A Franc or Two - Les Misérables [IN EDITING]

Handkerchief - Chapter 20

As badly as you wanted to go to the dinner, your situation was quick to become dire by noon.

Timeo was holding you by your hair and dragging you into a nearby room— and, telling from his trousers and disgusting look, his intentions were anything but pure.

"You're such a tease, you know that?" Timeo hissed into your ear, not even caring that many of the other whores were watching you. You could easily kiss your reputation goodbye. "Disappearing with other men for days on end... don't think I'm oblivious to what you're doing."

"You're hurting me," you squeaked, trying to free yourself from his grasp.

"You could have made this easier on the both of us," he said. Instead of letting go, however, he gave your hair a sudden tug, and you were quick to whimper and reach to your hair. "You were the one who decided to slip away, weren't you?"

"That's not my fault," you said. Considering the amount of pain you were in, you should have been crying— but you weren't... and you didn't get why.

Timeo immediately spat on your face.

"Don't lie to me," he muttered, finally managing to get you into a room and lock the door. "I know what you've been doing with all those men— you don't think I've seen you running around with others? The one who took you to the library, and—"

"Please— stop it," you whimpered. Thanks to the amount of pain you were in, you could hardly listen to Timeo's threats... so, to your great surprise, he was quick to let you go...

But then he decided to shove you into the wall.

Your head began to throb horribly, but Timeo still didn't seem satisfied— he was quick to wind back his cane and strike you across the face with it.

Your mouth started to taste like iron.

"Listen to me, you blowse," he said, using his body weight to keep you against the wall. "You're not leaving until I say so."

Your bottom lip began to tremble, but you refused to cry.

"I hate you," you muttered through clenched teeth.

Timeo leaned in closer, that same, sickly grin on his face— he got some sort of sick pleasure in seeing you like this.

"What was that?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow expectantly.

Just as he had spat on your face, you spat right back on his.

"I said, 'I hate you!'" you shouted, trying to muster up the strength to push him away from you again. You out up one hell of a struggle— you kicked, screamed, and almost bit him... but he didn't budge.

He just grinned even more.

"I'll make you think twice before saying that."

He was quick to strike you multiple times with his cane, and you were almost certain that you were going to be covered in painful bruises— which, for future reference, you would probably have to say were hickeys in case any costumers asked.

He stopped only when the door opened.

A man— whom you hardly recognized— walked in... and telling from his clearly expensive taste in clothing, he was clearly an influencer.

"Monsieur, what is going on in here?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

You managed to gulp for air, hardly realizing you had held your breath for that whole time. You collected yourself and, yet again, managed to keep from crying.

"Mademoiselle?" he asked. He peeked behind Timeo to make eye contact with you, and you had never felt more embarrassed in your entire life.

You spoke up before Timeo would.