Infidelity: Sacrifice (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Rae Riley

  Sighing, I reached for my phone. I had switched it to silent after the first three times Alex tried to call me back.

  13 MISSED CALLS

  7 TEXT MESSAGES

  My eyes widened in shock. They were all from Alex. Hesitating only a second, I opened the text messages.

  Alex Collins - Call me back!

  Alex Collins - Chelsea, what’s wrong? Why are you so upset?

  Alex Collins - Call me back! I’m worried!

  Alex Collins - Will you at least answer my texts?

  Alex Collins - Where are you?

  Alex Collins - Are you hurt? Do you need help?

  Alex Collins - CHELSEA! ANSWER ME!!!

  Tears blurred my vision. I shouldn’t have called her. It had been stupid and impulsive. I hadn’t meant to worry her. I couldn’t respond to her texts or return her calls. What would I say? I couldn’t tell her about Infidelity and it would hurt too much to repeat the story Bryce had given me. If Bryce sent that picture, I was sure she wouldn’t talk to me anymore anyway. Did he send it? Will he send it? Or was he just saying that to scare me?

  Rubbing my arm, I thought about the previous night. Would his behavior be considered abuse? Physically, other than the bruise on my arm, I was fine and he had apologized for his roughness. Yes, he had made me give him a blow job, but wasn’t that part of the agreement? No. He hadn’t abused me. I was being overly sensitive due to my previous trauma. Get a grip, Chelsea!

  ***

  Following Bryce's commands, I spent Friday and Saturday in the bedroom. I used my phone to stay entertained – playing games, reading a book, and surfing the web. I stayed away from social media, knowing that Bryce wouldn’t want me to post my location. Meals were brought to me just as Bryce had promised. When I opened the door to receive them, the guard that Bryce had threatened was nowhere in sight. I had also realized that the bedroom I was staying in was my own. From the rose-themed bedspread to the antique vanity, there was nothing manly about the room. It definitely wasn’t Bryce’s as I had originally assumed.

  It was a boring couple of days but the time away from Bryce had been nice. The hardest part had been ignoring Alex’s calls and texts. I still didn’t know what to say to her. I knew that she was concerned but I was a chicken… a horrible, wretched, chicken whore!

  Bryce had called several times as well. The first time I almost hadn’t answered, fearing that it was Alex using someone else’s phone.

  “Hello,” I tentatively answered. It was late on Friday night and I had been nearly asleep when the phone rang.

  “What are you wearing?” he asked.

  “Excuse me?” I gasped, shocked by his forwardness.

  “Whatever it is,” he continued, “take it off.”

  Phone sex? He wants phone sex?

  “I assume that your silence means that you are getting undressed.”

  “Bryce,” I sighed. It was one thing to physically go through the motions of giving him a blow job. But phone sex required me to be mentally present. “I-I’m not comfortable with this.”

  “You’re not comfortable helping me get off over the phone, yet you were perfectly fine with selling yourself to a stranger?”

  “Yes, a stranger,” I confirmed, feeling more confident knowing that he couldn’t hurt me over the phone. “It was never my intention to sell myself to my best friend’s ex-boyfriend.”

  I had successfully avoided phone sex on Friday night. On Saturday night, he requested dirty pictures. When I refused, he reiterated his threat to send the blow job picture to Alex. My brain told me that sending him dirty pictures was just giving him more ammo to use against me. My heart begged my brain to do anything to avoid Alex seeing the picture that Bryce took of me. My heart won.

  By Sunday morning, I was ecstatic to go shopping with his mother – anything to get out of my bedroom. By Sunday evening, I would have voluntarily locked myself back in the bedroom – anything to get away from Suzanna! She wasn’t the easiest person to go shopping with. Our personalities and our styles clashed. It didn’t help that she was easily the most judgmental person I had ever met. The day had been filled with comments about how I stood, how I sat, how I walked, how I talked. Remember your posture, dear. Cross your legs at the ankles, dear. Try to have a little more grace, dear. Dear, ladies do not curse. Allowing her to choose my wardrobe for the next year was unsettling. It wasn’t until she had me try on several blazer/skirt combinations that I started to question her decisions. She explained that I was to begin working at Montague Corporation in the HR department. Apparently, Alton had made that decree on Thursday night while Suzy and Bryce were at the manor.

