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Bradley had his arm intertwined with his little sister’s and walked so slow, it didn’t even seem like they were moving. As soon as they reached the pews, Daisy’s face changed. She looked over at us and smiled.
She smiled so big, I could have sworn she was actually happy. But I knew the truth. Sometimes it’s not the number of tears we shed that measure our pain… sometimes it’s the number of smiles we forge.
She looked back at her older brother and gave him a look of reassurance, but he saw right through it. As soon as they reached Mason and Dr. Ivory, Bradley clutched his sister’s arm tighter.
“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Dr. Ivory boasted loudly. The girls, or bridesmaids, all shook slightly at his voice. And it occurred to me, this was the first time they were hearing noise. The first time they were seeing more than white walls. Each of them had smiles plastered onto their faces, but unlike Daisy, theirs weren’t fake or forced. Theirs were genuine. In some sick way, this was freedom to them. This was a happy place and event.
“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Dr. Ivory repeated. Bradley looked down at his sister, his eyes tinged with red as one single tear rolled down his cheek, crushing my soul.
“Me. Her older brother.” His voice cracked as he said the four simple words that had to have destroyed him.
Daisy gave him a quick hug before eagerly placing her hands into Mason’s. If I didn’t know the back story, I’d have assumed this was an actual love-based marriage. That this was one of those mega age-gap stories—maybe the girl had some daddy issues, or maybe he was filthy rich and she was a gold digger—but here, I knew. I knew this was the most disturbing, forced marriage in which Daisy was completely brainwashed to become submissive through torture and abuse.
Bradley turned and sat back down next to me, and the room grew even darker. The only light was now on Daisy and Mason as Dr. Ivory read some scriptures. Looking down at Bradley’s hands, I saw them tremble. It was the first time I saw him scared. And it frightened me.
Reaching over, I snuck my hand into his and squeezed. Another tear rolled down his face, and I wished so badly that I could wipe it away. But more than that, I wished I could wipe away the cause of the tears.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SEVEN
The wedding ceremony went by in a blur, and I didn’t even hear a word. But then when Mason dipped Daisy down and smothered her in a sloppy kiss, a part of my heart shriveled up. I looked over at Bradley and his jaw clenched.
“Now, Daphne will be guiding you both lovebirds to the holy room, and the rest of us will shift to the viewing area to complete the marriage of Mr. Mason and Mrs. Daisy Davenport.” Dr. Ivory nodded at his wife, who immediately stood and ushered the couple out of the area.
Bradley gripped my hand so tightly, I squirmed in pain.
“Come, sweetheart.” Conrad stood and slid his hand into mine to guide me in the dark to a different room. Bradley stood and followed behind us.
Once in the other room, I wheezed audibly in shock. There was a glass wall and movie theater-style recliners. Daisy and Mason were in the adjoining room, and we could see them through the glass. This was the room you could see from Dr. Ivory’s office. My heart began pounding against my chest as sweat grew in the crook of my neck.
There was now a large, king-sized bed covered in all white sheets, and in the middle of it laid a small white towel.
“What is this?” I wiggled out from Conrad’s embrace and grabbed Mrs. Ivory’s shoulder, forcing her to turn toward me. “What the fuck is this? How can you let this happen? You… you should feel for these girls!” I screeched. The other caged girls had all taken their seats, and behind them sat the group of men with their binders.
“How… how can you do this? How can you people be this sick? And forcing Bradley to watch this?” I cried out, waving my hands wildly.
But just as I turned to Conrad, he lifted his hand and slapped me so hard across my face, I fell to the ground, clutching my burning cheek. A moment later, his shiny black shoe slammed into my ribcage, knocking the wind out of my lungs. “Behave yourself, bitch,” he growled angrily. I lifted my eyes and looked at the man I would be forced to marry.
“What the hell?” Conrad screamed as Bradley jerked him back and punched him in the face.
“Oh, my heavens!” Mrs. Ivory yelled as she attempted to tug Bradley off Conrad. Conrad’s face was covered in blood, and Bradley didn’t look like he intended on slowing down.
“Bradley!” I forced myself up and grabbed his arm, stumbling back with him.
Conrad stood with the help of his mother and spat out blood-tinged saliva. “Oh, you just wait… Mother, I have to speak with Mason for a moment. I have a wedding gift for him to use in the holy room,” Conrad said spitefully, then left the room.
Bradley’s face grew pale as he realized the magnitude of what he had done. Guilt panged me as he lifted my chin up. “Are you okay, Demi?” he choked out.
I began to cry. I didn’t care that the room was full of people watching us as if we were on the trailer to a movie they were eager to watch.
“No, I’m not okay,” I whispered.
“It’s okay to not be okay,” he murmured before Mrs. Ivory broke us apart.
“Bradley, you are so lucky Mason hired you as a part of the package. If not, I’d bury you alive in the peony garden myself for laying a hand on my beautiful Conrad,” she threatened, then turned to me. “And you… I’m starting to think Ian was right. You may just need to be a caged girl after all. I believe Conrad may have chosen you as the favorite girl prematurely.”
Thoughts of being a caged girl filled my mind and I panicked. “What? No…”
