Chapter 50: Cruelty
A sharp yelp cut through the air as freezing wine poured down Claire’s chest. Even with the heater on, the winter chill made her shiver. She wanted to fight back, but Neil had already emptied his glass and was now holding a full bottle.
“How’s that feel? Isn’t it a rush? Don’t you just love this, you slut?” Neil’s voice was full of sick excitement as the red wine spilled onto Claire’s bare skin. His face twisted with a mix of pleasure and hate as he tipped the bottle further. The red stream gushed from the bottle, soaking Claire’s face and choking her. She gasped for breath. She tried to cover her nose with her hands, but it didn’t help. In seconds, her head, face, clothes, and neck were soaked in red. She coughed and gagged violently, spitting out wine from her nose, barely avoiding suffocation.
The familiar, suffocating sensation from her time in prison resurfaced, sending her body into uncontrollable tremors.
“It seems you’re not fond of red wine. No matter, we also have liquor and beer. Whatever your preference, I can provide.”
“The most intoxicating scent is that of wine on a woman, especially a virgin. It’s a heady mix of hormonal sweetness and the bouquet of wine. That’s the finest aroma in the world.”
“I’ve sampled many wines, but do you know which I find most enticing? Wine infused with a snake, ideally with the snake still writhing in life.”
“I just put a snake into the wine, so it’s very much alive. I’ll pour this not-yet-dead snake over you. Let it slither across your skin. It would be perfect if it could be anointed with the essence of your fluid.”
“That sensation is the most wondrous! An indescribable pleasure in the world. It’s divine!”
Neil lay atop Claire, inhaling deeply. His eyes were closed in apparent bliss.
“Mr. Robertson, I’m no virgin, nor am I a great beauty. Could you please let me go? A man of your stature can have any woman he desires. There’s no need to waste your time on someone like me,” Claire pleaded.
She was too familiar with the sensation of impending doom. She found herself kneeling on the cold ground, pleading with desperate fervor. She felt certain that if this continued, she would meet her end in this very room.
“What did you say? Great beauty? Virgin? Do you take me for such a shallow man?”
Neil’s expression darkened abruptly as if her words had flicked a switch within him. He seized Claire by the hair, pulling her violently towards him.
“No, Mr. Robertson, that’s not what I meant…” Claire stammered. Unsure of her misstep, she knelt and hurriedly tried to explain.
“That’s exactly what you meant! Don’t think I’m unaware of how vile you women can be. Now that you’ve descended into the underbelly of Eclipse Nightclub, who knows how many have had sex with you? Why pretend to be so virtuous in front of me? Why are you all so horny and wanton? You women can’t live without a man, can you? Why sell your body and soul for money? Why not choose a decent job? You…”
Neil didn’t wait for Claire to finish speaking; he kicked her down with brutal force. As she collapsed to the ground, he rose and pressed his foot down upon her, pinning her beneath his weight.
Just as he was about to escalate his assault, the door to the room swung open, and two familiar voices echoed in the chamber.
“Mr. Robertson, we’re late.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Robertson. I’ll drink three glasses as punishment.”
Claire crumpled to the ground and curled up her rigid body, utterly unresponsive. She recognized those two voices all too well; one belonged to Frederick and the other to Harrison. An aching bitterness seeped into her very being. She wondered if fate was so cruel to deny her even a glimpse of happiness. After she spent a few days of peace in the underworld of Eclipse Nightclub, a pervert emerged, entangling her fate with Frederick and Harrison’s, especially at a moment when she was at her most vulnerable and humiliated.