Aoife struggled like a fish on a cutting board, knowing she couldn’t escape death, and she lifted her foot to give Finn a heavy kick.
After a moment of relaxation, her body rolled to the ground, seeking help from others around her since Finn was not an option.
“Please stop, please don’t do this…”
Those people were like puppets, showing no emotions.
Finn was angered by the kick, naturally cold-hearted and always calling himself a villain. In his worldview, no one could resist him.
Aoife’s repeated resistance made him lose his mind completely, and after pulling her back, he slapped her directly.
*Smack*
The slap was so loud that it almost stunned Aoife, leaving a bright red slap mark on her face and a warm sensation on her nose as her nose started bleeding uncontrollably.
Ignoring the burning pain on her face, Aoife bit down hard, gripping her fingers tightly, digging into her flesh. Though they say the heart hurts when fingers are hurt, she felt no pain because the hurt to her face was a thousand times worse than any physical pain.
Seeing the blood on her face, Finn’s anger subsided. He gently wiped her nosebleed with his thumb and said, “I told you not to provoke me. I don’t want to hurt you. Why don’t you listen? It’s not the first time I’ve touched you. Is it necessary to react this way? As long as you behave well, this video won’t be released.”
“As long as you behave well, I will preserve your ridiculous dignity.”
Dignity? Did she even have dignity? Being bullied like a dog, stripped naked for everyone to see.
Aoife had no strength left to resist, but Finn thought it was not enough. Grabbing her chin, facing the camera, he said, “Who are you pretending to be dead for? Aren’t you an actress? Can’t you even fake a smile?”
Aoife’s eyes were lost, her heart felt like it was being torn to pieces, aching with every beat.
Finn couldn’t stand her lifeless appearance, and his grip tightened, “You’re like a dead fish. With your body, you don’t feel a thing. Is Ethan satisfying you?”
That question was unpleasant for Aoife to hear. He didn’t even love her himself, but couldn’t resist the sarcasm.
Ethan and Aoife were like thorns in his heart, something that should have been removed, but he couldn’t help but push them deeper. It was a masochistic pleasure.
“You won’t be free anymore. You used to like me, right? Now I’ll grant your wish. You’re worthy of being my plaything in bed. Serve me every day, do my laundry and cook for me, put away your pathetic pride. Are you even capable of saying no? I bet you won’t dare to find other men now.” Finn was always a sadist, not just physically tormenting Aoife but also mentally, making her feel worthless.
In Aoife’s muffled cries, the camera clicked incessantly, capturing the shameful scene under the flashing lights.
Aoife wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. What was all this?
She had liked Finn for a year, from cautiously liking him to desperately hopeless.
At first, Finn was very kind to her. He didn’t mind her background, took her to many places for dates, supported her dreams, and funded her education. But his temper worsened over time, and she knew she was just a substitute.
Even so, she was willing to be a substitute, because she loved Finn.
But she never expected that this love would drag her into a place of no return.
She realized her mistake now. She shouldn’t have been a substitute, shouldn’t have fallen for Finn.
She couldn’t love this man, and she dared not.
But other than that, she had never done anything wrong, content with what she had, enduring silently. She just wanted to live the rest of her life quietly with kindness, never wronging anyone. Yet, the malice of the world never left her alone.
From the bed to the bathroom, then to the sofa, the photography team followed closely behind, silently, communicating only with gestures.
Some felt uncomfortable, but what could they do? They were just there to work. Faced with Finn, who dared to argue back?
This world was simple yet cruel – survival of the fittest. Faced with the strong, one could only bow their heads. After all, you couldn’t twist an arm stronger than a leg.
After everything settled down, Finn sat on the sofa, holding Aoife in his arms. Aoife wore a bathrobe, revealing that not a single piece of her skin was unharmed.
Finn didn’t mind these people seeing Aoife’s body. They were there because of him, and as long as the job was done, he only cared about the results. He could be ruthless to achieve his goals.
Just watching, not touching, Finn wasn’t that selfish. He knew his feelings for Aoife were about control, not possession. There was some fondness, but it never reached the depth of love.
Or, more accurately, it was habit. Used to having someone devoted to serving him with no expectations, the thought of her being with other men made him uncomfortable. Having Aoife by his side was better.
His hands had been tied by a tie, the two delicate wrists pale and bruised due to poor blood circulation, a red circle and bruises visible on her wrists.
The blood on Aoife’s face had been cleaned up, her face pale and almost transparent, seeming to disappear under the flashing lights.
Finn held her like a doll, glancing at the bruises on her wrists. He untied the tie, touched her wrists softly, and asked in a gentle voice, “Does it hurt?”
His gentle tone, paired with his face, was completely different from the wolf-like predator from earlier. He was too good at disguising himself.
Finn brought out a tube of ointment and carefully applied it to Aoife’s wrists, showing some tenderness. After all, she was a rare plaything he had acquired, and damaging her would not be good. He wanted to play with her a bit longer.
Seeing Aoife remain silent, just smiling, he didn’t force her, knowing her voice must be hoarse after all that screaming.
He motioned for the crew to bring the video over.
The video was copied to a tablet, taking quite some time as it was divided into several segments for storage. After filming, the next step would be to spend a lot of time editing to perfect the footage, creating a complete work.
Finn took the video and placed it in front of Aoife, forcing her to watch.
After such a humiliating ordeal, Aoife had no desire to see her former self on screen, closing her eyes tightly, enduring the sour pain.
Seeing her cowardly avoidance, Finn inadvertently chuckled.
He turned up the volume on the video, admiring it while giving suggestions.
“This angle is good… this one works too. Aoife, I never knew you had such talent as an actress. Look at how good you look in this scene, crying so charmingly, your voice sounds so lovely. Do you hear clearly, Aoife?”