"I'm telling you, it was her," one of the salesgirls whispered, her voice dropping as Tail and Tanya lingered nearby. "The man with her, he wasn't some old sugar daddy. He was young, powerful, the kind of man who looks like he owns the sun. He bought that Two-hundred-million-dollar ring like he was buying a newspaper."
Tail and Tanya exchanged a look and Tanya's jaw tightened. The thought of Evelyn, who should be groveling in the dirt, being "maintained" by a man of that caliber was a bitter pill.
"He's probably some corrupt offshore investor,"
Tail muttered, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of something that looked dangerously like jealousy. "No legitimate businessman would throw money away like that on a disgraced brat."
Tanya smiled looping her arm through his. "Exactly. Let her enjoy her temporary luck. When the man gets bored of her, she'll have nothing but that ring, and we'll make sure no one in this city will buy it from her."
Meanwhile, at the villa, the atmosphere was far from a honeymoon. Evelyn had retreated to her room the moment they arrived, ignoring Michael as she threw her bag onto the bed. She pulled out her new phone, determined to ignore the man who had just "bought" her life.
But Michael Thorn didn't tolerate being ignored. He followed her in, his presence instantly shrinking the room. He snatched the phone from her hand and pulled her against him.
"Why the long face, Mrs. Thorn?" he asked, his voice a low, vibrating silk.
"I just gave you the world on a silver platter."
"You bought me," she snapped, turning her face away. "There's a difference."
Michael didn't argue. He simply tilted her chin up, his gaze raking over her defiant expression before he claimed her lips in a kiss that was less of a request and more of a conquest.
When he finally let her up for air, Evelyn's face was flushed, her heart racing against her will. "You're hateful, Michael. You know that?"
He gave a slow, predatory nod. "I've been told."
"You're some years older than me," she protested, her temper flaring. "You should be letting me lead. You can't just say 'no' to everything I want. You can't ignore my opinions, you can't,"
The man cut her off with a look of dry amusement. "If you have this much energy to argue, perhaps we shouldn't waste the 'wedding night.'"
He didn't wait for her to finish. Before she knew it, she was being carried toward the bathroom.
"Michael! Stop! I'm going to spend every cent you have!" she yelled as he dropped her into the oversized tub. "I'm going to ruin you! I'll divorce you and take half of everything!"
Michael leaned over the edge of the tub, his eyes dark with a promise that made her breath hitch, then declared.
"My wealth could'nt be spent in ten lifetimes, Evelyn. And as for the divorce..." He leaned in, his whisper ghosting over her ear.
"Think again. You're never leaving this house."
The next morning, Evelyn didn't wake up until noon. Her body felt like it had been through a literal storm. She dragged herself to the shower, staring at the fresh marks of Michael's possession, before heading downstairs in her pajamas.
The housekeeper was waiting with a knowing, gentle smile. "Mr. Thorn went to the office early. He gave strict orders that you were to eat a full meal the moment you woke up."
"I'm starving, Mrs. May!" Evelyn admitted, sitting at the table and eating with a ferocity that surprised even herself.
"Eat slowly, dear," The Housekeeper murmured, pouring her a glass of fresh juice. "The Mr... he can be a bit much to handle. I'll be sure to tell him to be more temperate."
Evelyn nearly choked on her juice, her face turning crimson. After finishing her meal, she went back upstairs to change. She found two keys waiting on her vanity: one for the villa, and one for a brand new, pearl white Maserati idling in the garage.
It wasn't her old BMW, the car her father had given her, but it was a statement.
She went back in and logged into her social media for the first time. They waas several messages from dozens of "friends" who had blocked her the moment her father was arrested.
She didn't reply to any of them. Instead, she took a selfie, and posted it with a single caption: "Father, I'm safe. I'm married. I will wait for you."
Then, she began the purge. She deleted every old post, every memory of the "Princess" she used to be. She unfollowed everyone except her father, and Lucy her ex assistant.
The old Evelyn Meyers was dead. Now, Evelyn Thorn was just getting started.
Later that evening, Evelyn met up with Jade, a girl she had rescued from a bad situation years ago. Jade was thin, sharp-witted, and currently working a retail job at the mall to make ends meet.
"You're selling clothes now?" Evelyn asked as they walked. "Why didn't you tell me you needed help?"
"You had enough on your plate, miss Meyers," Jade said, glancing at Evelyn's designer outfit. "Besides, the pay is decent. But you, you look like you just stepped off a runway. Are you sure you want to come hang out at a bar with me?"
"I need a drink, Jade. A real one."
SOHO BAR
After a while, Evelyn stood up, her balance slightly off. She needed to use the restroom. She got there, and after splashing cold water on her face, she felt a bit more grounded. But as she stepped back into the hallway, her heel caught on a stray tile. She tilted sharply to the side.
"Whoa—"
She didn't hit the floor. A pair of hands caught her by the shoulders, steadying her.
"Thank you..." Evelyn started, but the words died in her throat as she looked up.
"Evelyn? Is that really you?"
The voice was like a bucket of ice water. Tail Watson stood there, looking surprised and vilely concerned.
Evelyn's sobriety returned in an instant. She violently shook off his grip. "Don't touch me, It's disgusting."
She turned to walk away, but Tail wasn't finished. He stepped in front of her, blocking the hall. "Evie, listen. Let me explain. The engagement to Tanya Banks, it was my father's idea. Business, you know? But my heart is still with you. Come back to me. I can give you everything you had before, the clothes, the lifestyle, everything except the marriage license for now."
