Chapter Eight

Rose Alexandria Sinclair

“Need a hand?” a gentle voice asked as I busied myself with weeding the garden.

I glanced up, and my breath caught for a moment. The man standing before me had one of the most captivating faces I’d ever seen—calm, warm, and utterly magnetic.

“I’m Edward, Ma’am Sarah’s son,” he introduced himself with a friendly smile.

“Oh…” I stood slowly, wiping my hands on my apron. He had already extended his hand, so I shook it, feeling a bit flustered. “I’m Rose Alexandria Sinclair.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” he said, leaning casually against the wall. “I take it you’re new around here? I haven’t seen you before.”

“Yeah, I am,” I replied softly.

“Makes sense. I just got back from college myself. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you.” He gave a small wave, his smile lingering, and walked off.

I found myself smiling after him. Who would’ve thought Ma’am Sarah’s son would be this… charming?

Still, I reminded myself why I was here. Focus, Rose. As I got back to work, Mrs. Emilia walked in, her expression serious.

“Boss Frederico, has requested your presence,” she said firmly.

I didn’t dare argue. I bathed quickly and put on the dress she handed me—a revealing one I’d rather not wear. My stomach twisted. That bastard, Red, had forced me to do something I swore I never would again.

Dancing.

As I moved under his cold, commanding gaze, the memories I had buried clawed their way back to the surface, suffocating me.

I hated him. I hated how I couldn’t resist his touch, and I hated the way his presence overwhelmed me. I was certain the feeling was mutual—he despised me just as much as I did him.

“Is something wrong? Why did the Boss call you over?” Natalie’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I returned back into the room.

I exhaled shakily, shaking my head. “Nothing… he just wanted to talk.”

“Talk about what?” she pressed, her tone suspicious.

I hesitated before giving in. “Alright, but you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Fine, I won’t! Just spill it!” she said, her tone turning playful.

I leaned closer and whispered, “Frederico… he’s my ex.”

The room erupted with Natalie’s laughter, loud and uncontrollable, making my cheeks burn with irritation.

“Are you serious? You expect me to believe that?”

“I’m telling the truth! Frederico was my ex-boyfriend,” I said firmly, though her laughter only grew louder.

“Oh, sure. If the Boss is your ex, then I’m your mother!”

“Natalie…” I began, my voice trailing off.

Her eyes widened as she realized I wasn’t joking. “You can’t be serious! What the heck happened? Why on earth are you working in your ex’s house?”

I sighed, the weight of it all pressing down on me. “You know my father’s a gambler, right? Well, he borrowed way more money than he could ever repay, and I had no choice but to work here to cover his debts. That’s how I ended up stuck in my ex’s house.”

Natalie stared at me, stunned. “Wow… That’s insane. How are you even coping? I mean, seeing him every single day? That’s got to mess with your head!”

“Mess with my head?” I let out a bitter laugh. “If there’s a word worse than ‘traumatizing,’ that’s what I’d use. It’s pure madness, Natalie. Absolute madness.”

“So… since he’s your ex—I mean, the Boss—how big is he?”

“What?” I blinked, caught off guard.

“Oh, don’t act innocent!” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Come on, spill! I bet he’s packing at least ten inches.”

“Christ! I’m not doing this with you,” I hissed, turning away in exasperation.

“Haha! Admit it, you idiot. Boss Frederico—”

“Boss Frederico?”

The voice cut through the room like a knife. Ma’am Sarah had stepped in, and my heart stopped cold.

No, no, no. Please tell me she didn’t hear that.

“You girls are talking about the Boss?” Her sharp tone made us both freeze. “What’s the first rule of working here?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but—”

“Silence!”

Her hand flew before I could react, a sharp slap landing on my cheek. The sting burned, but I held back a cry, wincing as the pain shot through me.

Ma’am Sarah’s cold eyes bore into us, and the atmosphere thickened with tension. “Do you think the Boss's private life is a joke? That you can gossip about him, about your employer?" Her voice was low and venomous, like a serpent preparing to strike.

I winced, the slap still echoing on my skin. Natalie looked as though she was trying to shrink into the floor, her usual playful demeanor wiped away in an instant.

"You’ve been here for how long, Natalie? Four years? And yet you still can’t grasp the simple rules of respect?" Ma’am Sarah’s words were cutting, each one a barb meant to wound.