  The idea of the job excited me. It would allow me to get out of Carmichael Hall and meet new people. Plus, it was a job that I could actually put on my resume. However, the outfits that Suzy had chosen for me to wear while at the office were nauseating. The necklines on the tops swooped too low. If I bent over, my boobs would fall right out. Of course, that wouldn’t be my only problem if I needed to bend over. The skirts were insanely short. Shouldn’t his mom want me to dress like a nun? Why is she buying outfits that would make a porn star blush?

  Finally, Suzanna decided that we were done. Still, I couldn’t rest. I needed to get ready for dinner at Montague Manor. The dress that Suzy had chosen for me was a form-fitting black cocktail dress. When I had tried on the dress in the store, she had made the comment that it would look better with my hair up. I decided to listen to her advice even though I hated having my hair up.

  Just grin and bear it, Chelsea.

  Chapter Five

  The ride to the manor was quiet. I had been informed earlier in the day that Bryce would be meeting us there. I tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach, but the events of Thursday night combined with his absence afterward made me nervous. Relax, Chelsea. It’s not like he is going to bend you over the dining room table and fuck you in front of his mom and Alex’s parents… Is he? I squirmed in my seat. No. You are safe at the manor. After you return to Carmichael Hall, however…

  The shock was evident on my face as we pulled into the driveway. Montague Manor looked more like a castle than a home. It made Carmichael Hall look tiny. This is where Alex grew up? Our little apartment suddenly seemed woefully insufficient.

  I caught Suzy’s smirk out of the corner of my eye. Bitch.

  Bryce greeted us at the door, pecking his mother on the cheek before pulling me into a more possessive kiss. He wrapped an arm around my waist and led us into the parlor. I noticed the tumbler filled with amber liquid in his hand and wondered if his personality changed for the better or worse when he was drunk.

  Looking around the manor, I tried to remind myself that its beauty was deceptive. Alex called it the House of Horrors.

  “You look beautiful,” Bryce commented. “Did you enjoy your weekend?”

  “Yes,” I replied, forcing a smile.

  "And your shopping trip?"

  I nodded, continuing the charade. It wasn’t the time to voice my concerns over the office wardrobe.

  “Chelsea did very well, Bryce,” Suzy offered.

  I tried to hide my surprise. That was the first compliment she had given me. I wasn’t sure if it was for Bryce’s benefit or mine. Either way, I appreciated it. “Did you enjoy wherever it was that you went on your trip?” I asked.

  Bryce smirked, leaving my question unanswered.

  Suzy and I sat on the small velvet loveseat, while Bryce stood on the other side of the room and finished his drink. I made an effort to perfect my posture as Suzy chatted. I didn’t pay attention to what she was saying. Instead, I was focused on the fact that I was about to be reintroduced to Alex’s mother – this time as Bryce’s whore instead of Alex’s roommate. The butterflies that had seemed to calm during the car ride started fluttering like crazy when I heard footsteps descending the stairs.

  My breath caught in my throat as my eyes met Adelaide’s. Please don’t hate me. “Mrs. Fitzgerald,” I greeted as I stood.

>   “Adelaide,” Suzy corrected. “There’s no need for formalities.”

  Adelaide took a step toward me as I extended my hand. There was nothing but ice in her eyes as she moved her gaze between Suzanna and me. My heart hurt as I realized that my wish wouldn’t be granted.

  “Mrs. Fitzgerald will work just fine, Miss Moore,” she stated. Alton and Adelaide walked by me, toward the dining room.

  I blinked away the tears that prickled my eyes as Bryce came up to me. It had been obvious that Adelaide didn’t like me when Alex introduced us. She thought that I wasn’t good enough for her daughter. But at least she had been cordial. Knowing that I was Bryce’s whore turned her into an ice princess. There was nothing friendly or comforting about her. I had entertained delusions of the two of us working together. Surely, she wouldn’t have approved of hiring a gunman to shoot at Alex in Central Park. That plan reeked of Alton. I had hoped that Adelaide would put her daughter’s safety over her marriage. I had hoped that she would give me the proof that Deloris wanted. However, her current body language told me that those delusions were just that – delusions. They would never be reality. She would never forgive me for sleeping with Bryce. And neither will Alex. My heart sank.

