PUNISHMENT
1197 Words
IRIS
I inhale a deep breath and open the door. My eyes glance around and spot him sitting on his king-size chair, drinking and smoking.
My feet anxiously step inside, drawing his attention from the whiskey bottle.
“You're five minutes late, Iris Allen!”
“There were many customers…” He stands tall, and I gulp the next words. His dark eyes look into mine, and fear crawls over to my skin.
“Come closer!” He commands.
I stagger towards him and pause inches away.
A smile glints on his lips and he grabs the whip resting on the small table.
“Kneel down, sweetie!”
Tears pool into my eyes and my legs kneel on the shimmering black marble floor.
“You're still the same, Iris!” He clenches the handle tightly.
“I-I am sorry, King.” My throat is already dry.
“Customers are money. You should never say no to them, right?” He mutters softly.
“R-Right!”
“Then why did you refuse him?” His voice deepens and he thrashes my upper back with a strong hit.
I press my lips under my teeth, restraining my scream. We're ordered to stay quiet while taking the punishment.
“Girls like you are always stubborn, never f*****g listen to me!” He gives another strike on my back.
“YOU ARE THE WORST!”
My back is stinging as if someone rubbed salt on a burn wound.
“You belong to me, Iris!”
Suddenly, he grabs my cheeks and forces me to face his threatening gaze.
“Your uncle sold you to this place, remember?”
I nod my head, tears streaming down my eyes.
“You girls only know how to cry!” He releases my cheeks and hits my back again.
“Beg for forgiveness, Iris!”
Tears keep rolling down my eyes, and words sink deeper into my mouth.
“BEG FOR IT.”
“F-Forgive me, King!”
It was my fault, please!”
He enjoys it when people beg him. It's one of his fetishes.
“Beg more!”
I clench my dress on my thigh and keep asking for his forgiveness. His hands don't stop hitting the whip on my back until my top is slightly torn, revealing my skin.
He finally drops the whip to the floor and returns to his king-size chair.
“Iris, my sweetie!” His fingers grab a cigarette.
My teary eyes look up at his devilish face.
“You should have learned by now that Arena Empire is your home. You're going to live here forever and die here.”
The words scare me to the core.
“No one can save you, sweetie!”
I wish I could kill him but I'm a coward.
He leans back on his chair, puts the cigarette in his mouth, and wraps his palm around his lips while his gaze is fixed on me.
My feet somehow manage to stand and slowly walk over to him. Standing before the chair, I pick up the golden lighter from the table and light his cigarette.
He blows the first puff into my space.
“You will respect our customers, right?” A smile glints on his lips.
“Y-Yes!”
“That's like my good girl.” He whispers.
“Take a week's rest. Your scar needs to heal.” He rests his neck on the headrest of the chair and closes his eyes.
Bosco is right, no one can save me from this hell hole, no one!!!
***
A week later…
I stand in front of the single mirror of my shabby room and scan my skin for any visible marks. Unfortunately, they are all gone. The wounds at least gave me a chance to stay in my room for a week, away from the bustling crowd of Arena Empire.
*It's time to face hell again!*
Changing into the short black dress, my feet step outside. The girls are rushing down the long hallway for their shifts.
“You're back!” An arm wraps around my stark shoulders. Dana is my only friend here. Her family story is similar to mine, but she has adjusted herself to this life, unlike me.
After her mother passed away, she was sold to Arena Empire by her stepfather.
“You’re perfectly healed, so I hope you don't call for another trouble.”
A breath slips free of my lips.
“Did Frank come back?”
“Yeah, he's back!” Concern flashes in her light brown eyes and she runs her fingers through her short red hair.
As expected, they always come back.
“You don't have to serve his table, leave it to me, okay?”
“Thank you!” My lips smile.
She winks at me and we go down the long hallway, entering the flashy Arena Empire. The same loud music and smell of alcohol and cigarettes.
“Gosh! I hate this!” Dana sighs.
We walk over to the counter and wait for Kelix to prepare the drinks. He's a friendly bartender but Bosco's minion.
“Well, we got an exclusive order today in room no. 356. ” He says, passing me a tray of drinks.
“Me?” My brows furrow.
“Last time you caused a scene here, honey.”
“Exclusive rooms are better.” Dana comes closer and whispers into my ear.
“Nothing is better!” My lips whisper back.
She scrunches her nose and gives me a pat on my right shoulder.
“See you later.” I grab the tray and head to the exclusive room. We have many, usually booked by a group for personal services.
Passing through a glass door and walking down the corridor, my feet almost reach the exclusive room but an arm stretches across my chest, blocking my way.
“Frank?” My eyes go wide.
In a flash, he steps into my personal space and pins me against the wall. The tray falls from my hands and shatters on the floor.
“W-What are you doing?”
“I was humiliated in front of everyone because of you, b*tch!” He takes out a knife and points it at my neck.
“Don't, please!” My shoulders tense up.
“Trust me, I won't kill you…I'll just ruin your pretty face that makes you so arrogant.”
Summoning all my strength, my hands struggle to push him, fighting against his strong grip on my body.
“You can't fight with this slim body of yours, blonde!” He forcibly kisses my neck.
“Get off me!” I scream.
A smirk comes across his face and he raises his hand to strike my face.
“DON'T, PLEASE!” I clench my eyes in horror.
Instead of feeling a stinging cut on my cheek, my body feels light as if Frank is gone. I slowly open my eyes and see him a few steps away from me under the grip of a masculine arm wrapped around his neck.
My gaze nervously moves up from the arm, reaching the face. His piercing blue eyes are already fixed on me.
- Writer
