I Saved Him, He Betrayed Me

The leather belt whistled through the air before it cracked against my back, sending fire racing across my skin.

"Faster!" Amanda's voice cut through the guest wing like broken glass. "Do you think I have all day to watch you crawl around like some pathetic insect?"

I pressed my forehead against the cold marble floor, my hands trembling as I tried to scrub the already spotless tiles.

The bucket of soapy water beside me had long since turned gray, but I didn't dare ask for fresh water. Not when Amanda stood above me in her silk Thanksgiving dress, the designer belt still clutched in her manicured fingers.

Another crack. This time across my shoulders.

The pain was sharp, immediate, but I'd learned long ago not to cry out.

Sound only made her angrier.

Instead, I bit down on my tongue until I tasted copper, my body curling instinctively as the belt found its mark again.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you."

I lifted my head, meeting her cold blue eyes. Amanda's face was perfectly made up for the holiday dinner, her blonde hair swept into an elegant chignon that probably cost more than most people's monthly salary. She looked like a magazine cover—beautiful, untouchable, perfect. Everything I would never be.

"You're disgusting," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "Crawling around on the floor like the animal you are. Do you know what day it is, Belle?"

I nodded, not trusting my damaged voice to form the words.

"Thanksgiving," she continued, circling me like a predator. "A day for gratitude. And what are you grateful for, I wonder? The roof over your head? The food you're allowed to eat? The privilege of serving your betters?"

The belt came down again, this time across my ribs. I gasped, the air rushing from my lungs as white-hot pain bloomed across my side.

"I asked you a question."

"Y-yes," I whispered, the word scraping against my throat like sandpaper. "Grateful."

"Good." Amanda's smile was razor-sharp. "Because tonight, you'll be preparing our Thanksgiving feast. Every course, every garnish, every single detail must be perfect. And when you're done, you'll serve us with a smile, knowing that this is exactly where you belong."

The sound of footsteps echoed through the wing, and my heart sank as I recognized the confident stride. Robert appeared in the doorway, his dark hair perfectly styled, his expensive suit immaculate. For a moment—just a moment—I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes as he took in the scene before him. But it vanished so quickly I might have imagined it.

"Having trouble with the help again, darling?" His voice was casual, almost bored.

Amanda laughed, a sound like wind chimes in a storm. "Just reminding our little mouse of her duties. You know how she gets when she's left to her own devices."

Robert's gaze settled on me, and I felt myself shrink under the weight of his judgment. This was the man I'd saved seven years