Rhett’s condition; disbelief coursed through me like a cold wave. “Rhett! Are you hurt?” I cried out, my voice quaking with a mix of fear and urgency.

Bright red blood cascaded down from a deep gash on his forehead, obscuring his vision and starkly contrasting with his pallid complexion. The sight was nothing short of horrifying, a surreal tableau that seemed to freeze time itself.

With a shaky hand, Rhett attempted to wipe the blood from his face, revealing a fragile smile that felt almost inappropriate given the dire circumstances. “This time, I finally saved you! Scarlett, I managed to save you just in time!” His words, infused with a mix of triumph and relief, enveloped me like a soothing balm, momentarily alleviating the dread that had gripped my heart.

In that fleeting moment, the heavy burden of worry and guilt that had settled within me began to lift, like fog dispersing under the sun. Memories surged forth from the depths of my mind—our child, so small and innocent, her love for us at that tender age boundless and pure.

I was haunted by the torment of betrayal, by how Ashley’s deceit had driven a wedge between Rhett and me, leaving me and our precious child alone in the biting cold of desolate mountains. I had been powerless, forced to witness life slip away from our child, wandering those unforgiving peaks like a specter for three agonizing days.

When the search party finally found me, I was a mere shadow of my former self, consumed by a madness that threatened to swallow me whole. My thoughts turned to revenge against Ashley, a fire igniting in my heart, and Rhett, in his misguided loyalty, stood as her defender.

Thus began our bitter conflict, a relentless cycle of pain where we struck at each other’s vulnerabilities with merciless precision. For decades, we were ensnared in a web of hatred, until that fateful day when he sacrificed his own legs in a desperate attempt to save me. That proud, noble man was reduced to a cripple, forever altered by his selfless act.

In the aftermath of that tragedy, guilt gnawed at my insides, urging me to reconsider my stance. I resolved to let go of the past, to forge a new path alongside him, but Rhett, in his own way, used that very debt to bind me to him, a chain I struggled to break.

Now, weak and pale, Rhett sat on the hospital bed, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he implored me, “Scarlett, spare Ashley, for the sake of my broken legs.”

In that moment, a profound sense of despair washed over me, as if my very essence was being drained away. Silent tears slipped down my cheeks as I murmured, “Fine, I promise you.”

Rhett’s face lit up with a spark of excitement, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes. Even in his injured state, he clung to my hand as if it were a lifeline. “Scarlett, I told you I would protect you.”

But just then, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. I felt a sudden force push me to the ground, air knocked from my lungs.

Slap—

Ashley stormed forward, delivering a series of sharp slaps across my face, each one stinging like a branding iron. “You jinx, stay away from my brother! He’s MY brother!” Her voice dripped with a venomous protectiveness that sent chills down my spine.

In my previous life, I had been the one managing the Butler family affairs, pouring years of effort into untangling their web of deceit, a task that had consumed my very soul.

“Scarlett, you…” Rhett started, his voice faltering, disbelief evident in his eyes.

“Thank you for saving me this time, but I won’t need your help in the future. Rhett Butler, I don’t owe you anything. I hope you can keep your distance from me from now on.”

His silence was deafening. Rhett stood there, utterly speechless, as if I had torn his very soul from his body, leaving him hollow.

He probably never imagined that the woman who had once loved him so fiercely would now yearn to sever all ties in this life, a painful truth that hung heavy in the air.

As I turned away from Rhett, the weight of our shared history loomed large, a bittersweet reminder of the love that had once flourished between us. The chaos of the moment faded into a haunting silence, punctuated only by the echoes of our past—the sacrifices, the betrayals, and the unyielding pain that had woven our lives together. I felt a strange mixture of liberation and sorrow as I walked away, the promise I made to Rhett lingering like a ghost in my heart. I had chosen to break free from the chains of our tumultuous relationship, yet the act of severing those ties felt like a betrayal of my own emotions, a final farewell to the dreams we once shared.

In that moment, I realized that healing would take time, and while I had taken a step towards independence, the shadows of our memories would forever linger. Rhett, with his broken body and fragile spirit, had given me the strength to confront my past, but in doing so, I had also shattered the last vestiges of our connection. As I walked into the uncertain future, I felt a flicker of hope amidst the despair—perhaps this was the beginning of a new chapter, one where I could reclaim my identity and learn to love myself anew. Though the storm of our shared history raged behind me, I was determined to face whatever lay ahead, unburdened and resolute.