"He doesn't seem to feel any pain. I haven't heard a peep out of him. Are you all weak? Hit him harder!" Mildred slammed her cup on the table.
The paddle whistled through the air twice as fast, the sound growing louder.
Nathaniel quickly caught on to Mildred's intention.
Each strike left another bloody mark on his once-white shirt, a chilling sight that made everyone's hearts race.
Nathaniel no longer suppressed his pain, frowning as involuntary grunts escaped his mouth. Suddenly, his back slumped, one hand bracing against the ground.
The bloody streaks on his back looked horrific.
Mavis watched silently, her fingers white from clenching, her eyes burning.
"Enough! Stop hitting him!"
She broke free from Troy's grip and ran over to shield Nathaniel.
"Mae, this is the Nicholls family rules. Even the head of the family faces the same punishment for wrongdoing. Don't interfere," Mildred said calmly, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
The beating had been severe. If the girl had not reacted soon, she could not have kept up the act much longer.
"Grandma, I promise we won't get divorced," Mavis uttered, carefully shielding Nathaniel and avoiding his wounds.
Nathaniel interrupted her, "I don't want you to compromise out of sympathy or feel forced to make a decision."
He would never force her to do things she did not want to.
"It's not sympathy," she declared, lowering her reddened eyes. "I've come to this decision on my own."
She once thought she would feel happy to see Nathaniel in pain. However, he was suffering because of her, and her heart ached.
She simply could not stand by and do nothing.
Nathaniel's heart seemed to skip a beat, and he pulled Mavis into his arms.
She fell against his chest, caught off guard, hearing his strong heartbeat. For a moment, it felt as if everyone else had vanished, leaving her with an unexplainable sense of security.
Mildred watched with satisfaction, smiling. The butler, Hugh, quickly coughed to remind her that the act was not over.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Wait, She’s a Billionaire (Sheena Lawson)
The novel is too abusive it spoils the joy of reading it. I hate the punishment part between sheena and Eliot....