“I… I didn’t mean anything bad, Ma’am,” Natalie stammered, her voice faltering as she lowered her gaze. “It was just a joke…”

“Joke?” Ma’am Sarah’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “Do you think everything here is a joke? Do you think he is a joke?”

“Well then… follow me. Your punishment is just a few minutes away,” Ma’am Sarah said, her tone cold and emotionless.

Natalie and I stood up slowly, my heart pounding. I silently thanked my stars that Ma’am Sarah hadn’t heard the part about Frederico being my ex. If she had, I was certain she would’ve torn me apart right then and there. That was something I couldn’t afford her to know.

As we followed her down the corridor toward the backyard, the tension in the air grew heavier. My stomach twisted with dread. I could hear my breath quickening as we passed by the guards standing silently at attention.

Ma’am Sarah didn’t speak a word to them, only nodded once, signaling them to step aside.

“Flog them. Thirty,” she commanded with a chilling finality.

The words hit me like a slap to the face. "What?!" I gasped, turning to look at her in disbelief.

"No, no, you can't do that to us!" Natalie screamed, her voice desperate, her eyes wide with terror. "We already apologized, Ma’am!" She pleaded, but it was no use. Ma’am Sarah just gave her a sharp, cold look, and Natalie fell silent.

I felt my knees weaken. The thought of being flogged sent a shiver down my spine. I had heard stories, but I never imagined it would happen to me. The guards moved toward us with the whips in their hands, their faces void of any expression. They were just following orders, just like us.

“No more talking. You’ve had your chance,” Ma’am Sarah said firmly, her voice unwavering. She stepped aside, folding her arms across her chest, her gaze cold and unrelenting.

The guards grabbed hold of our arms, pulling us into position. My heart was hammering in my chest, my breath shallow as I tried to brace myself for what was coming.

“Thirty,” one of the guards repeated, the word echoing in the silence of the backyard.

Then it began.

The first strike hit me like a bolt of lightning. The pain exploded across my back, sharp and burning. I screamed out, the sound of my voice raw with the intensity of it. My body jerked involuntarily, but the guards held me steady, their grip firm and unforgiving.

“Natalie!” I cried out, the sound of her scream mixing with mine as another lash landed across her skin. Her voice was a mixture of shock and agony, her body writhing under the force of the strike.

Each lash was a cruel reminder of just how powerless we were in this house. The pain built with every strike, the whips biting into our skin, leaving deep marks that would surely last. I couldn’t tell where the pain of the first strike ended and the second began. It was like fire spreading through my veins, too overwhelming to process.

I could hear Natalie’s screams through my own, her voice trembling with the same terror I felt. “Please! Please stop!” she begged between sobs, but there was no mercy. No one was listening.

The count continued—one, two, three... Each lash was met with a new cry, a fresh wave of pain, until we were both trembling, barely able to stand under the onslaught. I had no idea how many strikes we had left, and at that point, I wasn’t sure if I could even count. The world around me blurred, my mind spinning as the pain kept coming.

Finally, Ma’am Sarah spoke, her voice cold and detached. “Enough.”

The guards stopped immediately, stepping back and leaving us shaking and breathless, our bodies slick with sweat and blood. My back was on fire, the raw skin screaming in pain as I tried to catch my breath. I could hear Natalie’s ragged breathing, but neither of us moved. We were too broken to do anything but stand there, weak and trembling, as the silence enveloped us.

Ma’am Sarah’s eyes flicked over us, her expression unreadable. “Let this be a lesson,” she said, her tone still as cold as ice. “There are no jokes here. No disrespect. Understand?”

“Yes… Ma’am,” I whispered, barely able to speak, my voice hoarse and strained.

Natalie nodded weakly, still too dazed to say anything.

“Good,” Ma’am Sarah said, turning on her heel and walking away. “Clean yourselves up. Your punishment is done.”

As the guards released us, I could barely hold myself upright. I felt like I was going to collapse, but somehow, I managed to stay on my feet. My entire body ached, each movement sending a jolt of pain through my raw skin.

Natalie stumbled next to me, tears streaming down her face. We didn’t speak, but we didn’t need to. The agony we were both feeling spoke volumes.