He reached for her hand, his eyes dropping to the delicate red diamond on her finger. His expression turned dark. "Who gave you that? Some old man? Is that where you've been hiding?"
"Tail Watson, I never realized how truly pathetic you were," Evelyn spat, her voice cold as steel. "You want me to be your mistress? Your 'junior'? I'd rather rot on the streets, a starving rat."
She didn't think; she just acted. Her palm connected with his face in a resounding slap that echoed off the hallway walls.
"You ungrateful bitch!" Tail hissed, clutching his cheek. The mask of the "gentleman" shattered, replaced by a petty, treacherous sneer. "I'm trying to give you a lifeline, and you pull this?"
He lunged forward, grabbing her by her long hair. Evelyn cried out in pain as he dragged her toward an empty VIP booth near the restroom.
A few seconds later, in a high rise office, the ding of a message being delivered could be heard in the quiet room. The man situated on the working desk, turns slightly and glances at the phone by his side. His brows furrowed and his expression darkened. He presses a button and summons his assistant. "Pull up the Camera's at SOHO bar and send them to me immediately. Send some men to Escort my wife home and make sure Tail Watson and his useless friends are banned permanently from there. Make sure, to blackball them from all our establishments in the city. "Yes Sir." The assistant replied and went out to carry out the duties assigned to him.
Evelyn barely made it through the night. After the chaos at 'SOHO', she spent the small hours of the morning in a rhythmic battle with the bathroom tiles, the expensive liquors she had drowned down last night, proving to be a vengeful guest. By the time she finally crawled into bed, her head was spinning. She felt someone brush a lock of hair from her face, a ghostly touch that felt like Michael, but she was too far gone to be sure.
Michael Thorn, meanwhile, stood by the bed looking down at his "troublemaker" wife. His expression was unreadable, though his jaw was set tight. He didn't wake her. Instead, he took her phone.
In the silence of his study, Michael added himself to her contacts as "My Husband." He synced their social media, followed her accounts, and downloaded a tracking app, just in case she decided to start another bar brawl. He wasn't interested in sleeping with a drunk, so he spent the rest of the night in his own room, leaving her to the consequences of her choices.
Evelyn didn't resurface until eleven o'clock the next morning. Her head felt like it had been hit by a freight train. After a long shower to wash away the scent of smoke and gin, she wandered downstairs in search of caffeine.
The villa was busier than usual.
"Good morning, Mrs. Thorn" The Housekeeper greeted her, noting the dark circles under her eyes.
"New staff members have been added to the house. The master requested it."
When Evelyn settled down, a calming tea was set in front of her. Honestly,
"Mrs Thorn, that much alcohol is a poison. You should be more careful." The Housekeeper reprimanded softly. To this, Evelyn smiled softly and went on to sip on the Tea in front of her.
After a while, she turned to the housekeeper who stood a few feet away from her.
"Is Michael...?"
"Mr Thorn left at dawn. He did leave word, though: if you plan on going out today, you're to 'report' your destination to him personally."
Evelyn rolled her eyes. Report? He really was treating her like a corporate asset. Still, she realized that if his men hadn''t shown up last night, Tail Watson might have actually succeeded in dragging her into that VIP room.
Upstairs, she checked her phone. The social media storm was still raging. 999+ notifications. Most were "concerned" messages from people who had ghosted her weeks ago. She ignored them all, only replying to Jade, assuring her she was okay.
Then, she noticed a new contact in her list: "My Husband!" She opened the chat, and a smile played across her lips. She typed a quick message:
"Reporting to Me Thorn: I'm going out to find a job and meet Jade."
A reply came back almost instantly: "Where? And why a job?"
"I need my own money. Bye." She tossed the phone into her bag, determined to ignore his inevitable "no."
'Horizon Shopping Complex'
Evelyn refused to drive the Maserati. She didn't want to show up for a retail interview in a car that cost more than the store's inventory. After a long, hot walk and an eventual taxi ride, she arrived at the Complex.
This place used to be owned by the Meyers family. Now, it bore the "Horizon" name under new management. Walking through the doors felt like walking through a graveyard of her past, but she pushed the feeling aside.
Jade worked at a high-end boutique called 'Flamingos.' She had already cleared it with her manager, who was impressed by Evelyn's natural poise and fashion sense, despite her degree in Film and Media, Evelyn knew that no production house would accept her right now. Tanya Banks had seen to that, using her influence to block Evelyn's internships during university. Retail was a start. It was a way to stay busy and away from Michael's suffocating gaze.
"Are you sure about this, Sis Lyn?" Jade whispered as they began their shift.
"There is a lot of standing around and dealing with difficult people." But, Evelyn smiled at her.
"I'm fine, Jade. I need the distraction."
The store hadn't even officially opened for the day, and the air conditioning wasn't on yet. Evelyn spent the morning dusting racks and organizing silk blouses, sweat beading on her forehead. It was a grueling, unglamorous work. The exact opposite of the life she'd known.
When the first customers finally began to trickle in, Evelyn felt a spike of anxiety. What if I see someone I know?
Her intuition was correct. An hour into her first day, the bell chimed, and a woman stepped inside. She was draped in Chanel, her expression one of cold, aristocratic indifference.
It was Mary Donald. The only woman in the city whose beauty was said to rival Evelyn's, and her longest standing social rival.