004. The Party

RAINA

A week had passed since I met Sylvester at the bar.

I thought about his card every single day. It sat in my purse like a bomb waiting to explode. But every time I reached for my phone, I stopped myself.

Too dangerous. Too risky.

If Castor found out, he would destroy my family. Better to endure this nightmare for five years than risk everything.

At least, that's what I told myself.

Until Wednesday afternoon.

I came home from a charity luncheon to find Teddy's suitcases in the hallway. Four large bags, expensive designer brands that I knew my husband had bought for him.

My stomach dropped.

"What's going on?" I asked Maria, who was dusting the staircase.

She wouldn't meet my eyes. "Mr. Rowland is moving Teddy into the master bedroom, ma'am."

My blood ran cold. "What?"

"He asked me to help you move your things to the guest room downstairs."

No. Absolutely not.

I stormed up the stairs and found Castor in our bedroom, hanging Teddy's clothes in my closet. My closet.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded.

He turned to me with that cold smile. "Making better use of space. Teddy needs to be closer for his duties."

"His duties?" My voice was rising. "This is our matrimonial bedroom, Castor. Our marriage bed."

"A marriage you wanted to end, remember?" He folded one of Teddy's shirts with careful precision. "But since you agreed to stay for five years, I'm making arrangements that work better for me."

"You refused to give me a divorce," I said, my hands shaking. "You forced me to stay married to you. The least you can do is respect our marriage bed for the next five years."

"Respect?" He laughed. "You want me to respect a bed I've never even used with you?"

The words stung, but I pushed forward. "I'm not leaving this room. You want to bring your boy toy into this house? Fine. But you're not defiling our bed with him. Take your immoral behavior somewhere else."

His face changed in an instant.

The smile disappeared. His eyes went dark and dangerous.

"What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me. I'm not giving up my room so you can..."

The slap came so fast I didn't see it coming.

My head snapped to the side. Pain exploded across my cheek and mouth. I tasted blood immediately.

I stumbled backward, my hand flying to my face. When I pulled it away, my fingers were red. The ring on his hand had cut my lip.

"How dare you," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "How dare you insult me in my own house."

Tears streamed down my face. Not just from pain, but from shock. He had actually hit me.

"Everything in this house belongs to me," he continued, stepping closer. "The furniture. The cars. The clothes on your back. You own nothing, Raina. Nothing."

I tried to back away, but he grabbed my arm.

"You were a poor kindergarten teacher drowning in debt when I found you. You should be grateful I even noticed you. Do you know how many women would kill for the life I've given you?"

"Let go of me," I whispered.

"I saved your pathetic family from ruin. Your mother gets to keep her restaurant. Your brother gets to stay in school. All because of my generosity." His grip tightened. "And this is how you repay me? By calling me immoral?"

He shoved me away. I hit the dresser hard, knocking over perfume bottles.

"Guards!" he yelled.

Two security men appeared in the doorway. I recognized them. Robert and James. They had always been polite to me before.

Now they looked uncomfortable but obedient.

"My wife is moving to the guest room in the south wing," Castor said calmly, like he hadn't just struck me. "Help her gather her things."

"No," I said, trying to sound strong even though I was terrified. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Take her," Castor ordered.

The guards moved toward me. I backed against the wall.

"Don't touch me! This is my room!"

But they grabbed my arms anyway. One on each side.

"Let me go!" I screamed, struggling against them. "You can't do this!"

They started dragging me toward the door. I dug my heels into the carpet, but it didn't matter. They were too strong.

"Castor, please!" I begged. "Please, don't do this!"

He had already turned away, going back to organizing Teddy's clothes.

Like I didn't exist.

Like I was nothing.

They hauled me down the stairs, my feet barely touching the ground. Maria stood in the hallway, tears in her eyes, but she didn't move to help me.

Nobody helped me.

They dragged me all the way to a small bedroom at the far end of the south wing. A room I had never even been in before. It was cold and bare, with just a bed and a dresser.

They threw me inside and I heard the lock click.

I pounded on it with my fists. "Let me out! You can't keep me in here!"

No response.

I kept screaming until my throat was raw. Kept banging until my hands hurt.

Nothing.

Finally, I collapsed on the floor, sobbing. My face throbbed where he had hit me. My lip was still bleeding.

This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real.

But it was.

Hours passed. The sun set. The room grew dark.

Then I heard voices. Music. Laughter.

I got up and pressed my ear to the door. More voices. Men's voices. And something else. Younger voices. Scared voices.

My heart started racing.

What was going on?

I got down on my knees and looked through the keyhole. The angle was bad, but I could see part of the main hallway.

Men in expensive suits were arriving. Castor greeted them, shaking hands, laughing. Acting like the perfect host.

Then I saw them.

Boys. Young boys. Teenagers, maybe eighteen or nineteen, but some looked even younger. They wore tight clothes, prepped up with makeup and some sharp perfume. They looked scared.

Terrified.

One of the men grabbed a blonde boy and kissed him hard. The boy didn't resist, but his eyes were empty. Dead.

Another man led a dark haired boy up the stairs by the hand. The boy was crying quietly.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my stomach turning.

This wasn't just an affair. This wasn't just Castor being unfaithful.

This was something monstrous.

The music got louder. I could hear moaning. Pleading. Sometimes crying.

I pressed my hands over my ears, but I could still hear it.

Young voices begging. Men laughing.

I crawled to the corner of the room and pulled my knees to my chest.

This was the man I had married.

This was the nightmare I had walked into.

And I was trapped in the same house with all of it.

The sounds went on for hours. All through the night. Voices calling out. Footsteps in the hallway. Doors opening and closing.

I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those boys' faces.

So young. So scared.

Just like me.