Chapter 20: Chapter 20

"No, ma'am. I can't say that I do." Jessica said, lifting her chin in defiance, but she was unable to control the small tremor that shook her bony frame. How on earth did this woman know about it?

"It wouldn't have to do with the fact that you were shagging a man who was old enough to be your father while dating Sebastian all because you wanted quick cash and the man promised you heaven and earth until James got wind of what you were doing?"

At this, Jessica's eyes filled with tears and she averted her gaze from that of Charlotte.

"Are you going to tell him then? Is that how you plan to hurt him?"

"No, of course not. I am no tattletale. Sebastian has done no wrong to me so I have no wish to hurt him at all. It is the uncle I'm after. Besides, who am I to judge you? We've all done things we're not proud of at one time or the other. In your case, I know you needed the man to break you into the modeling world and that was why you did what you did. That's a noble reason if you ask me." Charlotte finished, her eyes twinkling, but Jessica could see the evil in them and she shuddered inwardly and looked away.

"Now," Charlotte continued with an evil smirk. It was very clear that she was enjoying herself tremendously. "I guess it did not help your plight one bit after you had the galls to approach Sebastian's uncle himself and offer to have sex with him if he would help your career after the old man that you were shagging failed to help you. You're very passionate about your goals, I see."

"I was drunk and stoned out of my skull, you bitch. What the fuck do you want from me?" Jessica ground out through gritted teeth, momentarily forgetting where she was and who she was talking to, but Charlotte did not seem to be offended. Instead, she smiled again and Jessica could not help but stare at her crooked front teeth. She was fast beginning to hate this Charlotte person and her sickening smile.

"We'll get there in a moment. I just want to cover all my bases first. I know you've been living in a cage all this while with no contact with the outside world whatsoever. In fact, I'm surprised that you're still sane, but if you have survived what you went through these past few months, then it is a given that you're a very strong person and that you will suit my purposes very well. You'll be rewarded quite handsomely, of course." Charlotte said, pausing dramatically to allow her words to sink into Jessica's head and watching her for her reaction. Jessica only stared at her evenly without saying anything, wishing that Charlotte would just get all this over and done with so she could begin to plan how she could get back in Sebastian's arms without him ever knowing any of the things she had done, at least until they got married and was all hers. She had no doubt that Mr. James would keep his mouth shut. That man would not do even the slightest thing to hurt his nephew, but now that this bitch in front of her knew her secrets, she wasn't too sure that she was safe.

"I know everything I have been saying has been falling on deaf ears and you are still plotting how to run straight into Sebastian's arms as soon as you get out of here. I would like to burst your bubbles with great pleasure. Your beloved Sebastian is happily married." Charlotte informed Jessica when it was apparent that the latter had nothing to say.

"That's not possible," Jessica replied with the confidence of someone who knows what she is saying.

"Is it now?" Charlotte queried, and gestured at the man who had been standing quietly in the room all this while. The man seemed to understand what she wanted even though she did not communicate with him with words. He moved toward a big table in the room and produced a magazine, along with a parcel. Charlotte took them from him and presented first the magazine for Jessica's perusal.

Jessica took it and glanced at it in disbelief for what seemed to be an eternity while Charlotte watched her with a small smile on her face.

"No...no. Why?"

"I told you Sebastian doesn't love you. You thought you were playing him, but he was playing you too. To think that you guys have dated for over six years and he did not think to put a ring on it but has married another woman within six months of you being gone." Charlotte said, shaking her head in mock sympathy and disbelief.

Jessica was still glancing at the magazine in shock and dismay with tears rolling down her cheeks. Right there on the front page of the stupid magazine was the face she had dreamt of every day for the past six months and longed to see smiling happily. He was standing beside a droll-looking woman who did not even seem so happy to be getting married, but the fact remained that Sebastian was happy and smiling.

Jessica could not process the abject dejection and betrayal she felt on seeing this image. Sure, she had made some incredibly stupid mistakes, but that did not mean that she did not love Sebastian. She loved him to bits and had been defending him on the night she got kidnapped, but it seemed that he cared little for her and her sacrifices.

"Here. There are more pictures." Charlotte said, handing over the parcel to her. Jessica removed the pictures from the envelope as though in a dream and sifted through them one by one, her heart breaking with each one. There were different ones of him and the ugly bitch that he had married. In these pictures, she looked better, and she was also smiling at the camera, although some of the smiles looked a little forced, which was probably because of nerves and stress. There were other pictures of them too, but Jessica could not stomach looking at these pictures. So she had been here all these while suffering because of that bastard and he was busy shagging and getting married to another woman instead of coming to save her? The thought was extremely disgusting and repulsive to her. There were also pictures of Sebastian laughing with his uncle, and looking very happy. The uncle looked extremely proud of himself and Jessica could just imagine why.

"Wait. You said before that Sebastian's family has persuaded my parents to believe that I'm dead. What exactly does that mean?"

"It means exactly what you think it means. It was Sebastian's uncle who asked me to kidnap you and torture you to death because he believes that you are not fit to marry his nephew."