You are a Disgrace

Book: CEO's Beguiling Desire

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CHAPTER 1 - You are a disgrace

POW! 1

The deafening sound of the slap resounded in the entire hall, bringing an eerie silence to the once vibrant place.

Amidst that, a young lady dressed in a water-coloured gown, draping her form with an elegance that appeared to have been meticulously crafted solely for her, stood wide-eyed as her left hand clutched tightly to her left cheek.

The sharp sting from the slap that connected with her face spread across her cheeks with a burning sensation, setting every cell on her skin on fire.

But that wasn't what hurt her the most.

"You're useless!" The man who had rendered her the unapologetic slap thundered above her; his brown eyes bore deeply into her with such murderous intensity as his towering form added more dread to the tension.

The young lady's heart broke into a million pieces hearing those words come out of his lips.

One would have thought she'd be used to it by now, but still, nothing changed. Those particular words and worse had been heard times without numbers.

Still, when it was said, it felt as though she had been transported to the first day, she heard him say so—the day their marriage crumbled.

However, unlike other times, this was much worse.

Staring at her with sharp eyes like those of a thousand bats were several guests from the high end of society, all attendees of the Watchnight/New Year Party, hosted by the mighty Blaise Family.

Her husband's family.

"I shouldn't have married you," he added, his voice laced with disdain.

How terrible could it get?

But before she could process anything further, he continued, "You are nothing but a low-class whore. A woman not worthy of bearing the Blaise family name."

She blinked back her tears, her hand slowly dropping to her side as she stared at him in confusion and pain.

"You think I wouldn't know what you did, huh, Diane?"

Her eyes glossed, and tears threatened to spill. He had been abusive before, but never to the point of hitting her and insulting her publicly.

The disgrace was too much for her.

She took a step backwards, her brain struggling to keep up with the accusations, insults, and scenarios when he hollered once more.

"Are you going to deny it still? Or do you think I wouldn't know your sinister plot of drugging yourself and framing the situation to bed me all because you wished to marry me and have me take responsibility for your pregnancy?"

Unable to bear the accusation, Diane asked, stammering, "W-What are you saying?"

"Exactly what needs to be said. You are nothing but a whore. A mistake and a liability. You are a disgrace to my family name, and I should never have..."

She mentally blocked out his remaining insults as several voices began to ring out in her head.

'You're useless.'

'You are nothing.'

'A cheap slut.'

'You'd never be good.'

'There's nothing good about you.'

'You're a burden.'

'I wish I had never accepted you.'

'Can't you do anything right?'

Her heart broke, recalling all the words he used to say to her, and she took another step backwards.

The gown caressed her every curve, accentuating her sharp features and undeniable allure.

Her lustrous mane of hip-length red hair cascaded down her back like a bloody waterfall, and her soul-piercing blue eyes held a depth that seemed to pierce through the very existence of one's being.

Amidst that beauty lay a deep sorrow that had no end.

Her delicate, rose-tinted lips trembled ungracefully, mirroring the dread within her. Dread not from the hateful gazes that were shot at her but from a particular one she wasn't sure she could handle—her father.

Ever since she was a child, pleasing and making one man proud had been her goal.

She thought she achieved that when she agreed to the arranged marriage to save her father's company and the Stone family name.

Sadly, by agreeing to that and the circumstances that surrounded their union, what was once a loving marriage ended up being this—a vicious nightmare.

"You even paid someone that night to drug you and make it look like an unfortunate incident. How could you be so sinister and vile, Diane? How dare you?"

Her brows knitted suddenly, and to his surprise, she glared at him, mixed with confusion.

It was one thing to be accused of what he said, but for Diane, adding the fact that she paid someone, that was an extreme she wouldn't go to.

"Who told you that, James?" She questioned it sharply rather than planned.

"Who?" Her actions only succeeded in irking him, and he rained again.

"That's what you are concerned about? You should consider how to compensate the Blaise family for the past years filled with lies and your sinister ways. Your family should be ashamed of you!" he declared, his tone commanding attention.

His words shattered the jovial atmosphere in the room, which sank into deeper silence. Diane's heart pounded, her anxiety building as she feared what would come next.

Subconsciously, she swept her gaze around, her eyes taking in the grand ballroom glittering with decorations and vibrant bursts of colour.

Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting a cascade of shimmering light that danced across the polished marble floor.

The guests, all dressed in their most elegant attire, had come ready to mingle and laugh, toasting to the promises of the year to come, but instead, they were met with this fiasco. The failure of her marriage.

She had been looking forward to this night, hoping it might rekindle the fading spark in her marriage. What she didn't know was the doom that came with it.

James straightened himself, his eyes lingering on the guests before settling back on her.

"You've deceived me from the very beginning, and I married you to help your family," James continued, his voice filled with contempt. "But I will no longer allow you to ruin my life."

James' accusations hung heavy in the air, staining her reputation and dignity.

"You're nothing but a tramp," he spat, his words dripping with venom. "You thought you could trap me into this marriage, but I can see through your deceit."

Diane's world crumbled around her. She knew there was no explaining to exonerate herself while the guests exchanged uncomfortable glances, and glares were sent her way.

To them, she could not deny it, meaning it was all true.

"I want you gone and out of my life. You are a disgrace!"

She had always endured James' harsh words in private, but now he had chosen to humiliate her in the cruellest way imaginable.

This was too much.

At the same time, they heard the countdown outside the hall as everyone waited for the big time of the year—the same period she allowed herself to hope for.

Unlike most people, her bitter reality hit her in the face before the New Year began, shattering her every hope.

"Three... two..." the crowd chanted in unison, their voices rising with excitement. "One... Happy New Year!" The cheers erupted as the clock struck midnight.

With a heavy heart and her pride shattered, Diane turned and walked away from the party, leaving behind mockery, scorn, and disappointment.

She knew she would have to face her father sooner or later, but right now, all she wanted was an escape from the hell she called life.

Standing outside the hall with fireworks displayed over her head, Diane lifted her head as the tears she had been holding finally spilt free, rolling down her cheeks.

"It's over."

She exhaled softly, but the heaviness in her chest did not go away.