“Adam, no! You don't have to hit him!” I yelled at my brother despite myself. But he wasn't listening.
“Get lost, Tori! How dare he do this to you?” he growled. “He had the effrontery to rape you, and now you are pregnant. Yet I don't have to hit him? Really?”
I puckered my lips to speak, but nothing came forth. In truth, I hadn't been raped. I had done it willingly, and every bit of it had been fun. Was it right to lie to Adam about it?
“Adam, listen. I'm sorry. I lied. He didn't rape me. We did it together.”
But Adam turned a deaf ear as he dealt Theo another heavy kick and a slap across his face, which made blood spurt from his nose. I cringed back in fear and remorse as tears filled my eyes.
“I know you are only saying that so I’ll leave him,” Adam spat. “I will make sure you get rid of that bastard in your womb with my last drop of blood.”
I watched Theo hold his cheek in shock as blood flowed freely from his nose. Exactly what happens when you have a brother who is ten years older. Our eyes met, and all I could see was pure spite and hate in place of what had once been love.
“I will make sure you guys pay dearly for this!” he swore.
I wished I could say something to him, to let him know it wasn't my doing but Adam's.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity, as Adam dragged me away.
“You must get rid of this baby within twenty-four hours, Tori,” he announced the moment we got home.
I glared at him with hate and resentment. “Why must I?”
“Because you must get married to George, the CEO's son. Don't tell me you have forgotten the plan!”
I shook my head bitterly. “No way I’m going along with that stupid plan! Dad should find a better way to sort himself and his debts out, rather than using me as a peace offering,” I yelled. “When Mum and Dad return, I will let them know I’m carrying Theo’s baby. Then they will see no reason to hook me up with that proud fool.”
I had barely finished my statement before Adam landed a fierce slap on my cheek. I thought I saw stars for a moment as I staggered backward.
“You will do no such thing. You have quickly forgotten that Mum has less than two months to live and needs money for her transplant,” Adam snapped. “Besides, the bank has been on our necks lately, and this is all you can say? Aren’t you so selfish?”
I couldn't hold back the tears that flowed. “You guys seem to forget that I am just nineteen.”
He jeered at me. “When you were busy rocking Theo, how old were you? Thirty?”
“Oh, so you know I wasn't raped?”
“Get out of my sight,” he muttered gruffly, pushing me aside. “If I were you, I would get ready for the dinner party tonight.”
Adam often made me wonder if we were from the same womb.
The dinner party was a big blast, and I felt like a paper princess at the beginning. I could feel the envious eyes of the ladies around me as they stared at me walking beside the CEO's son, whose name refused to stick in my memory. I wouldn’t blame them for staring that way, since I was a stunning beauty, and the gorgeous midi gown with a seductive slit up to my thigh, which I had been forced to wear, didn’t help matters. If only they knew half my story.
Earlier that evening, I had heeded Adam's advice and taken the drugs for the abortion. Now, I felt lightheaded and drugged, wondering if I should regret my decision or not. I had loved Theo, no doubt, but right now, I felt choiceless.
“Give me a smile, Victoria. You look sad and stiff,” the CEO’s son urged as we stepped onto the dance floor.
But no matter how hard I tried, the smile just refused to come.
“Fine. I know what you want,” he finally said, taking my hand as he led me off the dance floor.
I cringed as I followed him, feeling scared and awkward. He led me up to one of the rooms in the hotel. I could sense what was coming, but what could I do? Tell him I was pregnant? No. That sounded dumb. I had aborted the baby, after all. Not only would we be kicked out of the house, but my mum would also die. There was probably no point in fighting him. What difference would it make?
“You know what I want, don’t you?” he whispered into my ear the moment we stepped into one of the elegant VIP rooms.
I was forced to remember his name then. George. George was his name. No doubt he was dangerously attractive and elegant. My eyes rested on his red lips. His cologne was totally intoxicating and clouded my senses.
One hand cupped my cheek gently, while the other wound its way into my dress. I didn’t resist until I felt the sharp, painful piercing of a needle on my skin, right on my thigh.
“George, please stop. What are you trying to do?” I moaned, suddenly feeling a mounting weakness that made me dizzy.
“What do you think?” He gave me an evil smile. “If you want to be my wife, then you should learn to be obedient. Am I supposed to force you to dance? Or is it part of your plan to embarrass me?”
My knees buckled, unable to carry me any longer, and I collapsed to the floor as everything faded into blackness.