Nightfall ✓

En face

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E n   f a c e

[FRN] facing the audience.

WILHELM HAD SOMETHING in common with her ballet instructors and her mother. He, too, absolutely loathed it when she fell ill. Clo tried to pretend she was fine for the first few days, assuring him that she felt hot because of the weather. But they both knew it was freezing where she was. Wilhelm had a fear of getting too close to her so whenever she spoke too much or he showed kindness, it always followed brutal treatment. Thus, despite being ill, he treated her the same as always.

"What's so special about you?" he asked her as he wiped away the blood from his belt buckle on her mattress. "Why are they searching everywhere for a whore? Are you related to them or something? You better tell no lies."

Over the course of the month, he'd stopped calling her Mrs Beauchamp. He'd stopped calling her anything at all. Clo didn't mind. She liked to be reminded of her existence as less as possible.

His figure was blurry to her as he paced in the dungeon. He'd gotten her medicine one evening but before she could take it, he'd taken it away. He was afraid of being nice to her.

"If anyone's looking for me then you need to leave this place," she murmured as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "They'll kill you if–"

A kick to her side interrupted her. A second later, he was pulling back her hair. "Who said you could speak?"

And just like that, another round of torture started. She didn't have the strength to scream anymore even when he used the buckle. Still, it was her most hated thing he used to hurt her.

Wilhelm was easily irritated these days. He'd let it slip out that his wife was back so she could understand why he lashed out so easily. It was guilt.

Of course, she understood that perfectly.

He left after that, not even bothering to turn off the dim lamp. Clo did not like the light. Over the month, not being able to see much had become a source of comfort. It made her focus a lot on the pain in her body but that was okay. There was solace in her pain. She'd hurt others. She deserved this. Now, with the lamp, she had something else to focus on.

It had been a long time since she'd been out in the sun and enjoyed it. The glow from his lamp reminded her of the sun... and gardening. It was a shame she won't be able to do enjoy those two activities now. But that was okay. The two activities accompanied a ton of others she rather avoid. Like facing Theo and Alec.

She wondered if Alec would be happy with her not needing his money for ballet anymore. Probably. Or perhaps he won't even notice? Varjot was filthy rich. Well, not the whole organisation. Just the top ranking members. It was no secret that money was always unequally distributed in corrupt organisations. Her parents could barely afford to send her to ballet. It was Amara who usually fulfilled her financial needs. At least, she did until Alec came along. But Clo was old enough to get a job by then.

Then there was Theo. Amara had opened a scholarship scheme in Clo's parents' name and that's when she had first met him. Well, not at the event itself. Outside. On the damp pavement where he'd been crouching. It was the first time she'd seen a boy sobbing. And it was the second time she'd fallen in love.

She prayed Theo would never find out Alexander had any involvement in this ordeal. As much as it hurt to admit it, he was happier with Alexander that he'd ever been with her. Who wouldn't he be? The two of them seldom spent a day where they didn't have something to worry about. Alexander could give him the happiness she wouldn't ever be able to.