The echoing sound of Aubrey’s name reverberated through the air, startling everyone in the vicinity. Heads turned, and eyes widened as the sharpness of the shout pierced their eardrums. Gradually, Aubrey and Lucas struggled to open their eyes, their surroundings unfamiliar and disorienting. Aubrey’s heart raced as she realized Evan’s furious gaze fixed upon her, intensifying her fear. But what shook her to the core was the realization that she was lying on the floor in nothing but her bra and panties. Panic surged through her, causing her heartbeat to thunder in her ears, but summoning her courage, she averted her gaze.
Lucas, shirtless and vulnerable beside her, sought to shield Aubrey from the prying eyes of others, draping a blanket over her trembling form. Evan’s anger escalated at the sight, his fists clenching with rage as he stormed toward Lucas, his every step seething with fury.
“It… it’s not like… that, Evan,” Aubrey stammered, her voice trembling with desperation as she attempted to interject. But before she could utter another word, Evan’s fist collided with Lucas’s face, the impact resounding throughout the room. Mrs. Jane hurriedly intervened, attempting to restrain Evan, her voice filled with concern.
“Evan, please, don’t do that,” she implored, her hands reaching out to grasp Evan’s clenched fist. Ignoring her plea, Evan turned his back on Lucas and left the room, his rage simmering just beneath the surface.
Lucas, blood trickling down his face, remained silent, absorbing the blow without a word. The rest of the family gathered around, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion. Mr. Davis, stepping forward, managed to halt Evan’s departure, his hand firmly on his son’s shoulder. Evan’s disheveled appearance and fiery red eyes betrayed his fury.
“Evan, let’s talk calmly,” Mr. Davis urged, his voice laced with a mix of concern and authority as he attempted to shield Lucas from further harm.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Evan retorted, his words curt and filled with resentment. Without another word, he stormed out of the room, leaving behind a trail of raw emotions.
Lucas, bloodied and battered, silently endured the pain, while the family dispersed, leaving the room in a heavy silence. Aubrey, her sense of shame overwhelming, hurriedly dressed herself, her mind reeling with anxiety about how she would explain the situation to others. The weight of her embarrassment bore down upon her, but it was the sight of Evan, consumed by anger and hurt, that pierced her heart the most.
Dragging her feet, Aubrey made her way to Evan’s study, her steps heavy with trepidation. In the dimly lit room, Evan sat in his dark brown leather chair, shrouded in darkness. Aubrey knelt before him, her voice quivering with sorrow.
“I… I’m sorry… I don’t…” Aubrey’s voice trailed off, her words faltering as she attempted to apologize. But before she could fully explain herself, Evan’s deep voice reverberated through the room, cutting her off.
“I wasn’t enough for you, was I?” his words dripped with accusation, filling the space with a palpable tension. Confusion clouded Aubrey’s face, her voice barely above a whisper.
“What… are you…”
“Grandma was right. I should have never trusted a low-class girl like you. Someone shows you the slightest attention, and you willingly crawl into their bed,” Evan sneered, his words a dagger to Aubrey’s heart. Each accusation tore at her soul, leaving her bleeding and vulnerable.
“Get out, and don’t ever show your face to me again,” Evan commanded, his voice cold and unyielding. Aubrey, on her knees, begged for forgiveness, her pleas a desperate cry for reconciliation. But Evan turned a deaf ear, refusing to acknowledge her desperate entreaties.
Mrs. Jane burst into the room, a triumphant smile adorning her face as she observed the scene. Without hesitation, she seized Aubrey by the hair, causing her to cry out in pain as she struggled to free herself from the tight grip. The agony was unbearable, yet Aubrey endured, her spirit unbroken.
“How shameless you are, sleeping with men and then having the audacity to beg my son for forgiveness,” Mrs. Jane spat, her words laced with venom. She struck Aubrey’s face with a resounding slap, and then struck her again. Mrs. Jane continued to drag Aubrey away, gripping her hair with a vice-like grip. Aubrey’s cries for help fell on deaf ears as the family members stood by, silently witnessing the inhumane spectacle unfolding before them.
“Please… please… don’t throw me out,” Aubrey pleaded desperately, her voice filled with anguish. But her pleas were met with a callous indifference as Mrs. Jane turned a deaf ear to her entreaties.
“Just shut up,” Mrs. Jane hissed, sinking her teeth into Aubrey’s spirit, intent on breaking her. Jennifer, a witness to the cruelty, felt a pang of sadness for Aubrey, yet she was powerless to intervene. Upstairs, Grandma sat in her wheelchair, observing the scene with a stoic expression, her face betraying no emotion.
“I warned her,” Grandma muttered to herself before retreating to her room, closing the door behind her with finality.
“Evan… Evan… please…” Aubrey’s desperate cries for her beloved husband echoed through the house, but they fell on deaf ears. Her eyes remained fixed on the closed door of Evan’s study, her frail figure yearning for his presence, hoping that he would emerge and rescue her. But Evan’s sanctuary remained locked, impervious to her pleas. Mrs. Jane forcefully ejected Aubrey from the house, a stark reminder of her earlier warning.
“Didn’t I tell you that I would throw you out of this house?” Mrs. Jane taunted, reveling in her perceived victory.
“You… planned all of this,” Aubrey managed to utter through her battered state, her voice quivering with disbelief. The realization struck her like a lightning bolt, illuminating the darkness that enveloped her.
“If I hadn’t planned it, how would you have ended up unconscious?” Mrs. Jane smirked, her satisfaction evident.
“But… I didn’t… I didn’t kill anyone,” Aubrey protested, her voice trembling with fear. The weight of the accusation settled heavily upon her, threatening to shatter the last remnants of hope she clung to.
“Now, you’re a murderer too,” Mrs. Jane sneered, her taunts digging deeper into Aubrey’s wounded soul.
A police car pulled up outside, drawing their attention. Police officers emerged, their presence sending a chill down Aubrey’s spine. Mrs. Jane wasted no time in pointing a finger at Aubrey when asked about the accused.
“She’s the one,” Mrs. Jane declared, her voice dripping with vindictiveness. Aubrey’s body trembled uncontrollably as the police informed her of her arrest for a crime she hadn’t committed.
“But… I didn’t kill anyone,” Aubrey protested, her voice barely a whisper, her trembling hands a testament to her fear.
“We have evidence that you committed a murder at the bar,” the police officer stated matter-of-factly. Memories of that fateful night flooded Aubrey’s mind, but she couldn’t risk revealing the truth, knowing it would ruin Jennifer’s life.
“Can… can I see my husband?” Aubrey pleaded, hoping that Evan could be her savior in this darkest hour. But her request fell on deaf ears as Mrs. Jane slammed the door shut in front of her.
“No, my husband… he lives here,” Aubrey pleaded with the police, her voice filled with desperation and anguish.
“You have to come with us,” the police officer replied, his tone devoid of sympathy.
“Evan… Evan… Evan…” Aubrey’s voice grew increasingly desperate as she cried out for the one person she believed in, the one person who had become her family. But Evan’s study remained sealed shut, his absence a brutal reminder of her newfound isolation. Aubrey’s once vibrant and hopeful dreams shattered into a million pieces. The fairy tale romance she had envisioned, where a prince had fallen in love with a maid and elevated her to the role of a queen, now lay in ruins. Today, she confronted the harsh reality of a world where she had no one to lean on. Today, she became an orphan in every sense of the word, left to face her reality alone, illiterate and voiceless.
