Eternally Seduced(114)

No matter what, Rathe vowed to himself, he would do everything possible  to make Alyssa a woman no one would ever dare disrespect.

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4 years ago



Mary Ashton bit her lip as the cane struck her back for the third time.  The force of the blow almost pushed her off her knees, but she managed  to keep her balance. If she fell to the floor, she knew in her  stepfather's twisted mind it would be proof that she was "weak". And if  he thought that, then he would think she was weak because her mother was  weak---

"Do you repent now?" Bartholomew roared from behind.

"Yes, Father," she whispered.

The blows came furiously after that but she managed to stay still, not one pain-filled whimper slipping past her lips.

With immense will, Mary managed to focus her mind on the dancing  flickers of the dozens of candles surrounding them. When they had moved  to their new home a year ago, her stepfather had immediately converted  the attic to the Room of Penitence  –  a private place where sinners could  reflect on their evilness. The caning was Bartholomew's way of beating  the Devil out of sinners, something he considered an act of supreme  kindness on his part.

When it was over, Bartholomew went around to stand in front of her. His  tone, once violent and hateful, was now that of a benevolent priest.  "Dear Mary," he said with a sad sigh as he cupped her chin and made her  look up.

"Do you understand now?"

She nodded.

"Men are never to be trusted."

"Yes, Father."

"I am doing this to protect you."

"I understand, Father."

"You are not my real daughter, but I have accepted you wholeheartedly  because it is the godly thing to do. And because I see you as one of my  own, I shall do my best to do right by you. If you disobey me again, I  can only blame your mother for it. You understand, don't you?"

"Yes, Father."

"You must prove to me that you will not sin like your mother has sinned against God."

"Yes, Father."

"You must remain chaste and pure."

"Yes, Father."

They gazed at each other then. In his eyes, she saw what Bartholomew was  doing his best to hide but failed to. He lusted after his stepdaughter,  and they both knew it. In her eyes, he saw what she wanted him to see  –   a young girl who feared God but feared Bartholomew's wrath more.

But she didn't. She wouldn't. She mustn't.

He could beat her as many times as he wanted, but one day she would be free of him … no matter what.         

     



 





Chapter One





Present Time

"Oh my God, Mary  –  you wouldn't believe how gorgeous the guy is  downstairs!" Those were the first words that Camille Wilson said as she  came bursting into her friend's room without knocking. A tall and  striking brunette, Camille had only transferred to the university a week  ago. All but one girl had correctly sized her as an unabashed flirt and  avoided Camille accordingly. Mary was the exception, being more  scientist than woman.

Mary Ashton, tiny, dark-haired, and enviably curvy, was standing on a  stool, bent over a large fish tank. She gasped at the unexpected entry,  almost dropping her iPhone into the tank. "Cam! You startled me!" She  stared with visible regret at her pet piranha, which was Saffi  March-Aehrenthal's birthday gift to her.

Although she had been fascinated with fish for years, Mary had never  owned one as a pet. She had been too afraid of what her crazy stepfather  would do to it if she wasn't around. But now that she had one, it was  love at first sight between Mary and her piranha, and she finally  understood Saffi's fascination with having fish as pets.

Seeing the lettuce-wrapped lobster toy in the tank, Camille knew right  away what it meant, having spent most of her free time with Mary. For a  really shy girl, Mary had surprisingly bloodthirsty interests when it  came to her studies.

"You're at it again?" Camille shook her head in exasperation. "Piranhas  can't be turned into vegetarians." She tapped the tank, and the  piranha's head swerved in her direction in a snap, jaw open to reveal  sharp and jagged teeth. "See?"

Mary ignored her friend's example. "It's just a matter of finding the  right training." She reeled out her bait and, climbing down from the  stool, she returned the vegetable-wrapped lobster in her compact-sized  refrigerator.

