His Penance, My Freedom

lex. It's bee

isper, lost in the va

or, my hands gripping the hem of hi

been my life. He blamed me. He said I knew his mother was sic

his grief, but it became his trut

re my robes, used my perfume, and slept in our bed. My jo

d every ounce of humiliation

onomically expensive, and Alex Thorne, my hu

didn't even look at me, his eyes fixed on the tablet in h

up on the sofa beside him. She giggled, a sound that gra

ital called. My father... he's in critical condition

isting into a sneer. "Your father?

s I had held back for so long started to f

e flat. "It' s what he deserves

kiss to his cheek. "Don't let her upset you, Alex

on clawing at my insides. "I'll d

ward. He grabbed my chin, his fingers digging into my skin, forcing my h

repeated soft

o was watching us with

thbrush," he commanded. "Maybe if you

he impact sent a jolt of pain through my abdomen, sharp and sudden. I gasped,

s a cruel, echoing sound th

n my pocket. My hands were shaking so badly

"I... I'm so sorry to have to tell you this. Your f

laughter, the cold room,

ed a

our

s, begging for a life

ke out, the word feelin

ne. He... he took his own life. He wrote that h

at. My father. My sweet, loving fathe

Who is this?" he barked into it. "What?

o the sofa. It skidded across the silk cus

ah, a smirk on his fa

a million pieces. The man I had once lov

ity of it crashing down on me like

ance. "Now, are you going to clean the toilets o

giving. He didn' t just not care; he was

t of me that had held on, that had e

my voice surpr

eyebrow. "Wha

eet. My legs felt shaky, but my resolve

ivorce? You think you're in a positio

But first, you'll fulfill your promise. You'll get on your knees." He p

ding to cry, dabbing at her dry e

g her hair. He turned back to me,

to apologize to the woman who had laughed at my pain. The absurdi

would do this one last thing. I would si

lt. A

id, the words tas

ng caddy in the hall and threw it at my feet. "Now get to work. And after you'

er echoing behind them as the

air, mixing with the scent of Alex's expensive cologne. It was the smell of my life for the past two years. The sm