Chapter 2
882 Words
"Miss Williams, you're always so eager to please, why don't you do us one more little favor and film a s*x tape for us?"
Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, he swiped a big hand out and ripped Selene's clothes open.
When I didn't move an inch, he bared his teeth in a cold sneer.
"Miss Williams, the camera's right there on the table. Go on."
My feet felt like they were filled with lead. I dragged myself over step by step, picked up the camera, and aimed it at the messy, rumpled bed...
Felix's guttural, lustful growl rumbled through the room, tangled up with Selene's breathy, moaning whimpers.
Who knows how much time crawled by before they finally finished. Felix leaned down and pressed a doting kiss to Selene's forehead.
"You little slug, can't even be bothered to move a muscle, huh?"
Then he lifted his head and pinned me with a mocking glare.
"Weren't you absolutely dying for some action, Miss Williams? This video's a present for you!
"Saves you from spending that whole long lonely night, fawning over me like a desperate dog in that maid outfit all by yourself."
Burning humiliation seared through my chest. I snapped, hurling the camera straight at his chest, thwack against his body, and the words ripped out of me before I could stop them.
"Felix, enough already! You're my husband, and you save all your attention for another woman!
"It's your fault, not mine!"
Felix's eyes narrowed sharply, and his whole frame tensed up, ready to blow up at me.
But then a flicker of a half-forgotten image crossed his mind. His brow furrowed, and he asked me,
"Have we... met before?"
*****
Of course, we have.
Eight years ago, we met and fell in love while we were both abroad. Back then, that country was in total chaos, and we were the only ones we could trust to watch our backs.
Every socialite and big shot in the local elite circle knew it: "Felix Cole doted on his girlfriend, Ariella Williams, like crazy, who was his whole world."
He went back to the U.S. early, promising he'd prepare the most lavish betrothal gifts the whole city had ever seen and come back to marry me. But that day never came.
The next time we saw each other was for our arranged family marriage. He looked at me like I was a total stranger, that unfamiliarity was so sharp it scared me, like he was just appraising a piece of merchandise:
Family background, education, personality... Above passing. Acceptable.
He'd forgotten me.
I dragged myself back to the present, shook my head, and whispered the words, "We've never met."
Felix let out a quiet, relieved breath.
Selene caught the odd shift in his mood and seethed with resentment. For the next two hours, she ordered me around nonstop, running me ragged until my feet never touched the ground.
When I was finally able to leave, Felix's parents walked into the room carrying a warm casserole dish.
They turned to Selene with faces glowing with fond affection,
"Selene, honey! Now our family has both a boy and a girl, we're so lucky! I'm over the moon. There's that river-view villa up north of the city, you know, it was Ariella Williams' dowry. We're giving it to you!"
Then they spun around and glowered at me viciously.
"You better take good care of Selene, got it? You've been married to our son for five years, and you can't even give us a single grandchild! We never should have let our son marry you in the first place!
"We were blind to let you in. You almost made our son end his bloodline! Thank God Selene is here, she's our lucky star!"
After five years of their endless insults, I'd gone completely numb to it.
Right then, Felix's mother pulled out her phone and called Felix's two boys.
"Sweethearts, we're at your mom and dad's place right now! Yeah, that nasty woman is here too!
"Grandma's gonna beat that nasty woman up for you! How does that sound, huh?"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than her heavy hand landed hard on my body. She didn't hold back at all.
I wanted to fight back, but she always plays dirty and throws crazy fits. I was this close to getting out of here, there was no need to stir up extra trouble.
Felix caught a glimpse of the dark purple bruises blooming on my arm, and his brow furrowed.
"Mom, that's enough already!"
With that opening from Felix, I practically fled the place.
My phone buzzed, a ping cutting through the silence. It was a message from my bestie. She'd already found someone to take over my postpartum care center.
I headed home to dig out the relevant paperwork, but halfway there, Felix's two sons, one older, one younger, cornered me and blocked my path.
"You b***h! It's all your fault our mom and dad can't get married!
"We hate you! Just go die!"
They hurled something right at my body, then cackled, made silly mean faces at me, and sprinted away.
A searing, acrid stench burned my nose, and it hit me like a thunderclap.
What they'd thrown was sulfuric acid!
- Writer
