3. Starlight

May watched the building in front of her through the tinted glass of Sean's sports car with wide eyes.

The hotel they were heading to looked luxurious but deserted. With dull paint and a neon sign that look outdated.

In the early days of their marriage, Sean often surprised May with romantic getaways like this. Booking a hotel for a few days just to relax and make love, behaving like a newlywed couple.

He doesn't do it anymore. Money and busyness are the reasons he gives. May understands, of course. That's why she felt uneasy about the surprise Sean was giving her even at a hotel as runndown as this one.

"You don't have to book a hotel for me, Sean," May said. "I'm happy enough that you could spend tonight with me. You don't have to waste money."

May turned her face back to Sean and could see that her comment seemed to hurt his feelings.

"Don't underestimate me, May," he said, frowning. "Just because bussiness is bad doesn't mean I'm broke."

May quickly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sean, I didn't mean to—"

"Don’t worry about it," Sean cut her off abruptly, turning off the car engine. "Come on, let's get out."

Not wanting to make Sean more upset, May complied. She let Sean open the car door for her and lead her towards the hotel entrance.

A muscular security guard in uniform smiled at Sean, nodding, before opening the door for them.

Inside, the atmosphere seemed equally deserted. There was only one receptionist in the lobby, staring at them with a sour expression.

"Did you book the hotel?" May asked Sean.

"Yeah," Sean mumbled, nodding.

They walked past the reception desk and directly entered the elevator. There were many floor it seemed. Sean pressed the top floor button, and the lift began ascending.

When lift arrived, pulling May's waist closer, Sean guided her through the empty hallway with rows of closed doors in either side.

May's eyes widened as she heard moans and groans coming from behind the doors on both sides. It seemed that whoever behind the door were enjoying some

Sean stopped when they arrived at one of the rooms and knocked on the door.

That's when May began to feel her heart beating faster than ever before.

"I thought you booked the hotel, Sean," May whispered to her husband. "Don't you have the key?"

Sean cleared his throat.

"No," he said shortly. "Bruce booked the hotel."

"Bruce?" May's eyebrows immediately furrowed. Before she could ask further, the door opened.

"May!" Bruce exclaimed, arms wide open. "Happy birthday, Baby."

Bruce grabbed May's shoulders and kissed her cheek. Not the kind of kiss appropriate for a birthday celebration with your cousin's wife, but the kind that made May want to push him away and wipe his touch with her hand.

"H-helo, Bruce." Trying to stay calm even though she was starting to feel nervous, May pushed Bruce's chest and only then realized that he was wearing only a bathrobe with a loose tie. "I-I don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing?" Bruce answered May's question with a question. "Waiting for the birthday girl, of course. Come in. Come in."

"W-wait a minute—"

May's sentence was cut off when Sean pushed her into the room.

"Don't forget our deal, Bruce," Sean said to his cousin, completely ignoring the confusion on his wife's face.

"Deal?" May asked, shifting her gaze from Bruce to Sean. "What are you talking about? What deal?"

Ignoring May, Sean repeated his words, "Bruce? Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... I remember. Don't hurt her face and use a condom. Anything else?" Bruce asked impatiently.

"No."

"Good. You can wait outside."

Bruce slammed the door in front of Sean's face and locked it tightly. Only then did he turn to May, who stood stiffly inside the room.

"Now, what shall we do first, Sweetheart?" he asked while squinting his eyes.

May stepped back and looked at Bruce. The man was now grinning wide at her. His small closely set eyes turn thin. May was thinking of running away, but Bruce was a big man, with fat piled on top of his muscular body. May didn’t think she would have the chance to escape.

"W-what's really happening?" May asked, her voice starting to tremble. "What deal are you talking about?"

"You'll know in a moment, Darling," he replied, rubbing his beer belly of a stomach. "But first, would you like a drink? I have wine... whiskey... beer?"

May swallowed hard and forced herself to survey the room she had just entered.

There was no window in the room, which was odd for such a luxurious hotel.

The black marble floor and walls covered with black wallpaper made May's heart tighten with fear. Everything in the room looked eerie and dark. The furniture was minimal and black—only a black wooden table, black leather sofa, and a large bed with a black-colored bedspread.

May tried to hold herself back from trembling as she noticed four iron shackles placed at each corner of the bed.

"No, thank you," May replied, turning her gaze back to Bruce. “I don’t want to drink.”

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked, taking a step closer to May. "Alcohol will make what's about to happen easier to swallow."

"What do you mean—" May's sentence halted when she finally realized what was happening. The reality hit May hard, making her feel dizzy. "D-did S-Sean offered you something?"

Bruce's coarse laughter filled the silence in the room.

"You're smarter than I thought," he answered. "For two hundred thousand dollars, I own you tonight, Sweetheart."

"No. I-I'm not a prostitute. I'm not willing to do this."

Everything seemed to spin in May's sight. She knew she needed to get out of the room. Without waiting for Bruce's reply, May walked past Bruce towards the door. Unfortunately, before her hand could reach the doorknob, Bruce grabbed her waist and pulled her back into the room.

"Bruce! Let me go," May struggled, trying to breathe, but her lungs seemed to stop functioning.

Bruce's laughter sounded rough and cruel.

"Trying to escape already?" he asked in a growl. "Oh, no can do, Sweetheart. I've paid Sean a lot of money. You can't leave until I am dome."

"Please, Bruce," May whimpered in the silent room. "Let me go. Don't do this. I don't know what Sean promised you, but I don't want to be here. L-let me go."

Bruce didn't answer. He just pushed her onto the bed and gripped her wrists so she couldn't move.

"Stop, Bruce!” May begged. She couldn't think clearly. Her whole body shook with fear she had never felt before that night. “You are hurting me... Please, stop!"

Bruce laughed. Low and without emotion, killing every last hope she’s been desperately clinging to. He grind himself against her and May could feel how hard Bruce was.

“Keep whining, Baby,” he said in rough voice. “Can’t you tell the more you fight the more excited I get?”

Tears flew down May’s cheek. She struggled harder and fought. She clawed and kicked, which only made Bruce angry.

Bruce grabbed the handcuff before putting them around May’s wrist.

“No. no. Please don’t do this, Bruce,” May begged with tears running down her face. “This isn’t right. I am married to you cousin. Please let me go.”

He didn’t answered, just running his fingers all over May’s body, feeling and touching. Bruce’s rough hand buched May’s dress and ripped her pantties before tossing them aside. Next, he grabbed the top of her dress and roughly pushed the fabric down including her strapless bra.

May struggled hard against her cuff, only stopped when the pain in her wrists was too much to bear. She sobbed when Bruce cupped her breast roughly while sighning.

“For 200 thousand dollars, I expect bigger breasts. How dissapointing,” Bruce said while lowing his gaze down and gave May’s slit a little slap. “Let’s hope Sean doesn’t loosen you too much.”

“N-no, please,” May forced herself to ask for mercy one last time. But when Bruce took his robe, rolled on a condom and then slamed into her, she knew her chance of escaping were over.