He Punished Me For Her

After he finished speaking, Adrian turned to look at me, his eyes filled with deep guilt. "Evelyn, this is the last time. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you." I lowered my head, a slow, bitter smile pulling at my lips. What future could we possibly have? My body was ruined beyond repair, and I would not even survive the night. What future was he talking about? I kept my head down. When I heard Adrian say, "Send her to the brothel," my heart still ached. 3 years ago, Sabrina had just returned from abroad. On her first visit to our home, she refused to even call his father "Uncle." Adrian forced me to call his father "Uncle" nine hundred and ninety-nine times. By the end, my voice was so hoarse I couldn't speak for a month. Later, at the company's annual gala, Sabrina clamored for "freedom of dress" again. She wore a backless gown with a high slit and swayed onto the stage, making several elderly shareholders frown deeply. In front of everyone, Adrian ordered his assistant to strip away my outer layers one by one until I was left in nothing but my underwear. What little dignity I had left had long been ground into dust. I had thought that if I kept my head down, I could somehow weather this nightmare. But now, he wanted me to go to a place like a brothel and endure one last torture on her behalf. A sign above the southside brothel read "The Velvet Room." Everyone in our circle knew what it really was: a place where money erased every rule. Any woman thrown inside became merchandise. It was easy to go in. If you made it back out, the stain followed you for life. I, Evelyn Brooks, wife of Prescott Group's president and the only daughter of retired General Robert Brooks. I could endure humiliation, but I could not let my father's good name be dragged through the mud with mine. He had commanded troops all his life; now, in his old age, pride and reputation mattered to him more than anything. "I won't go." This was the first time since losing the baby that I had said no in front of everyone. Adrian was clearly stunned for a moment, yet his eyes lit up instead, as if he'd finally been waiting for me to defy him like I used to. "Fine, if you won't go, then we won't—" His words cut off halfway as the living room door was kicked open. "Adrian Prescott! Who gave you the right to control me?"