Whore

Elias POV

I stood still, clutching the folder tightly against my chest as Fred’s footsteps faded down the hallway. My jaw ached from how hard I had clenched it. Every word he threw at me felt like acid dripping on open wounds.

Whore.

The word echoed in my head, mixing with the memories I had been trying so hard to bury. That man's body on me, his ruthless act that made my back ache.

I had taken lots of pills, but the stench of sleeping with a man kept getting rubbed in my face.

And Fred made those buried memories come alive despite me burying them. Tears began to fill my eyes; I tried hard to control it, I wasn’t going to embarrass myself again.

I took a slow, deep breath and forced my expression back into neutrality. Not after the humiliation I just endured.

Emily stepped closer, her voice soft but steady. “Are you okay?”

I nodded once, not trusting my voice yet. She always knew when I was one second away from cracking, but she was careful.

She never pushed too hard in public.

“He’s getting worse,” she murmured, glancing in the direction Fred had gone. “One day he’s going to cross a line he can’t come back from.”

I bent down and picked up the last few papers that had slipped under the table, ignoring the sharp pull in my muscles. “He’s always been like this,” I replied quietly. “Just more bold now.”

Emily helped me gather the remaining documents, her movements hurried. She smoothed out the papers and gave them to me. Once everything was back in the folder, she looked at me with concern she tried to hide behind professionalism.

“You’re still limping a little,” she said under her breath. “You should sit down for a while. I can push the afternoon meeting back by thirty minutes.”

I shook my head. “No. I’m fine.”

But I wasn’t.

My body still hurt in places I didn’t want to think about. Every step sent a dull ache through me, a sickening echo of that night. And now Fred was throwing it in my face.

Did he know? Or was he just being his usual cruel self?

The thought that he might know made my stomach twist violently.

“I can handle Fred,” I said, more to convince myself than her. “He’s all talk. He won’t do anything real.”

Emily didn’t look convinced. She stepped slightly closer, lowering her voice even more. “Elias… you don’t have to carry everything alone. What happened that night might be your bargaining piece. You could push it to Fred—”

“Not here,” I cut her off gently but firmly. I couldn’t talk about it. Not in the middle of the company where anyone could overhear.

When two or more gather in a company, just pray you are not the subject.

“Elias, I get you. Your choice though,” she said, pressing her lips together and nodding. “Okay. But promise me you’ll tell me if it gets too much. Please.”

I gave her a small, tired smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I will.”

We started walking toward my office. Every step was a battle to keep my posture straight and my face blank. Employees greeted me politely as we passed, completely unaware of the storm raging inside me.

Their eyes were filled with pity. Pity?

I detest that word, and Fred had made me taste it once again. Whenever they passed, either someone moved away or offered me water. I hated this feeling.

I hated pretending to be okay. I hated that my own brother took pleasure in humiliating me. I hated that a stranger had taken something from me I could never get back. And most of all, I hated how powerless I still felt.

But I couldn’t stop.

If I broke now, Fred would win. My father would discard me completely. Everything I had worked for would crumble.

So I must keep walking. I must prove to him that I am better than Fred. I must never give up no matter what happens. I must keep pushing.

Emily stayed by my side like a silent shield. As we reached my office door, she paused and said softly, “You did well back there. You didn’t give him the reaction he wanted.”

I opened the door and stepped inside, finally letting my shoulders drop once we were alone.

“Thank you for stepping in,” I muttered, sinking into my chair. The exhaustion hit me all at once.

Emily closed the door behind her. “Always. Just… be careful, Elias. Fred looked more vicious than ever today, like he’s planning something.”

I stared at the folder in my hands — the same one Fred had thrown — and felt a cold weight settle in my chest. “How do you know, Emily?”

She sat on the chair opposite me, her face turned serious. “Elias, we both know that the investors and shareholders want you as the heir to the conglomerate. If your father should die now—”

“Emily!” I shut her down. No one deserves to talk about my father that way.

She raised her hands up. “Fine. But if he does, do you know how many people will vote you in instead of Fred? Everyone in this company knows how worthless and hopeless he is, Elias. Even your father knows.”

I shook my head slowly. Emily didn’t know how much my father loves Fred. Even if he dropped dead today, there was already a way out for him. Fred could decide not to work for years and he would still eat well.

“Emily, you won’t understand me,” I muttered. Although my father loves Fred, he still stares at my mother’s picture day after day. It was more of an oxygen to him.

Emily hit her hands on the table and stood up. “Understand what exactly, Elias? You’re the dumbest person I’ve ever known. Why do you still search for love in a place that is full of hate? Grow up, Elias.”

“Shut up, Emily. You don’t know how much he loves my mom. Everyday he stares at her photo. I must have done something wrong that made him reject me. You never grew up with parents, so you won’t understand.”

Emily’s eyes widened in shock. She stood up from the chair and walked to the door. “I hope you enjoy whatever your family is plotting for you. Keep enjoying your love.”

She walked out and banged the door.

The raging anger that I had stuffed burned through me, because I had said words that should never be said.

But what I said was true. Yes, let me enjoy the love of my family.