"Maybe if you try swimming with them---" Seeing an imaginary bulb light  up in the younger girl's eyes, Camille retracted her words quickly. "I'm  just joking!" Remembering her reason for coming to Mary's room in the  first place, she said hurriedly, "But wait  –  your piranha's not what I'm  here for." She sighed dreamily. "I just saw the most beautiful man on  earth downstairs, Mary."

"Uh huh … " Mary's mind was still dwelling on the opportunity she had just lost. Maybe, Camille was right---

"Mary!"

She nearly dropped her iPhone again, jumping at Camille's impatient tone. "Sorry, what?"

" … please say you'll do it?"

"Umm, okay?" Mary had no idea what she was agreeing to, but she knew  from experience that it was just better to say yes to whatever it was  Camille wanted.

"Yippee! You're the bestest friend ever! Now, let's go."

In an instant, Mary found herself being dragged out of her room.

"I haven't locked---"

Camille didn't stop racing down the stairs as she answered over her  shoulder, "Get real, Mary. No one's going to steal your killer pet.  They'd lose a finger if they did."

Every hallway they passed as they went down was strangely empty, making Mary wonder if today could be one of those days again.

"Where's everyone?" Mary asked rather breathlessly as she tried to keep up with Camille's longer-legged strides.

"Where they're supposed to be!"

Yup. Totally one of those days, Mary thought resignedly. She had already  made a mental note to herself to make an extra effort to be normal,  popular, and cool. And by that she meant prioritizing what was supposed  to be important to eighteen-year-old girls like her.

Her lack of physical coordination had her missing the last step, almost  causing Mary to tumble straight down. Luckily, she managed to hold on to  the staircase's post at the last step.

Camille was already hurrying towards the crowd of students gathered around the dorm's main entry doors. "Hurry!"

"I'm trying!" As she went after her friend, a sense of déjà vu overcame  Mary. Last time she found a crowd like this, it was Staffan wooing Saffi  back to his side. But hopefully, nothing like that---

"Mary! Come on!"

She hurried towards Camille, who quickly grabbed her hand so Mary could  follow her into the crowd. Mary cringed when girls cursed them left and  right as Camille forced her way towards the entry, where the supposedly  most beautiful man on earth was waiting.

"Sorry, sorry," she mumbled, hoping World War III wouldn't break out between Camille and the rest of the female population.

Camille seemed utterly oblivious to what was happening, too busy telling  Mary about how beautiful the stranger was. "He's famous, too  –  I'm sure  of it. I mean, I can't remember where I saw him, but I'm sure he's  famous. I think he's one of those smart types. Like the Libel Prize  winner you pointed out before?"

"Nobel Prize," Mary corrected her friend and trying not to smile as she  did because she knew Camille wasn't playing stupid. She just wasn't  interested in anything that did not constitute as ‘fun' in her  vocabulary.

Camille let out a triumphant sound. "There! Do you see him?"

Mary craned her neck obediently, doing her best to see the man so they  could just be done with this. "I can't see him," she was forced to say  after a few pointless moments of trying to see past the dozen or so of  mostly taller girls before her.

"I bet you'll recognize his face when you see him." Grabbing Mary's hand again, Camille began pushing girls out of their way.

Seeing the menacing scowls that were aimed their way, Mary shook her  head and tried to pull Camille back instead. "No, let's stay here. I  think I can see him if I jump." She started jumping, trying to go a  little higher with each jump. "I see … " Deep breath, jump. "Dark brown  hair!"

Camille's eyes brightened with excitement. "Yes, yes, that's him!"

Mary sighed in relief. Thank God she had made the right guess.

"What else?" Camille asked.

Deep breath, jump. "Umm … tanned?"

Camille blinked.

Mary said hastily, "But only because I'm comparing him to my skin tone?"

"Ah. Yes, I suppose next to you he's going to look tanned. But really,  he's kinda fair  –  you know? Like a marble statue." Camille smiled  expectantly. "How about his face? Do you recognize him? If you do, I  need you to talk to him and put a good word in for me."

Mary nearly lost her footing at the last words. "What?"