Edward Cullens face was a thundercloud as he sat in his wheelchair, his gaze sweeping over the scene of Claire and Jamie Fraser. With a cold snort, he dismissed the situation with a single word: "Pathetic."
"No, its not what it seems..." Claire stammered, desperate to explain herself.
Edward turned to Jamie with a chilling remark. "Soiled, shes yours now."
Jamie grinned with a hint of defiance as he pulled Claire closer. "Thanks, cousin, Ill enjoy her company."
Edwards expression darkened further at the sight of Jamies hands on Claire. Without a word, he spun his wheelchair around and left the room. Claire watched his retreating back, tears streaming down her face.
Once Edward was out of sight, Jamie pushed Claire away with disgust. "Why did you do this?" Claire shouted, her anger mixing with her despair.
Jamie lifted her chin, his eyes filled with malice. "Because youve made enemies."
Dazed and furious, Claire returned to the Cullen estate only to be told she was not allowed to enter. With a deep breath, she fell to her knees at the front gate.
The fine rain drenched her, and her lips trembled from the cold. Her knees went numb from the long hours of kneeling, but Edward still refused to see her.
As night fell and the rain stopped, Claire could no longer hold herself up and collapsed into the puddles. Through her blurred vision, she saw Edward approaching in his wheelchair.
He used his cane to lift her chin. "Leave, youre soiling the Cullen doorstep," he said coldly.
Claire crawled over and pressed her forehead against his feet. "Mr. Cullen, I was framed, please dont make me leave."
Edward pushed her away with his cane, his voice as frigid as the winter night. "Very well, if you wish to stay, dont say I didnt warn you."
With a flick of his wrist, two men appeared and dragged Claire to a vehicle. They drove off and soon arrived at a place called Pleasure Town.
Claire was ushered into a private room filled with young men and women entwined in embraces. Edwards arrival drew all eyes, and the room buzzed with teasing remarks about the woman he brought with him.
"Look whos here, and with such a unique taste," one of the young men joked.
Edward responded with a cold smile. "Unfortunately, shes quite unruly. Redman, come here and teach her some manners."
A woman named Redman sashayed forward, her demeanor oozing seduction. "What kind of manners does Mr. Cullen wish to teach?"
"The art of serving, of course," Edward replied.
Redman sensed Edwards disdain for Claire and deduced that she must have crossed him. With this in mind, she formed a plan.
"If were talking about serving, dear, why dont you start by taking off those wet clothes of yours?"
Her suggestion was met with cheers from the onlookers, all chanting, "Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!"
Claire stood by the door, biting her lip so hard it bled, her eyes pleading with Edward for rescue. But he remained indifferent, sipping his drink and offering no reprieve.
Her face turned ashen as her hands trembled, hesitating to unbutton her clothes. Though she had been treated as less than human her whole life, this public humiliation was too much to bear.
She wished with all her heart that Edward would intervene, but she had underestimated his cruelty. He swirled the wine in his glass and coldly commanded, "What are you waiting for? Take it off!"
Claires body shook uncontrollably. Did he despise her so much that he would subject her to such public degradation? With a final glance at Edward, her eyes filled with tears, she began to undo the buttons on her coat. With a flick of her wrist, her outer layer fell away, leaving her in a soaked white blouse.
The wet fabric clung to her body, revealing her form to the leering eyes of the men in the room. Whistles and catcalls filled the air, urging her to continue.
With a crack, Edward slammed his glass down on the table. "Everyone out!" he commanded, his violent mood causing the atmosphere to shift.
The room cleared quickly, leaving only Edward and Claire alone. The tension was palpable.
Edward maneuvered his wheelchair to face Claire, a cold smile on his lips. "Claire Randall, youre that desperate?"
Claire fought back the tears, her silence a testament to the fact that someone like him could never understand the depths a person would go to just to survive.
Seeing her silence, Edwards anger grew. He pointed to a bottle of high-proof liquor on the coffee table. "Want to stay by my side? Drink it, and I might consider it."
Claires face turned pale at the sight of the bottle. She had never drunk alcohol, and the consequences of downing an entire bottle were unimaginable. But she was out of options; she needed to appease Edwards wrath.
She stepped forward, twisted the cap off the bottle, and without a second thought, tipped it back and drank half of it in one go. The liquor burned her throat and churned her stomach.
"Is that all youve got?" Edward taunted.
Claire suppressed the urge to vomit and, gritting her teeth, drained the rest of the bottle. The alcohol hit her hard, making her head spin and her legs wobble.
She collapsed in front of Edward, the bottle upside down, and asked with a flushed face, "Mr. Cullen, is that enough?"
Suddenly, an unusual heat rose from her abdomen. Her eyes, filled with desire, watered as she reached for Edward, touching his belt.
Edward looked at the woman writhing in his arms, his face darkening as he glanced at the empty bottle.
Damn it! The liquor had been drugged!
Watching her seductive expression, he grabbed her hands that were roaming everywhere.
"Claire Randall, you should really see what a vulgar look you have now," Edward said coldly.
The last bit of reason in Claire made her heart ache, but she couldnt control herself. She wanted him!
Edward pushed Claire away, picked up a small bucket of ice on the table, and splashed it on her.
"Hot? Ill help you cool down," he said.
The ice cubes splashed on her, making her scream, but it did sober her up a bit.
But Edwards voice was colder than the ice cubes: "Claire Randall, your pitiful look is really disgusting."
Claire sat among the ice cubes, shivering, too pained to even cry.
What did she do wrong? Why has she been subjected to such inhuman humiliation since she was born.
Those were clearly not her faults.
She just wanted to live well, why was it so difficult?
Claire couldnt bear the double torture of body and mind and fainted...