Chapter Three

Lena's POV

Tears streamlined my face as the sting of the slap began to sink in, shakily; I raised my head to see a woman fuming in anger standing right before me. She was the same woman I'd seen with the men and her eyes held disdain and hatred, she had swiftly moved from her previous position just to slap me but what I couldn't understand the rationale behind her actions were.

I looked away from her and my supposed husband sat still, gingerly sipping from a bottle of alcohol as if none of it ever happened.

"Mr. Paxton." I called out, trying hard not to choke on my sobs.

"Don't you dare utter his name you shameless tramp!" The woman spat, venomously.

I was still confused, I didn't get what I did to deserve such treatment.

"Lower your gaze!" She thundered.

"Save your breath Kayla, she doesn't deserve it." Richard lazily said to the lady.

She snorted and sauntered back to him, swaying her hips provocatively. She sat on his laps and caressed his face with her hands, kissing him fully on the lips and my heart tore, my teary eyes began to twitch.

"Does your wrist hurts from hitting such insolent fool?" Richard asked her, lovingly.

She nodded her head and tears rolled more freely down my cheeks. I heard a whistle and finally turned my attention to the men who sat with him.

"Won't you give your wife a welcome hug?" One of the men mocked.

Richard snickered and stood up, he walked up to me and I trembled with fear.

"Get up!" He ordered, firmly.

I remained rooted to a spot, afraid of looking him in the eye.

"Are you deaf? I said get up!" He thundered.

My weak knees gained strength and held me up straight, I averted my gaze, not wanting to look into the fiery hell that danced in his cornea.

"Strip." He ordered.

My heart stopped beating for a millisecond.

"What?" I mumbled, the word scaring away my initial fear.

"Did I stutter? Strip!" He repeated.

I shook my head vehemently and guarded my chest region with my hands.

"No." I said, resolutely.

"No?" He repeated, scoffing.

My eyes trailed over to the lewd men, ready to watch the show while the woman had a wicked smile on her face, how could he ask me to strip in front of strangers, not only was it demeaning but also insulting. He noticed my reluctance and snorted.

"What? You're shy because they're here? I bet you weren't shy when you danced half naked for those potbelly smelling pigs downtown for stipends right?" He barked.

I was lost for words.

"Why would I do that?" I replied, uitee defiantly against my wish and I was instantly corrected by him with a slap on my face.

Surprisingly, it didn't sting but my heart did feel the pain of a thousand needles being struck into it. I didn't want to rub it, I only tried to stabilize my now ceasing breath.

"You'll learn to be quiet when I speak, do you actually think I don't know you? The whispers of your audacious atrocities are on the streets!" He calmly threw at me.

It was then it began to dawn on me that he might be right somehow but not about me.

"Let her dance! You have a beautiful wife, let the beautiful wild queen of the south give us a nice dance performance!" One of the men yelled out.

Richard nodded his head, accepting the suggestion.

"Dance!" He ordered.

He clapped and a shrewd song began to play, I recognized it instantly since Luna always played it back at home. She was the infamous wild queen of the south and I was now living her life. There was fury in my husband's eyes, at me, at Luna. He wanted me to dance, a shameful act but I shook my head, he scoffed and got a hold of my shoulders, violently jerking it.

"Don't make me hurt you." He warned but I wouldn't do as he says and he became inpatient, I got slapped, again but I didn't flinch. I will not flinch.

"She's quite stubborn this one. How will you venf her? Maybe she wants some money?" One of the men yelled.

He rose up and sauntered over to us, a glass of alcohol in one hand, was on cash which he began to spray on me in another, chuckling and demanding that I dance. He danced round me and another of the men joined in it, making it look like in a stripper but I didn't flinch.

"Get away from me!" I hissed as one attempted touching me and I pushed him away rather too hard and it send him rolling over.

Richard's eyes darkened at this an

d he wanted to hit me but someone else stopped him.

"Don't do this with us here, you can bend her to your will all you want. Didn't you say you had something important to do? Don't waste time on her." The third man suggested.

Richard snickered and snatched his hand from him and glared murderously at me. The man looked at me with pity in his eyes, as of he was sending me a condolence message.

"You've never been soft on bitches Tyler, do you perhaps fancy her?" Kayla spat out.

Richard shot her a dirty look and she kept quiet then looked at me disdainfully.

"I have things to do wife, I'll be back soon so you'd better drop the act by then, a prostitute will always be a prostitute." He slowly said, wanting it sink in my head.

He gestured for their leave and one by one except Tyler, they mocked me and left, hearing fading footsteps, I crashed to the ground and began to cry. It was evident that my life is now ruined even before it began, Luna had no reputation which was why she's taken mine and I'm forced to suffer for her sins.

A cold touch on my shoulder made me almost jump out of my skin in absolute fright and horror but it turned out to be a maid.

"The Master ordered that you be taken to the bedroom." She informed me.

Wiping away my tears, I smiled weakly but her eyes was filled with pure disgust. I followed her to the bedroom, a really beautiful and lavishly furnished place and she said no other word to me before leaving.

I stood there clueless. The voluminous wedding gown I wore tired me out, making it even harder to breathe. I settled for sitting on the king-sized bed, concluding that it was after all my room.

I crouched and began to silent sob as my face was now positioned in between my thighs. I kept on crying, not knowing what to do and unknowingly, I fell asleep.

The next time my eyes opened it was sudden and I inhaled sharply as I was frightened. I turned around only to see the devil himself scowling at me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He questioned.

His clam force unmasked a storm in me and I threw myself off the bed, scurrying away from him.

"I'm sorry." I stuttered.

He tittered and moved closer to me, I moved backwards until my back hit the wall and he stood right before me.

"I know everything about you slut, don't act like a saint here, you're in hell. Now, strip!"