CHAPTER THREE

Immediately after Cane left his wedding party, he went straight to his office building, hoping to get some work done, but he was too frustrated to do anything. 

"The day is ruined. To the bar, you!" He ordered his driver, and that was it.

So, while Cassie was getting her self-esteem shredded to pieces by his mother, he was having the time of his life in the bar. 

Cassie was unable to get a word in as Isabella picked out every flaw in her body. Tried as much as she could, tears rolled down her face freely. Isabella smirked to herself in satisfaction when she saw the state she had reduced the girl to.

"Take her to her room. I no longer want to see her ugly duck face." The maids behind her got to work, and they ushered her to her room.

"You have the entire floor to yourself. Don't think about changing a thing. Mother picked out every one of the pieces in this mansion." That was what the oldest maid said to her before they left.

She got out of the gown and cleaned herself up. She reflected on the events of the day. For some reason, she thought her biggest challenge would be her husband, but it was his mother, what an irony!

Cassie felt like she had run out of tears to cry as she sniffed and took care of the burn on her neck. She was getting ready to go to sleep, despite the ache in her chest, when she heard a commotion at her door.

The maids had instructed her to not lock the door since it is her wedding night, so she only waited with a tentative breath. It was her husband and a woman that was eyeing her with contempt. 

She looked away from her long enough to note how drunk her husband was. His eyes were fixed on me. "Um, welcome home, Cane."

"You bitch!" He slurred. "You have some nerve calling me by my name."

"I'm sorry."

Cane narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, you will be." He threatened. "I am your lord, and you will address me as such. You are going to do everything I ask of you. Do you understand?"

Cassie nodded, and that only seemed to enrage Cane. "Is that how you respond to your lord? With your head? Oh, I have half a mind to teach you a lesson today." He stumbled and made as if to hit her.

He would have fallen on his face if it wasn't for the big-breasted blonde that held him upright. Yes, he was that drunk on his wedding night. "Never in your life should you utter my name. You're not worthy of saying my name. Do you hear me?" He repeated.

"I'm sorry." This time, she used her words. "I heard you, my lord."

"I don't need your apology, bitch!" Like mother, like son, then. "I only married you because your father forced you on me. Nothing more. He promised you would be obedient and would rear me sons. If I don't get my money's worth, I will make your life a living hell, you hear me?"

"I..." Cassie wondered if this was a competition between mother and son. Who was better at making her life suffer?

He didn't wait for her response, only turned to his escort. He planted a sloppy kiss that she was all too eager to receive on her lips. If he was a little bit sober, they would make out in front of her, as if she needed more evidence that he was a manwhore. Cassie was well aware of his misdeeds. He was a terrible skirt chaser, and she wasn't delusional enough to think he would stop because he was married.

 The two stumbled out of her room, and she crumbled to the ground. Tears rolled down her eyes again, and she hurriedly cleaned them up.

"You only have to endure, Cassie. You have been through a lot, and you will survive this, too." She whispered to herself in encouragement. 

The way she saw it was this. Sooner or later, Cane would get tired of her and would want to be with someone he really loved. Eventually, she would be free to go. Cassie decided to give it at least a year, then she would know what her next step would be.

She couldn't be farther from the truth. Up in Cane's bedroom, he was telling the blonde. "Cara, don't you see how this is good. Now, you can be my mistress."

Cara pouted. "I don't care about being your mistress. I want to be the woman of the house." She knows she was pushing with that statement, but she has to try her luck.

"That's my mother, Caro."

"That bitch, she snatched you from me. It's all her fault." Cara sneered. 

"No, I wouldn't have married you, you are not up to the standard to be my Luna." Cane muttered sleepily. "She's much more useful to me."

Caro felt a pain from his words and vowed to make things right. 

****

Two years later, Cassie had nothing figured out, and she was beginning to think that she would have to spend the rest of her days in this miserable place. 

"Mama, want cookie." Her daughter's voice broke her out of her thoughts. Her face brightened when she remembered the reason she was still in the Red Mansion. Her daughter had been conceived after the first night Cane lay with her. Maria was the only reason she was putting up with the abuse she suffered daily here.

Cane was so angry that Cassie had a daughter that he moved Caro in. She was currently pregnant, and she was convinced it was a son.

Cassie fed her daughter and then hurriedly dressed up to meet Isabella downstairs when she sent for her, keeping herself calm for anything coming.

"You dared to keep me waiting?" The older woman shrieked.

"No, Mother. I'm sorry." She knew better than to make excuses. 

"There's no time. Here, take this and go. If I find out that you changed any of the words, your daughter will pay for it." That was how it was. Cassie might be the Luna, but she is a figurehead and trophy one only get presented by Cane when there is a need for her showcase, it was Isabella that pulled the strings in the mansion.