Chapter 6

Lora's POV

I closed my eyes.

I had no other options.

I had no home left, no family left. That necklace was the only thing I still had.

"Fine. I'll do it."

For the rest of that day, Shea made herself comfortable giving me orders.She deliberately spilled oil and sauce all over the floor, then made me get on my knees and wipe it up piece by piece.

The moment I finished one spot, she'd stomp through it again and leave a fresh trail of prints. "You missed a spot. Right there. Can't you see it?"

She made me kneel beside her and hold out my hands to catch the grape seeds she spat from her mouth.

Sometimes she'd do it fast on purpose, and the seeds would fly out with the juice and hit me in the face.

She made me brew her coffee, but every single time I brought it out, something was wrong with it.

Too hot, make it again. Too weak, make it again. Not enough foam, make it again.

At one point she just poured hot coffee directly onto my arm. "You're useless. You can't even make a decent cup of coffee."

The slightest thing she didn't like, she'd slap me.

Before long, my knees had swollen from kneeling, and my face had swollen from the hits.

Several times, I almost fought back.

But Shea would dangle the necklace in front of my face.

I'd look at it and think of my grandmother's kind face, and I'd swallow it down.

I could give up my dignity. But I would not give up the one piece of family I had left.

I had been starved of love for so long. I wanted it so desperately.

At one point, one of the housekeepers couldn't take it anymore and carefully spoke up.

"Miss Shea, she is the lady of the house. Maybe you shouldn't-"

Shea turned and slapped her across the face without a second thought.

"She's no lady of anything! Say one more word and I'll have my brother fire you on the spot."

After that, nobody said anything.

Shea only got bolder. She smiled with something vicious in it.

"I'm sure you saw your precious little hometown. Every last bit of it, bulldozed flat."

"I told him I wanted that land for an amusement park, and he agreed on the spot. He didn't even remember it was your home."

"Do you see that? You are nothing to him. Absolutely nothing. I can do whatever I want with you. People like you, you exist to entertain people like me."

It went on until evening, until Shea finally tired herself out and went quiet.

I pushed down every last bit of humiliation and rage.

"Had enough fun? Give me back the necklace."

Shea opened her eyes slowly, and the malice in them was at its peak.

"Sure. I'll give it right back."

She stood up and hurled the necklace as hard as she could into the decorative pond in the courtyard.

I ran to the edge and watched my grandmother's necklace hit the water and disappear beneath the surface.

"Grandma." The sound tore out of me.

I had endured the entire day. I had told Shea outright I wasn't going to compete with her over Xander.

But Shea had never had any intention of giving the necklace back. She only ever wanted to break me.

Even the most patient person has a limit.

I was done being patient.

I walked calmly over to Shea, looked at her satisfied face, and slapped her as hard as I could.

I put everything I had into it. Half her face swelled up instantly. Blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"You hit me?!"

Shea shrieked and swung back.

But she was a sheltered girl who'd never had to fight for anything, and I'd grown up rough. She had no chance.

I caught her wrist.

"Yes. I did."

I raised my other hand, ready to go again, when someone grabbed me from behind with iron force.

Xander.

He gripped my wrist so hard I thought the bones might give.

His eyes were burning.

"Lora. What the hell are you doing?"

Shea burst into tears the moment she saw him and threw herself against his chest.

"This is the wife you picked! She attacked me! She was going to kill me! Do something, hit her back!"

Xander looked at Shea's swollen face and her tearful eyes, and his fury ignited.

"Lora. You want to die?"

He raised his hand to strike back.

I turned to face him squarely, and I didn't step back.

He saw my face. The bruises. The wreck I looked like.

He went still.

His hand hung in the air.

"What happened to you?"

Shea screamed, "What are you waiting for? Hit her!"