Chapter 7 The cliff!

A shiver slithered down my spine, casting my body into a rigid state. Edward's presence possessed an enchanting allure, and I had never envisioned myself entangled in such a vulnerable predicament with a man.

His overwhelming ego and ceaseless dominance loomed over me, leaving me gasping for air.

Before this intricate entanglement had woven itself into the fabric of my life, I had been a formidable force, untouchable and unyielding. But for the sake of rescuing my father, I had been reduced to a fragile state.

I stumbled out of the bathroom, concealing my breasts, my eyes landing on a nearby towel. Yet, summoning the courage to touch anything that belonged to Edward proved to be an impossible task. In this moment, fear, despair, and hopelessness threatened to eclipse my innate boldness.

As I crossed the threshold, I confronted the individuals responsible for thrusting me into this nightmarish ordeal. They stood there, giggling and ridiculing, particularly Lily, who had orchestrated this trap yet acted as though it were my fault.

However, their actions only intensified my vigilance around them.

"What a wretched person! How could someone be so abusive and exploit *ssigned tasks in such a manner?" Lily cast a scornful glance around.

" You are a presumptuous wench, aren't you?"

'Presumptuous?' I thought, incensed by her audacity. People who p*ssed judgment so easily grated on my nerves. Despite Edward's behavior toward me, I could not yet bring myself to p*ss judgment on him.

I had not wronged these people, and their limited knowledge of me made enduring this situation all the more challenging. She was jealous and it made her dangerous.

They are so cruel, and those words severed the last vestiges of my patience. I clenched my teeth and scowled. My irritated expression rapidly transformed into a sneer.

"This is the last time I shall permit you to embroil me in trouble. Cause me any more grief, and I'll be certain you would not escape so lightly."

My sarcasm has always served as my weapon of choice—an effective means of dealing with people like them. Lily had willingly fallen into that, she bought my anger.

While the smiles faded from the faces of the others, Lily remained as cold as ice. Confidence radiated from her, but I questioned whether she had ever faced her master's wrath. My threats appeared not to affect her.

"How dare you threaten me?" she laughed.

As Lily approached, her arm dropped to her side, and I discerned precisely where her hand was heading to land. She was on the brink of striking me.

I locked eyes with her, recognizing that permitting her to bully me was no longer an option. I stood ready to evade her blow, but Butler Huxley materialized seemingly out of thin air, grasping her wrist.

"What in the world are you doing?" he scolded her, and her chastisement was well-deserved.

Curiosity had led me to ponder how Huxley would handle her, but my nude upper body left me indifferent to the outcome. I needed fu*king clothes.

Yes, I was only covering my chest with my hands, and I hoped Huxley had refrained from scrutinizing me too closely.

"It is the young master who deals with her differently. If you wish for him to exact punishment upon you, I shall not intervene," Huxley warned her, acknowledging that his master had issues. It marked the second time Edward had sought to *ssert his dominance over me, to have s*x with me and I had survived. There might not be a third chance.

Lily bowed her head and pivoted, the other servants swiftly following her out of the room.

We were alone in Edward's chamber, and cold sweat popped out on my back. "Thank you for coming to my aid," I just wanted him to leave.

He walked away with no response and hastened to the wardrobe, retrieving one of Edward's shirts for me, extending his arm toward me, making sure not to avert his gaze, avoiding any undue scrutiny of my exposed upper body.

"Please do not hold it against Lily. She has been here since her youth," Huxley said.

I donned the shirt and exhaled deeply. "I can't bear bullies."

"Master behaves roughly to all ladies, but you have softened his heart. I had to intervene to ensure your safety and forestall his anger," Huxley explained.

Edward, with a heart seemingly fashioned from steel. He was right; I was a pretentious individual and wore a mask that his master was nice to me. I had to put on like that.

"I am well now. You may leave. I shall clean this place up."

Huxley complied, and I sat at the edge of the sofa. For a moment, I did my best to regain my composure. I felt frightened, isolated, and wounded.

My eyes landed on the mop, and I decided to complete the remaining chores. Opportunities to walk on the beach were rare, but with the sun setting, the view was imaginable to be soothing. My body ached.

Silently creeping out of the villa, I made my way to the beach. My eyes caught the cliff view. From that vantage point, I could oversee everything.

Seated at the margin of the cliff, a gentle breeze rustled through my hair.

"They could be better humans," I whispered.

I closed my eyes and released a profound sigh. Rather than focusing on improvement, my thoughts drifted to the encounter between Edward and myself.

"He is cruel and selfish. How can he judge me?"

Why was I even complaining? What he had uncovered pertained to a facet of the facts about Elenore but not to me. It was Elenore who messed around.

What he had unearthed about my sister accurately mirrored her business over the years.

I needed to tolerate everything within this villa amidst those maids. This time, Huxley had rescued me, but what if they chose to poison me in a future fight with no one to notice?

My trance was broken by my phone ringing. It was David, my ex-boyfriend, calling. He had the nerve to reach out to me after his betrayal.

"You *ssh*le! You are the last person I wish to hear from today."

I declined his call. After his infidelity with a whore, he should have understood that I would never forgive him.

Beep!

I muttered curses and grievances against him, and I received a text message. I opened it, and my eyes widened in astonishment.

David: "You have been sleeping with other men while keeping me on the side?"

"You despicable b*st*rd! You squandered my life, leading me to love you!"

"Your sister divulged all your clandestine dealings to me! You married a hideous, elderly, affluent man for financial gain, for money. You abandoned me to lead your dream life with a sugar daddy."

Tears welled up in my eyes. He accused me based on Elenore's disclosures. This man!

I felt even more unworthy of what I had attained. David betrayed me because I failed to meet his standards. It was the most agonizing feeling in the world.

I lost my confidence the moment I found him cheating on me.

He continued sending me texts, prompting me to block his number, sending him to blacklist.

I rose to my feet and allowed the soothing sounds of the waves to calm me. My thoughts began to revolve around the man I had married. A melancholy sadness lived in his eyes while an overwhelming hatred played in his demeanor.

Although his behavior reflected it, one could sense the air of his authority.

What was his problem with Elenore? Did she hide something from me? Did she have affairs with Edward? I could not consider this possibility, as he could recognize us if he had met her in person.

“I presumed he took Elenore away from his stepbrother because he loved her, but as I discovered, he didn’t love my stepsister. He is holding a grudge!”

I paused, and a notion kindled in my head. Edward hated me enough that he could kill me.

Can I survive his rage if he finds out I’m the substitute bride?

I looked down when the lump grew big in my throat. No one would mourn for me. No one would give a sh*t if I died.

I stepped further into the edge of the cliff. What if I jump? They wouldn’t even realize what had transpired to me. They saw me as a burden, so it didn’t matter to them.