Chapter 6 Her Life, His Control
1047 Words
Holding a pencil, Rebecca said, "I'm designing jewelry for a company as a freelancer."
Since he had found out, there was no point in making excuses. Knowing he disliked lies, she chose to confess outright.
"Really?" Matthew's eyes narrowed. "I remember the major you're studying is not design."
Rebecca paused for a moment and then understood.
Even though Matthew had been absent for over two years, he still had control over her life.
"Yes, my major is business administration, but I enjoy designing, and I can make some money," Rebecca explained, her voice soft and clear.
"Make money?" He looked down at her, his thin lips curving into a half-smile. "Is the money I give you not enough?"
Rebecca paused for a moment before she hastily shook her head. "No, but I need to learn to earn money on my own."
Over the past two years, Matthew had been out of touch, but he sent someone to deliver her living expenses every month. He knew she hadn't spent a cent of it and stored it all in the bottom drawer of her wardrobe. He could even turn a blind eye to her secret part-time job. Yet as they were spending time together lately...He seemed to have developed a taste for her presence and was now contemplating reneging on their contract.
The neatly-packed suitcase, the late-night rush to finish designs for money... He suddenly realized the once pitiable young girl had grown fully feathered. He was close to losing his grip on her...
He felt a trace of restlessness.
"And I borrowed 500 thousand from you back then," added Rebecca.
"Borrowed?" Matthew narrowed his eyes. His composed appearance belied an underlying tension that intimidated Rebecca, causing her to clench the pencil more firmly.
"I said I would repay you back," she insisted.
"You got it all wrong." He set aside the design draft, leaning in closer. "The money was for buying three years of your time. It's not a loan."
Rebecca bit her lip. "It's all the same. It needs to be repaid."
A cold smile played on Matthew's lips. "Rebecca, you seem to want more than just to repay the money. Are you trying to sever all ties with me?"
"I..." Rebecca hesitated before squeezing out two words from her teeth, "... am not."
To this day, she was grateful for his help, but she also knew it all came at the cost of her dignity. She grew tired of this lopsided relationship that brought her intense suffering.
So she tried to bridge their gap with money, seeking equal treatment from him rather than being just a bed partner.
But when she examined her stubborn persistence, it seemed somewhat amusing.
Why did she need his respect? It was ridiculous. She would leave sooner or later, so why was she still harboring such naive thoughts?
"Rebecca, remember who you are. Don't do things I dislike during the time you belong to me. I don't like being deceived." Matthew crumpled her design draft and tossed it into the trash can by his feet.
Rebecca watched him do all this with self-mocking amusement, feeling suffocated with discomfort in her heart.
There was a thick wall standing between them. Each of his interrogations and punishments delivered a heavy blow to her numb heart. Though accustomed to it, she still felt a dull ache.
Matthew gripped her chin, and his eyes fixed on her expressionless face. His voice was soft yet laced with a menacing laugh. "Are you angry?"
"I am a person, not an accessory of yours. I have the right to choose what I do. You can't control me. It's unfair to me!"
Rebecca was indeed furious. She did sell her three years to him, but that didn't mean she had to be a thoughtless puppet. She hated that.
"Good for you! Then let me tell you what's fair and what the rules are!" His lips brushed against her skin, carrying with scorching and dangerous breath. "Rebecca, in this house, in this room, you should strip off all your clothes and wait for me quietly in bed. Anything other than that is forbidden! And don’t even think about escaping. Understood?" Matthew's gaze lingered on her face, which was not stunning at first glance but grew increasingly captivating upon closer examination.
If the bird he had raised wanted to fly away, he would make sure to lock her firmly in a cage, then she would belong to him for sure.
Her face turned deadly pale, devoid of any emotion, as she desperately shook her head. "No, that's not right. I belong to you, but I also have the right to do my own things. What gives you the right to take away my freedom?"
The sneer on Matthew's lips grew deeper and colder. "Freedom? What kind of freedom do you think you have? Looks like you’ve gotten the wrong idea from me being in a good mood recently!"
Her defiance and pride were ingrained, often shrouded in a veneer of docility, keeping all her grievances tucked away inside. Now she was actually challenging him with a “what gives you the right”.
She deserved some serious reprimand in bed!
If she kept acting so disobedient, he would have no choice but to pluck out her scales of defiance, layer by layer.
Within seconds, she was tossed into the bed, his heavy body pressing down on her.
Rebecca could see clearly, beyond his usual indifference, there was anger in his eyes.
What was he angry about? She was a woman he had purchased for half a million. Now that she was capable of repaying him, he wouldn’t lose a dime on this deal. She was pursuing her own interests. What gave him the right to forbid it?
Rebecca was buried deep under the bedding, and he, on top of her, showered her with kisses, his movements rough and harsh.
"Stop touching me!" Rebecca resisted, unwilling to comply easily. She detested his autocratic ways, hated herself for losing self-respect, and she would not just submit meekly.
His voice was freezing, carried with some suppressed mockery. He pressed his hand vigorously against her waist.
He said in a hoarse tone, "Let me show you today if I can touch you or not!"
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