CHAPTER TWELVE
Beth
I didn’t know where I was. Nor did it matter.
My feet wobbled beneath my frame as I staggered through the streets. Painful throbs beat at the base of my skull, vision slightly hazy.
Because how could Mason do this to me?
I thought the billionaire wanted me.
I thought the billionaire loved me.
But it was all idiocy. Because why would a guy with everything want somebody like me? Plain Beth White who was ugly and fat, with her nose buried in books all the time.
I’d fooled myself.
More than that.
I’d been lying to myself.
Tears streamed down my cheeks but I didn’t wipe them away. For what felt like hours now, I’d stumbled through the streets of New York. Down sidewalks and up avenues, feet moving blindly forwards. Along corners, passing by other pedestrians who laughed and talked like nothing was wrong.
They had no idea.
If they knew, their thoughts would be cruel.
Look at that stupid girl.
She’s such a lunatic.
She thought that a billionaire loved her. Yeah, right.
A loud sob tore through my frame and bent me in two in the middle of the pavement. But this is New York, and people don’t care. The crowd flowed around my form, some passerby even bumping my shoulder carelessly as tears streamed down my face.
I was all alone.
And crying out once more, my body made a sharp left. There was no reason to be a fool in public. If I could hide somewhere, I would.
So I stumbled my way into Central Park. And it was a little better. The winding trails and towering trees calmed me down, fall colors brilliantly red, orange and yellow. Central Park. How beautiful, how magical and mystical, the setting for so many movies. But the sun was already growing dim, shadows on the walkways, people calling their dogs and kids to go home. Figures. I was the only one with no place to go.
I couldn’t go to Mason’s apartment, that was suicide.
I couldn’t go to work, Carlton Corporation belonged to him.
And my old apartment? I’d run out without the key. There was no doorman, no live-in super to let me in.
So I was stuck.
My messenger bag felt even heavier than before, dragging on my shoulder, posture tilting to the left. I was the walking dead, limping lifelessly down a wooded trail.
But the park was safe at least. It had been a long time since anybody was assaulted here by criminals. Now it was more raccoons and fireflies, just animal sounds at night. I was going to be okay. Right?
A shot of adrenaline briefly jolted through my frame. But my jaw clenched, teeth grinding against one another. Because I had to stay strong. With nowhere to go, this was my only safe haven.
Nobody will attack you, the voice in my head said firmly. Let’s get real. Nobody even wants you.
Another sharp sob ran through my frame. But what could I do but keep moving?
So walking forwards, I wandered deeper into the foliage, purposefully trying to lose my way. The wondrous thing about Central Park is that it’s still possible to get lost. The acreage is expansive enough so that even in the middle of an urban setting, you can block everything out. No buildings. No planes visible overhead. No people, just wild foliage and the darkness of night.
I stumbled forward, seeing nothing.
It was a little scary, but I squared my shoulders again.
Nothing to be afraid of, reminded the voice in my head. You’re going to be fine.
Suddenly, my phone shrilled, the sound tinny and artificial in the air.
With trembling fingers, I picked up.
“Hello?”
I hated how sad my voice sounded.
“Bethy! How are you!”
Silence for moment.
“Dad?” came my stupefied voice. “Dad?”
“I’m shocked you remember the sound of my voice,” George teased. “How are you, baby girl?”
Of course, it’d been months since we talked, but George always acts like everything’s okay.
“Um, I’m fine,” I managed to stammer. No need to let him in on the sad state of my life. My dad is always too wrapped up in his own thing. “Why? Wh- what’s going on?”
My father never calls me. I didn’t even have his phone number for emergencies. But he plowed on ahead, like we were chums.
“I let you a message the other day. Didn’t you get it?”
“Oh sorry,” I managed. “Sorry about that, just been busy.” The truth is, I hadn’t bothered to check my messages in weeks. My life with Mason had been so amazing, the whirlwind of loving consuming my all. But now that was gone.
And George sensed something wrong.
“You sure you’re alright, Bethy? You don’t sound so good.”
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. Why are you asking now? I wanted to say. It’s not like you care. But there was no point in getting into that at the moment. I was too exhausted, my frame limp, sitting lifelessly on a nearby log.
“I’m okay, Dad. Why, what’s going on?”
He was quiet for a second. “Well, I wanted to get together with you. Maybe have some dinner, you know, the three of us.”
The three of us? My heart jolted with electricity. Did he mean Mason? Oh wait. George didn’t even know about Mason. He was talking about his girlfriend, Lynne. The one who had him over the moon.
So I opened my mouth, words dull.
“Yeah, sure. But I can’t leave the country until Christmas, okay? I’m in school, remember?”
He chortled.
“Of course you are, Bethy! I meant we would come there. To New York, that is.”
I was so shocked I actually stopped walking. “Really? Is something wrong, Dad? What’s going on?”
“No, no. Nothing like that,” came his voice. “I just want to see my little girl again, that’s all.”
This was so strange. After two years, George had barely bothered to reach out, and now he wanted to meet me in the city? But why not? There was nothing to hide. My relationship was over. Or more accurately, my would-be relationship that never really existed was over. So I agreed.
“Okay,” I managed in a defeated voice. “Come whenever.”
“Good, good. I’ll call back later to firm things up, okay?”
His voice crackled all of a sudden, like the signal was dying.
“Sure,” I managed. “Sure,” and then there was a telltale click, leading to silence once more.
Staring morosely into the bushes, my shoulders slumped. This was so strange. So unexpected. George was showing up in NYC after taking off to the far parts of the world to discover himself. I prepared to be disappointed. He probably wouldn’t show. It was nothing.
