She sighed and tried to remain calm as the familiar feeling of unease pricked and plagued her mind. In this huge palace, a rapid, fearful heartbeat was normal. Aurelia just needed to get used to it.
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*Author's Note โ This chapter may make some feel uncomfortable (no r@pe).*
When Aurelia quietly creaked the door open, she expected to see Jimmy snoring away in their bed like there was no tomorrow, his frail frame buried under the covers. At this late hour, Jimmy would normally be dreaming about whatever black-and-white dreams old men like him typically dream of.
But to Aurelia's surprise, the lights were on and he was sitting up. Jimmy's eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling. She jumped when her husband turned his head to see who opened the door without knocking, an annoyed expression on his face. But then his face brightened when he saw Aurelia's cowering figure.
"My love!" Jimmy smiled. "You're finally back!"
The corner of Aurelia's lips forced themselves into a smile. "Heh, yeah."
"I missed you, darling."
"Thanks," Aurelia replied.ย
She walked to the bathroom adjoining the room but stopped when Jimmy interjected.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"
Aurelia started to fidget with her hands. "Um, to the bathroom."
"Oh no, you're not," Jimmy said. "You know we have a lot of talking to do. Where were you all this time I've been stressing?"
If you were stressing, you would've reported me missing to the police, Aurelia thought.
"I was... I was at my mother's house."
Jimmy snorted. "Don't give me that bullshit! I know you were at another man's house."
Aurelia's eyes widened in disbelief, her heart racing as a mix of fear and anger surged through her. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks, the weight of his accusation pressing down on her like a heavy stone.
"Are you serious right now?" she said, careful not to raise her voice. "You really think I would betray you like that?"
The room seemed to close in around her, each breath becoming more difficult as she thought of a way to calm the situation. Aurelia was not in the mood for an intense argument. All she wanted to do was take a shower and sleep like her life wasn't more broken than a shattered mirror reflecting a thousand fractured pieces.
Jimmy grunted like an angry bull, so badly wanting to charge at his wife's face, red from fear.
"You don't trust me at all, do you?" Aurelia muttered, her voice trembling.
Jimmy crossed his arms as his brows furrowed. "Do you really expect me to believe that you were at your mother's house for a whole week? Don't be ridiculous. Weย both know that you snuck off to a man's house."
"I didn't!" Aurelia protested. "I can't believe you would think so little of me!"
"Well believe it, baby, 'cause in my eyes, you're equal to a slut."
Aurelia was taken aback by his rather rude comment. She opened her mouth to respond but Jimmy held a hand up to stop her.
He climbed out of bed and walked towards Aurelia, each step increasing her heart rate. She could feel the tension in the air, a silent question hanging between them, as he drew closer, his expression unreadable.
Jimmy pressed his lips against Aurelia's ear and held her waist, his breath warm and heavy. Her stomach churned with anxiety. She hated the way Jimmy's crampy hands felt on her waist. His scent was overpowering, old wood, sage, and sweat.
"I know your little secret, Cabrera," he whispered. "I've heard the rumors. You think of me as some ATM, not a romantic partner."
Aurelia tried to move Jimmy's hands away from her body but failed. Why was he suddenly so strong today?
"N-no I don't," she muttered in objection, though she knew her little words meant nothing to him.
"Indeed you do. I know you think of me as some type of sugar daddy. You want nothing to do with an old man like me, you want my money."
Aurelia's eyes blinked back tears. She didn't know what to do. If it were any other frail old man, she would've snapped his skinny bones like they were pencils. But this was the Vice President, the one supplying her with a rich and comfortable life. Beating him up like Bruce Lee would feel good now, but not when she would be forced to move back in with her mother without a single penny.
Plus, Jimmy barely had any years left to live, and with his smoking addiction, he barely hadย months until he contracted some lethal cancerous disease that would finish him off for good. And at that moment, Aurelia would rejoice and happily roll around in a pile of inherited cash.
Thinking about her very near and money-filled future, Aurelia tried her utmost to diffuse the situation.
"I don't want your money, Jim," she replied softly. "Let's just go to sleep and talk in the morning."
Angered, Jimmy shoved Aurelia roughly, making her fall on the marble floor in shock. She always knew that Jimmy would never waste a second to yell at her but to put his hands on her? This was unexpected.
Aurelia quickly stood back up, acting unaffected by the harsh treatment she had received.
"No!" Jimmy yelled.ย
Oh gosh, here we go.
"We will not talk in the morning! You're acting like this isn't serious!" he shouted. "You keep lying to me. You know you were at another man's house last night. Younger, taller, handsomer... but not richer. That's why you keep an old man like me around. I'm just a sugar daddy to you."
Aurelia stared down at the floor. His claims weren't all false. The only reason Jimmy was even in her presence was that his stacks of cash were taller than a giraffe.ย
"So why don't you just own up to the truth? It took a long time butย I already have," Jimmy said.
Again, he put his hands on her lower waist, making Aurelia cringe. She wished she had picked the other rich old man she saw on the dating app.
Jimmy smirked. "After all, I never said I didn't like a little sugar."
As he leaned in to kiss Aurelia's neck, she started to pray. Silent tears fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, pink with anxiety.ย
God, please help me. Get me out of this situation, she thought.ย I know that it's partially my fault but please. I'm so uncomfortable. I can't take this anymore.
Almost immediately, the answer to her prayers arrived.
The door opened. "Greetings, master."