<
- 8.
I watched Jake drive off, then turned to see
Ethan lurking in the shadows.
He was giving us this resentful look.
Just like my sister, Bethany, he was a total jealousy monster.
Only, he was way better at hiding it.
I raised my voice and called over to a groundskeeper.
“Hey, I’m going to hike up to the back woods to gather some herbs for Jake. Got to keep him healthy, you know? I’m heading up now,
grab the gardening stuff and meet me in a
bit.”
L
I made sure Ethan heard every word.
Then, I headed up the trail.
I dug up a bunch of herbs
calming stuff,
stress relief.
It wasn’t long before I saw Ethan coming
toward me, carrying a freaking whip.
I shuddered.
He looked exactly like he did back then.
I forced myself to stay calm.
“Ethan? What are you doing here?”
He chuckled, a nasty sound.
<
“Guess, sis–in–law?”
I felt the panic rising, but I had to keep it
together.
“I’m your brother’s wife. You better not.”
“I heard Jake is pretty sweet on you? I think
I’ll mess you up.”
He grabbed my wrists and pinned me down.
Tears started to well up.
“Get off me! Jake will kill you if he finds out!”
Crack!
He lashed the whip across my back.
く
“Bitch! I’m a Willow! Everyone will think you
were seducing me!”
The pain was blinding.
But I had to push him.
“Ethan, you’re a sick guy, nothing like Jake,
you’re crazy, if you think I’d want to be with
you!”
He went red with fury and brought the whip
down again and again.
“Don’t say that! I’ll beat you to death!”
I screamed.
Just as he was about to rip my clothes, he.
<
Gust as it was auuul Lu mp my Ciullies, 110
was kicked away.
I clutched my torn shirt, looking up at Jake,
his eyes burning with rage.
Score!
Phase two, complete.
L
- 9.
Jake beat Ethan within an inch of his life and dragged him back to the main house.
Grandma Willow sat on the sofa, smashing a
glass with her cane.
She glared at Bethany.
“Is this how you control your husband?”
Bethany knelt on the floor, shaking like a leaf.
Jake kept kicking Ethan in the gut.
Ethan coughed up blood.
“Brother, she was the one who seduced me!
She was asking for it!”
<
Jake punched him in the face.
“What part of the whip did you see that made
it look like that? I heard everything!”
I had managed to call Jake, right before
Ethan tried to do worse.
I didn’t have the confidence that he’d care
about me.
But I knew he wouldn’t let the Luna get
defiled by his brother.
Grandma Willow looked disgusted.
She ordered the guards to lock Ethan in the
dungeon.
く
Bethany, as his wife, went with him.
Seven days.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
No one would bother me for a week.
I could focus on taming Jake.
<
- 10.