  The dinner passed by slowly. The food was delicious, but the company was excruciatingly boring. Alton and Bryce spoke about things happening at Montague Corporation, Suzy chatted about the latest gossip, and Adelaide sipped red wine. I stayed quiet, unsure of what to say or do. In Del Mar, I had told Alex to wear a bracelet that read What Would Chelsea Do? I needed one that said What Would Alex Do? Or more accurately, What Would Alexandria Do? The only problem was, I had never met the true Alexandria. By the time we met, she had already become Alex.

  “Chelsea?” Bryce questioned.

  Startled, I looked up. All eyes were on me.

  “Alton asked you a question,” Bryce said, glaring at me.

  “Oh,” I gasped. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t hear you.”

  Red had begun to creep up Alton’s neck. I remembered Alex telling me about the strange phenomenon and how it took most of her self-control to hold in her laughter when it happened. I didn’t find it funny. It was terrifying.

  “Really, dear?” Suzy said. “Do you have a hearing problem that we should know about?”

  Biting my lower lip, I shook my head. “I’m sorry,” I repeated. “What did you ask me, Mr. Fitzgerald?”

  “If you had been listening the first time, you would know,” Alton chided. He motioned to a woman standing near the door. She began to clear the table. I hadn’t realized that everyone was done eating.

  ***

  “Go to your room,” Bryce ordered as we returned to Carmichael Hall. “I’ll be there shortly.” During the entire ride back, I could feel his anger brewing. Not wanting to irritate him further, I quickly obeyed. As I ascended the staircase, I made the decision to spend the rest of my evening acting less like Alex’s friend and more like Bryce’s companion. I had used my body to get out of trouble more than a time or two. It seemed only logical to do it again.

  Entering the bedroom, I walked to the vanity. I had just taken off my earrings when Bryce walked in. Turning to look at him, I spoke before he had the chance. “I’m sorry, Bryce.”

  “You embarrassed me.”

  “I know,” I agreed, tentatively walking toward him. My heart raced as I pressed my body against his. I peered up at him through my thick eyelashes. “And I’ve apologized. I’m trying, Bryce. It just takes time.”

  “You need to try harder,” he said, blatantly staring at my cleavage.

  “And how do you suggest I do that, Mr. Spencer?” I lifted my face to his. His body briefly relaxed and then suddenly, my back was pressed against the wall. I tensed, fearing that he was still angry. However, when he began to kiss my neck, I knew that my plan had worked.

  “You look gorgeous with your hair up,” he commented between pecks and nibbles. “Your neck is so sexy, but it’s naked. You need something to wear around it… Like that beaded thing Adelaide was wearing tonight.”

  “That would be nice,” I hummed, fighting the waves of nausea. I knew that I had been lucky to avoid sex with him for this long. I knew that it was going to happen. I had resigned myself to that fate. Still, I wasn’t sure how successful I would be at pretending to enjoy it when just his lips on my skin made me want to gag.

  “I have a present for you,” he offered, pulling a velvet box out of the pocket of his suit coat.

  “You do?” I smiled. I hadn’t pictured Bryce as the type to buy his girlfriend – his whore – jewelry.

  “Close your eyes and hold out your hand,” he whispered, placing the final kiss on my collarbone.

  With the smile still on my lips, I did as he said. I heard the box open before he placed it in my palm. When my eyes opened, my smile was instantly replaced with a scowl. Mardi Gras beads! The bastard had given me Mardi Gras beads.

  “You certainly earned them that day in the hotel,” he teased, his laughter booming through the bedroom. The ringing of his phone pulled his attention away from me.

  Walking back to the vanity, I dropped the box into a drawer. Angrily, I pulled out the pins that held my hair in place. Fucking bastard! How dare him! My back collided with Bryce’s chest, his arm around my midsection holding me in place. I met his gaze in the mirror as he held his cell phone in front of us. The speaker phone had been activated.