My heart twisted at the thought.
My mother, my father, and now Mason.
No one cared, not really.
Another round of tears began to fall and I wiped them away with the back of my hand.
But there was no need to hold back in the deep quiet of the park. So I let out a heartfelt cry, body shuddering, shoulders caving in. Why why why? Why was this happening? I was so isolated and alone. The comfortable world I’d created for myself pre-Mason was gone, and I’d never be able to return. Not with the memories that permeated my brain, the feel of his hot breath on my neck, that stiff cock buried in my folds. I cried out again, tears burning down my cheeks, face aflame. If only I could disappear, this pain was impossible to manage.
If only I could become nothing.
If only I could vanish into the void.
Because I was just a big zero, a giant waste of space. You’re such a fuck-up! the voice in my head screamed. Such a loser with no idea how the world works!
And the tears came even harder then, forehead bent over, pressed against the bark of a tree. Because it was true. This was no fairy tale with a prince coming to save me from the beast. Mason was the beast and he had already devoured me whole. He’d torn open my heart with those big white teeth and left me for dead.
How could he do this?
What decent person would do this?
There was some kind of sick game going on, and Mason had betrayed me to a bunch of strangers.
Who were these people? Who would want to see all these photos?
Suddenly, a thought lanced through my brain, incinerating everything in sight. Because maybe Mason had sold my pictures. Maybe all those nude photos were on the internet even now, dirty old men cackling as they jacked off.
Would he do that?
It didn’t make sense though. The CEO had tons of money, why would he want to sell them?
But I didn’t know him anymore. In fact, I’d never known him, to be accurate. So anything was possible.
And the thought of those incriminating photos on the world wide web made me curl over again, stomach heaving, sobs wracking my chest.
I’d been betrayed in so many ways.
Left for dead, with no recourse.
I needed answers, but they’d never come. Not from Mason anyway. He was probably back at his apartment, drinking expensive whiskey with his pervert buddies.
And the thought made me sick, enough to vomit right there onto the crackling leaves. Coughing and hacking, I gave it up, bile spewing from my mouth and spattering onto the forest floor. Nausea churned, green and vile, another deep heave making me crouch over in misery.
Just as I spewed more filth, however, a man stepped out of the shadows. He was expensively dressed with slicked back hair, face in darkness. He didn’t look like a criminal, but then again, how would I know? I knew nothing, that much was clear.
I lurched away by instinct, ready to run.
“Hey Liz.” The voice was normal at least. The figure stepped closer, leaves crackling beneath his feet. “I’m Jonas.”
What? Who was Liz? He had the wrong woman!
Like a terrified doe, I backed away, spinning on my heel to make an escape. But it was too late. The strange man caught me right away, wiry arms trapping me close. He was strong despite a thin, reedy frame, and clutched me close, a musty, decaying smell rising off that frame. His hands crept over my skin, ghostly white in the darkness.
“Let me go!” I struggled and twisted in his grasp.
“Not until I’m done with you!” he rasped nastily. “You’re a slut. Spreading your legs for that overpaid CEO, holding your pussy open for him. How much did he pay you to fuck him? Hmm?” He shook me as my head bobbled crazily.
What? How did he know about Mason and what we’d done? Fear lanced through my body. But the answer was clear. This must be one of Mason’s buddies. One of the guys he’d shown the pictures to. Or sold the pictures to, I had no idea.
Oh god!
I struggled harder against his tight hold, desperate to escape.
“Help! Somebody help me!”
But it was no use and my screams faded into silence. The strange man was demonically strong. With my wrists trapped behind my back, the man shoved me against a tree, cheek hitting the bark hard. One hand pawed my cunt while the other groped at my curves. Hurting me. Squeezing in ways I didn’t want.
“I’m gonna stroke that pussy for myself,” he panted into my neck, breath hot and nasty. “I’m gonna feel those slutty folds for myself.”
“Help!” I screamed again in desperation and fear, full-blown panic taking over then. “Help!”
Suddenly, heavy footfalls sounded. Then a massive roar, and Mason burst from the trees, bolting into the open, expression a mask of rage, his teeth bared and savage.
One minute the strange man was touching me all over, making me scream with fear. And the next, he was on the ground, crying and screaming as Mason beat him to a pulp. Literally, the thuds were dangerous and devastating. Thump! Thump! Thump! came the heavy blows, interspersed with the crack of bones breaking. Even in the dark, I could see blood spurting, black pools forming on the ground.
“Stay! The Fuck! Away! From my girl!” Mason punched Jonas with each word, his breath harsh and savage in the circle of trees.
“Stop it, Carlton! Stop it!” Jonas screamed. “You’re breaking the rules.” His loud cries echoed around us, and I shivered with fear even as relief coursed through my veins. “I didn’t see her pussy!” Jonas shrieked again like a ten year-old girl. “We’re supposed to share! It’s in the rules, it’s in the rules!”
Mason got to his feet, panting and snarling, bloody fists clenched. “Maybe I shouldn’t be in this fucking club then.” He growled and turned to look at me, eyes wild. Then with one last kick, Jonas was silenced, curled in a fetal position on the ground. “I don’t care what the rules are, you’ll never see her sweet cunt. That belongs to me, and only me.”
And with a rough pull on my elbow, the alpha dragged me out of the park, my frozen form tripping behind that massive male bulk. What was happening? I’d been assaulted, only to have Mason jump out of the trees and literally save me from rape, humiliation, and who knew what else. So where were we going now? Was I safe? Or was I only jumping from the frying pan into the fire? Confused thoughts swirled in my head … and suddenly everything went dark.