Ninety-Nine Punishments for His Love

Chapter 7

When it was over, Arthur rose, dressed himself, and made to leave.

At the door, he tossed back a cold remark. "That makes ninety-nine times. Don't fret. I'll marry you."

Only long after Arthur had gone did Claire open her eyes.

The humiliation came rushing back, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. Her hand moved toward the whistle, then she froze.

The whistle around her neck was gone—vanished without a trace!

Claire scrambled up, searching frantically, but it was nowhere to be found.

She was sure it had been there when she came home.

Suddenly, she thought of Arthur. Her fingers flew across the phone as she called him. "Arthur, did you take my whistle?"

His voice came through, dripping with indifference. "Julie fancied your whistle. I gave it to her. Consider it your apology."

Claire's heart lurched as if gripped by an invisible fist. For the first time in her life, she snapped. "Bullshit! Arthur, who the hell gave you the right to give away my things?"

She slammed the phone down with a sharp c***k, bolting for the hospital before her shoes were properly on.

There, Julie stood by the window, the whistle swinging tauntingly from her pinky. "Want it back? Beg me!"

Terrified it would go flying out the window, Claire pleaded through red-rimmed eyes. "Please! I'm begging you—give it back!"

It was Ethan's last gift, which was worth more to her than life itself.

Julie smiled triumphantly and said, "Fine, as long as you give Arthur back to me and swear never to reveal the truth, I'll return it."

Claire agreed to everything.

Just as the whistle was about to be returned to her, Julie deliberately let it fall to the floor.

In the next instant, she stomped down hard, grinding it to dust.

"Oops. Slipped."

Claire's mind went blank. A wave of despair and fury overwhelmed her.

She dropped to her knees, trembling hands desperately gathering the shattered fragments and cradling them in her palms. But no matter how she tried, the pieces refused to mend, just like Ethan, who would never come back.

Claire's body shook violently as tears streamed down her face.

Julie leaned down and hissed in her ear, "Everything you love, I'll destroy one by one!"

Shaking, Claire pushed herself up and, catching Julie off guard, landed a stinging slap across her face.

Julie staggered back, stunned for a few seconds before screeching, "You hit me?"

She sprang up, ready to retaliate, but then saw Arthur burst through the door.

Instantly, her body went limp, and she sobbed, "Arthur, Claire came at me like a maniac!"

Seeing Julie's distressed state, Arthur strode forward and forcefully shoved Claire's hand aside, sending the bouquet of roses in his grip crashing to the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

He'd come to apologize.

After forcing himself on her, after seeing her curled up and broken, guilt had clawed at him. But he didn't know how to apologize, so he'd done what he always did. Tossed out cold words and left.

Then he'd gone to buy her flowers. A peace offering. He'd even decided to forgive her for ruining Julie's hands.

Yet when he arrived with the bouquet, this was the scene that greeted him!

Clearly, he'd been too soft on her! This time, he wouldn't let her get away with it.

At this thought, his expression turned icy again. "It's just a stupid whistle. I'll get you a new one."

Just a stupid whistle? That whistle was Claire's very life!

Hearing his words, Claire felt a cold void opening inside her, leaving her numb.

She fixed Arthur with an icy glare. "I almost forgot. You're still here."

Before he could react, she raised her hand and slapped him.

Arthur never saw it coming. The slap jerked his head sideways.

Seething with anger, he pressed a hand to his chest. "Claire! Are you out of your mind? Don't you want to get married anymore?"