  “Please repeat that, Alton,” Bryce requested.

  “I said, I was just going over Alexandria’s call logs. That little slut of yours called Alexandria the evening that you brought her back to Savannah,” Alton repeated.

  My eyes widened as my heart rate increased. Fuck!

  “Thank you for the information,” Bryce said. “I’ll take care of it.” Hitting the end button, he returned the phone to his pocket.

  “I’m so–,” I started.

  “Shut up,” he growled. Grabbing my hair, he turned me to face him. “What did you tell her?”

  “Nothing,” I promised.

  “Bullshit.”

  “I swear,” I pleaded, my hands on his chest. “I called her after you took that picture of me. I thought you might send it and I wanted to apologize.”

  “What did you tell her?” he repeated his question, his grip in my hair tightening.

  “I told her that I was sorry, but I didn’t tell her why. I didn’t tell her about you, or about Infidelity.”

  Releasing his hold, he grabbed my purse off of the vanity, pulling out my phone. “Have you spoken with her since then?” he fumed.

  “No. She’s called but I haven’t answered. I-I didn’t know what to say.”

  He shook his head, placing my phone in the same pocket that held his.

  “Wait,” I cried. “Give that back.”

  “Nowhere in the Infidelity rules does it say that I need to allow you access to a phone. It is a privilege, not a right... and you just lost that privilege.”

  Reaching for his pocket, I started to argue. “But I –”

  “No,” he declared, stepping toward me. The menacing gleam in his eye was back – the one that terrified me. Before I could defend myself, he had me pinned face-first against the wall. I whimpered as he ripped the back of the dress open. The loose fabric puddled at my feet. “I’m tired of playing your games, Chelsea. You’re going to learn who’s in charge.”

  I gasped as my body was thrown onto the bed. I wouldn’t be avoiding sex another night. The clock had struck midnight and my time was up.

  Chapter Six

  Fidgeting in my seat, I waited. Bryce had told me to sit in Mr. Abbot’s office until the man arrived. I found it awkward, waiting in the person’s office without his permission. My head ached from exhaustion. Bryce had kept me up late the previous night reminding me who was in charge and then set my alarm for an ungodly hour. As I brought my hands up to massage my temples, I noticed the bruises on my wrists.

  My heart nearly beat out of my chest when Bryce pulled the
handcuffs out of the nightstand drawer. How had I not noticed those before? “Bryce,” I pleaded, as he grabbed my wrist. My fingernails dug into his arm in an attempt to stop him. “Y-you can’t do this. Abuse is against the rules.”

  “Abuse?” he scoffed, closing the device around one wrist before looping the chain around a pole on the headboard and attaching it to my other wrist.

  Instinctively, I pulled against the restraint, praying that it was a cheap toy that would break with enough force. It wasn’t.

  “No, darling,” Bryce mocked. He pulled on my legs causing my body to stretch across the bed. I closed my eyes as he started to undress. “This is just a little kink.”

  The door to the office opened and I quickly stood, trying to mask the pain caused by my quick movement. My body was tender from the previous night. Bryce had been rough and forceful, but not abusive. I had caused the bruises on my wrists from fighting the handcuffs.

  An older man about Alton’s age walked in. His expression did little to hide his surprise. “Miss Moore?”

  “Yes,” I replied, holding out my hand. Luckily, the long sleeves of the blazer hid the bruises on my wrists. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Abbot.”

  Shaking my hand, he made no attempt to hide his wandering eyes as they traveled along my body. The butterflies of nervousness resumed their fluttering in my stomach. I hadn’t had a chance to speak to Bryce about my wardrobe. I looked like I should be acting in a bad porn instead of working in an office. My only comfort came when I saw several other women in the department wearing similarly revealing outfits.

  Mr. Abbot released my hand and walked around to sit at his desk. “Unfortunately, Miss Moore,” he started, “your placement here was rather sudden. I’m afraid that I won’t have much for you to do for the first couple of days.”

  “That’s okay,” I assured him. “I’m willing to watch and learn until you do.”