Chapter 35

THIRTY-FIVE

I didn't wantto open my eyes. I wanted to force myself to believe that I was dead. That I didn't exist in this demented world. Should I flip over into the pillow and suffocate myself? Could a human even do that? I could slit my wrists with my razor… but this house was the equivalent to a padded room.

"Demi," a soft voice caressed into the depths of my darkest thoughts. The dark thoughts felt more comforting than my reality.

"Demi…" he repeated. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw his face.

Bradley.

"Hey." He sighed and sunk into the small sliver of space between me and the edge of the bed.

I didn't know why looking at Bradley made me want to cry. Maybe it was because I couldn't believe this man was forced to work for the family who was abusing his sister. Or the fact that he was able to stay composed and loved her enough that he willingly spends his life trapped in hell just to see her.

"You have to clean Dr. Ivory's office today. He's losing his mind with how dirty it's been and has wanted to find someone to replace you, but they can't find?—"

"Someone as stupid as me?"

"Come on, Demi." Bradley stood and pointed to the outfit he must have laid out for me.

"Conrad… he had a finger…" I began and felt my mouth grow dry at the thought.

"They're proceeding with the wedding ceremony, and Daisy is getting married tonight. We have to clean Dr. Ivory's office, and then set up the viewing room." Bradley turned away as I forced myself out of bed.

"Bradley, look at me," I whispered.

"Change your clothes and meet me in the hall. It's going to be a long day." The door slid open and he left.

But just as the door began to close, I could hear Bradley sniffle, biting back his tears.

Standing in Ian Ivory's office felt equivalent to standing in a morgue. It was cold and the air circulating was that of death. I hadn't been in it in a while, yet it looked spotless.

"They have a team of cleaning staff. You're not even the maid, Demi; they just wanted to test you…"

"What?" I looked at Bradley, who hadn't said anything on our walk over to the Ossis wing.

He shrugged as he wiped down the desk. "Just a way to get you into their house without throwing you into the back of a van. And you fell for it," he said spitefully. But I knew he wasn't trying to be hurtful. Hurt people, hurt people, and that's all he was doing. He was displacing his heartache on me.

And I was going to let him.

"Why do we have to clean, then?"

"Because they love watching you…" His eyes shot to the camera in the corner of the room.

Grabbing a dusting cloth, I walked over behind Dr. Ivory's desk. It was the most elaborate and intricately designed wall I had ever seen. I began wiping the textured, white pieces slowly. Growing closer, I ran my fingers across the grooves. I knew it was a wall of bones. I think I had known all along but forced to not believe it.

"This is made from all the caged girls that didn't obey, right?" I looked over my shoulder at Bradley, who had removed the trash from the bin in the corner of the space.

"I don't know," Bradley continued to clean.

"Okay." This wasn't the time to pry and push him. Tonight, he had to watch as his sister was forced to marrying some old psychotic man, and there was nothing any of us could do about it.

We cleaned and left the room. Heading down a long, winding hallway, I kept wracking my brain to think of something, anything to say to Bradley. But just as I thought that I could convince Bradley of some genius plan to escape, Mrs. Ivory appeared.

She was wearing a fitted white dress, paired with white gloves to her elbows, and when I studied her hair, my blood froze.

It was one of the wigs I had brushed. One of the wigs made from the girls trapped here.

"Demi! My love! It's your first family wedding tonight. I cannot believe Ian had you cleaning. Foolish man. Come with me; Becca has your outfit and everything. Conrad is simply thrilled to be attending the ceremony with you. Bradley, this one is so special to you, too. Go on and freshen up. We have plenty of people working to make it wonderful." Mrs. Ivory swatted Bradley away while she gripped my wrist tightly.

"No, wait. Bradley!" I called out and tried to wiggle out of her grasp, but she jerked me so hard that I cried out in pain.

"Stop being a silly whore, Demi." Mrs. Ivory's eyes filled with anger as she dug her nails into my tender flesh. "You're going to be my daughter-in-law. You're going to be my Conrad's wife. You better hope we see blood on your wedding night, or we'll make sure you do bleed," she seethed as splatters of her spit hit my mouth.

I didn't even check to see if Bradley had left or was still there. I looked down at Mrs. Ivory's fingernails that were deep in my wrist. She slowly moved her hand off mine, leaving tiny, crescent-like grooves behind.

"Shall we, my darling Demi?" Glancing up at Mrs. Ivory, fear grew inside me as she smiled, pretending like she didn't just say the most terrifying thing.

Was she referring to seeing blood to prove I was a virgin? But most of all, what did she mean by we'll see blood? Being forced to marry Conrad was one thing, but having to lose my virginity in front of his entire family…? No, this had to be a sick joke…

"Demi!" Becca's voice broke me out of the whirlwind of fear and consuming thoughts. I didn't even realize I had made my way with Mrs. Ivory to her room.

"Make her look beautiful. It's her first family wedding, Becca dear." Mrs. Ivory pushed me toward Becca and immediately left.

"Oh, you're going to have the best time. I wish I could attend," Becca chirped as she shoved me into her salon chair.

I was emotionless, yet again; my mind and body felt divided. I wanted to run. A simple act that was completely unattainable in my situation. Even if I could run, there was nowhere to hide. I thought I was hiding here, tucked away from a group of men who profited by selling and abusing women. I thought I was hiding away from the man who essentially forced me to kill my sister. I was forced to put her out of her agonizing pain the same way a vet does to an animal.

But I was never in hiding, and they had found me. Trent and the Ivory family were interconnected. From Nashville to Charlotte, they were all working together.

"How are you enjoying your new hairstyle? I think it's so gorgeous on you, girl!" Becca was moving around me in circles, poking and pulling at my hair and face.

"Becca, you know they're forcing one of those girls… the caged girls, to get married, right? This isn't a wedding you'd want to attend. This isn't a wedding at all…"

Becca began layering makeup on my face with a sponge, humming to herself while completely ignoring me.

"Becca!" I swatted her hand away from my face, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The stress and fear were plastered all over.

"You know what your problem is, Demi?" Becca put her hands on her hips and looked at me with pursed lips. "You don't realize that when you're in a hole, it's already dark. It's already hard to breathe. No one can see you or help you. So why would you scream if you're never going to be heard?"

I sucked in a breath of air as Becca's otherwise optimistic demeanor shifted to one that made me feel all the more nervous.

I was nervous because she was speaking the truth. For once, she wasn't lying to herself or to me.

And that's the thing… the truth will always be more terrifying than a lie. Because the truth can't be altered, but a lie can.