Amelia
With a wide grin, I leave our apartment. I can’t help it, the butterflies in my stomach haven’t stopped fluttering since we got married, and I’m beginning to trust him, even to like him.
Liar, you already feel more than just like for him, echoes a traitorous voice in my head, and yeah, that’s probably true. But I want to enjoy this moment, to enjoy being able to let go, to feel safe somehow.
As I walk past the king’s study, my eyes instinctively wander toward it, but the doors are tightly closed, and not a single sound escapes from within.
“Hey, you’re back,” Lizzy’s voice calls from behind me, and I turn to face her. She walks up to me with a grin plastered on her face and pulls me into a tight hug.
“Yeah, we just got here. I saw that Henry’s here and thought I’d use the chance to grab a few things from Perlington House. Should we meet later at Nicolas’s apartment?”
Lizzy’s grin widens at the mention of her brother, and I feel my cheeks grow warm.
“OOOHH, the lady’s allowed into his sacred territory. So, you two don’t hate each other anymore?” she teases, laughing, and I blush even more.
“Well, let’s just say we don’t jump at each other’s throats as much anymore, and he can be kind of nice. Very nice, actually,” I reply evasively, but I can’t help smiling, which makes Lizzy clap her hands in excitement.
“Oh, I knew he couldn’t resist you. I want to know everything, except the part where you two get acrobatic in bed. Spare me that, please.” She pulls a disgusted face, and now I can’t help but laugh.
“Don’t worry, THOSE details stay private. So, in about two hours at Nicolas’s?” She nods, and we hug again before she heads back to her room, and I make my way to my car.
Aside from a few staff and the guards, I don’t see anyone else. Some of them glance at me oddly, but I don’t think much of it once I’m in the car. I need to hurry before Henry heads back to Perlington House, he’s the last person I want to run into.
Honestly, I don’t want to see anyone. I just want to return to the Nicolas-and-Amelia bubble, it’s so nice there. But I know I have to face all this crap here.
Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn, and the closer I get to Perlington House, the worse it gets.
I hate this place. I hate everything about this estate.
Even though it looks beautiful with its white marble, thousands of flowers, and a fountain in front of the grand entrance, it’s nothing more than a filthy, deceptive facade.
There is no love in this house. There never was.
Maybe that’s why I’m so affected by Nicolas’s sweet words, because he makes me feel like I’m special, at least in the moments when we’re not fighting.
I don’t park right in front of the house. Instead, I use the delivery and staff lot, in case my brother comes back early. The staff won’t rat me out, at least most of them won’t.
I slip inside and head straight to my room, quickly gathering the rest of my things. With my heart pounding, I make my way to my brother’s study, where a safe just for me holds the documents for my trust fund securely inside.
With every step, my heartbeat grows louder and faster. That room holds so many nightmares. First caused by my dad, and now by Henry.
I swallow the huge lump in my throat and step inside. My hands are cold as ice and feel sweaty. I don’t want to be here. Not in this room.
Images flash through my mind, ones I’d rather forget. Screams, my screams, ring in my ears. I see his belt, hear the whip of it, feel the force of every blow.
No.
Damn it, Amelia, pull yourself together.
I shake my head to chase the memories away and walk toward the safe. As I pass Henry’s desk, my eyes catch on a carelessly placed sheet of paper. At first I keep walking, but the official court emblem stops me in my tracks. I take a closer look.
Foreclosure?!
My heart skips a beat, and I automatically reach for the document. It’s an official court notice for the foreclosure of Perlington House.
What the hell is going on?
My heart pounds as a flood of mixed emotions hits me. On one hand, I want to celebrate that this terrible house will finally be gone, but on the other, I can’t forget it was still my home. And I desperately need to find out what Henry did to let things get this far.
“There’s the stupid bitch… who ruined my future,” slurs a threatening, all-too-familiar voice, and I whirl around. Panic claws through me like thorny vines, and I clutch the paper tightly in my hands.
My brother stands in the doorway, fists clenched, and he’s not happy to see me.
No. No. No.
Why is he here? He’s supposed to be at the palace.
My heart races out of control, and I glance around desperately, but Henry is blocking the way out. I’m trapped.
His face is a grotesque mask of rage, and I immediately notice that he’s been drinking. Heavily. His bloodshot eyes stare at me with pure hate.
What? What did I do?
“Henry… I… what are you doing here?” I stammer, stepping back as he enters the room threateningly and…
No.
He locks the door behind him.
Oh God, please no.
My body reacts instantly, trembling uncontrollably as I back up, knowing the wall is coming and there’ll be no escape.
“You know, I really tried to be a good son, to follow in Father’s footsteps.
But the irony is, I failed. I just wanted to take one risk, do what I wanted for once.
Shit, I had fun, so much fun. The hookers, the bets…
” He sounds like he’s about to lose his mind, his gaze drilling into me and sending chills down my spine. He steps closer and closer.
“Henry… I…”
“SHUT UP, SHUT YOUR STUPID MOUTH,” he suddenly screams, making me flinch and shrink into myself.
“You… were supposed to be my ticket to freedom, but you ruined everything. You know, when you get too lucky, it always comes back to bite you. Well, I just had bad luck. And you were supposed to fix it. You. But no… Amelia is too dumb even for that.”
Insane. He’s completely insane, ranting nonsense. Still, his words cut deep, because once again I wasn’t enough. And I don’t even know what I did wrong this time.
“My sweet, naive little sister, clueless as always, right?” he mocks, and I stare at him with wide eyes, fighting back the rising nausea. I need a clear head to think.
I have to get out of here.
But fear and panic are a shitty combination, and I feel paralyzed. I am paralyzed.
“He banished me. And everything was foolproof. You just had to do your damn job and stay out of the spotlight. But no, my sister has to spread her legs for others and let herself be photographed. Now I’ve been exiled.
Everything’s gone. Because of you.” His eyes bore into mine, and I make the mistake of looking straight at him, seeing the madness, the burning hatred, and that’s when I slip up.
A scream tears from my throat as he lunges at me like a madman. I try to dodge, but twist my ankle in the process and stumble as he grabs me.
NO.
He yanks me toward him, grabs my hair, and slams my head into the desk with full force.
Pain—nothing but pain. A loud ringing fills my ears. My vision blurs, and my legs give out beneath me.
“You stupid, stupid whore. That’s what you get,” he hisses, dragging me across the floor by my hair. Pain.
It hurts.
Don’t.
Stop!
But he doesn’t stop.
“D-d… oon’t…” I whimper, but he just laughs cruelly.
“What? You want me to stop? You want me to turn a blind eye on all the shame you brought on me? Forget it. You’re going to pay for it.” His spit hits my face as he yanks me close, and I have to swallow hard to keep from vomiting. I fail, retching and vomiting on his shoes.
“Oh shit, you dumb slut.” His fist smashes into my cheek, and he drops me. I curl up, the stench of my own vomit making me gag again.
It hurts so much.
Don’t.
His foot crashes into my stomach, my abdomen, again and again. There’s a loud crack. A deafening hum in my ears.
“YOU.”
Kick
“ARE.”
Kick
“TO BLAME.”
Kick
Die. I want to die.
It hurts, it tears me apart. My body feels like it’s on fire, ripped open, torn to pieces. Screams echo relentlessly in my mind, loud and unending.
“Shut up.”
Punch.
“SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!”
Kick.
My body arches in agony. I can still feel something warm trickle down my lip, and then I finally drift into the sweet, safe darkness.
I’m sorry, Nicolas…