Chapter 2 My Worst Fear, His Entertainment

In that instant, the ice water drove into my bones like knives.

I stared at him, my eyes bloodshot. "You know what I'm afraid of!"

When I was eight, I was trapped in an old warehouse that had collapsed. It had been raining cats and dogs. Soon, the water rose past my knees. At the time, I was surrounded by darkness and splintered wood. My mother was pinned under a fallen beam as she tried to save me.

She pushed me out, but she never made it out herself.

Since then, I had been afraid of enclosed spaces, of the constant sound of water, and of any dark environment I couldn't escape from.

I had never told anyone about my phobia aside from Jay.

It had happened back when Harrison Group was hounded by debt collectors. They had cornered him in an underground parking garage. He'd been shut inside a car for an entire night just to protect those files.

I went with him to his counseling sessions, and he held my hand and said, "Melanie, I swear I'll shield you from whatever you're afraid of from now on."

And now, there he stood right downstairs as he turned my struggles into everyone's entertainment.

Sabrina laughed and chimed in, "Jay just said that I'm a cheeky girl. Don't be so petty, Melanie."

Then, she turned to the guests below and raised her voice. "Everyone, tonight's bet is officially on! I'll lose if she cries and begs Jay to save her within half an hour. If she holds out without begging, I'll transfer ten grand to each of you."

The crowd roared.

"Sabrina is so generous!"

"Of course, we're betting she cracks."

"Does she really think a small-town girl can turn into a society wife just by putting on a couture gown?"

"Is Mr. Harrison actually going to marry her? I thought he was just playing around."

My fingertips went numb. Cold water ran from my hair into my eyes, stinging so badly I couldn't keep them open.

I pounded on the door. "Jay, I'm saying this one last time. Have someone open the door!"

Jay finally looked up at me. There was no guilt on his face, only annoyance at being ordered around in public.

"Melanie, do you have to make this so ugly? Sabrina's been spoiled rotten her whole life. Why take her so seriously? Besides, aren't you the best at handling crises? Can't you handle something this minor?"

I stood there, stunned. Then, the corner of my mouth curled into a smile.

So, that was it. To him, my terror at being locked in a downpour was nothing. Every crisis I had shouldered for him over three years had ended up as his excuse to humiliate me.

When Sabrina saw me smile, her expression flickered.

She hated that look on me. Hated that I had the gall to refuse to admit defeat even though I was at my most wretched.

Then, she pressed a button on the remote.

A moment later, the sprinklers in the conservatory ceiling surged. Colder water poured down over my head. My knees buckled, and I nearly fell.

Gasps rose from below, but not out of worry. No, they were excited.

"She's about to break!"

"Film it, film it! This'll go viral tomorrow!"

"Mr. Harrison's fiancée is pretty stubborn..."

Sabrina pressed close to the glass and lowered her voice so only I could hear. "Stop pretending, Melanie. I know you're most afraid of places like this. Jay told me about this little tidbit himself."