Chapter 4

Scarlett woke up on the couch in the living room. The pain in her back was a dull, throbbing ache, but someone had cleaned the wounds and applied medicine. She could feel the cool ointment on her raw skin. She sat up slowly, wincing. Julian was sitting in an armchair across from her, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Get dressed," he said, his voice cold and commanding. "You're coming with me to a party tonight."

"A party?" she repeated, her voice hoarse. "Look at me. I can't go anywhere."

"You're going to go and you're going to apologize to Bethany," he stated, as if it were the most reasonable request in the world. "She was very upset by your behavior yesterday. You need to make it right."

A chill went through her. She remembered Julian's grandfather once telling her, a long time ago, "Julian is a predator, my dear. He loves to see his prey struggle. The more you fight, the more he enjoys the game. The only way to survive him is to be obedient." At the time, she had dismissed it as the ramblings of a bitter old man. Now, she understood. A deep, primal fear took root in her heart.

She looked at Julian's cold, handsome face and saw the predator his grandfather had warned her about. She had no choice but to obey.

"Okay," she whispered, nodding meekly. "I'll go."

A maid came in with a dress. It was a stunning, backless gown of shimmering red silk, luxurious and eye-catching. It was the kind of dress designed to make a woman the center of attention. But on her, with the angry red welts and cuts crisscrossing her back, it would be a mark of shame, a public declaration of her punishment.

The party was a lavish affair, held in a grand ballroom filled with the city's most powerful and influential people. When Scarlett walked in on Julian's arm, a hush fell over the room. All eyes were on her, on the brutal marks marring her skin. Whispers followed them as they walked, sharp and cruel.

"Look at her back... Thorne must have used the family cane on her."

"She deserves it. I heard she attacked that new girl, Bethany."

"She looks like a beggar trying to play princess. What a joke."

Each whisper was a small cut, adding to the mountain of pain and humiliation she was already enduring. She kept her head held high, her expression carefully blank, but inside, she was crumbling.

She remembered a time when Julian would have silenced anyone who dared to speak ill of her. He once had a man's mouth sewn shut for making a crude joke about her. Now, he was the one parading her like a shamed animal. The thought made her feel sick.

Julian led her to a table near the front. He didn't say a word to her, his attention focused on the entrance. A few minutes later, Bethany made her grand entrance. She was wearing a simple, pale-colored slip dress, looking ethereal and pure. The crowd murmured in appreciation.

Julian's face lit up with a warm smile as he stood to greet her, pulling out her chair and kissing her cheek. He was the perfect, doting gentleman.

He sat beside Bethany, his arm draped possessively around her, completely ignoring Scarlett. The contrast between his tender treatment of Bethany and his cold indifference to her was a public spectacle for all to see.

After a while, Julian leaned over and whispered something to Bethany, who then smiled and looked towards the stage.

Julian turned to Scarlett, his voice devoid of emotion. "Bethany is feeling a bit down. She wants you to play the violin for her. To cheer her up."

Scarlett's heart, which she thought couldn't break any further, felt another sharp crack. The violin was special to them. He had bought her a priceless Stradivarius and told her its beautiful music was for his ears only. Now, he was asking her to play it for another woman, as a form of apology.

She didn't refuse. She walked to the stage in a daze, the red dress a banner of her shame. An assistant brought her the familiar violin case. She took out the instrument, its polished wood cool against her skin.

She stood in the spotlight, the eyes of the entire room on her. She took a deep breath and began to play. She chose a piece called "Adagio in G Minor." It was a song of profound sadness, a melody of heartbreak and despair.

The notes flowed from the strings, filling the silent ballroom with a sound so full of sorrow it was almost tangible. It was the sound of her own heart breaking, a final, beautiful farewell to the love she had lost.

She poured all her pain, all her grief, and all her despair into the music. It was a lament for her lost child, for her lost love, for the woman she used to be. As the last, mournful note faded into silence, she felt a sense of release. It was over.

The room was completely quiet for a long moment, the audience captivated by the raw emotion of her performance. Then, Bethany's voice, deliberately loud and cheerful, shattered the mood.

"Wow, that was so depressing!" she said with a laugh, pretending to be artless and direct. "Are you always this much of a downer, Scarlett? You're really good at playing the victim, you know that?"

Scarlett stared at her, speechless.

Julian didn't scold Bethany for her rudeness. Instead, he chuckled softly, reaching out to gently touch Bethany's cheek. "She's always been a bit dramatic." His tone was indulgent, affectionate.

The room remained silent, everyone watching the bizarre, cruel theater unfold. Scarlett stood alone on the stage, the violin hanging limply in her hand, feeling more isolated and humiliated than ever before.

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