Chapter 5 Punishment

The cover of the magazine showed her coming out of the suite in a man's clothes and her skirt, looking disheveled in the photo. There were vague signs of hickeys on her neck, and it was suggestive to everyone who read it. Any idiot could deduce what she must have done in the hotel with that kind of photo. The controversial headline read: A woman of the Bennett family had a one-night stand. Not only was Charlotte featured on the cover page, but there were also pictures of her looking wicked drunk inside. The KTV room with dim lighting was packed with people. Everyone was whispering something to someone, and from the angle they were taken, the photos hinted at something sexual. I just got out of the hotel, so how did word get out so fast? She changed into another shirt on the way back, lest her case was exposed, but it was futile in the end. As she plopped down onto the ground, her face was as white as a tombstone, and her hand was trembling. A moment later, the magazine slipped out of her hand, its rustle grating to her ears as if mocking her ineptitude. She couldn't imagine the horror the Bennetts would show her. “I-I...” Charlotte was terrified. She tried to defend herself, but she couldn't even utter a word. What can I say anyway? I did sleep with someone last night. “Don't you have anything to say for yourself, Charlotte?” Eleanor's rage flared at the sight of Charlotte trying to feign weakness, and she slammed the coffee table with the walking cane, cracking it. Fearing for her life, Charlotte trembled as she begged for forgiveness. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please have mercy!” Her heart was pounding in fear. I'm not a virgin anymore. Would she kill me? Everyone in the living room was shocked by Eleanor's outburst, and none dared to speak up on behalf of Charlotte. “You want me to show mercy? Now that's a joke. Your father sent you here and took our money. It hasn't been two days, but you're already hooking up with a random man. Do you think of us as a mere joke? Are you trying to bear a b*stard?” Eleanor's eyes were wide with rage, her clutch slamming against the ground. Charlotte shivered at the mention of the Bennetts, and even her teeth chattered. Biting her lip, she mustered her courage and looked up. Tears welled up in her eyes while she apologized, “I-I'm sorry, but you made the decisions unilaterally. I didn't want to do it. I'll get my father to make the refund, so please let me go. I'm sorry!” Eleanor glared at her grimly, enraged by the fact that she retorted. “You think you can just leave after getting us into this mess? Not a chance. How dare you cheat on Michael? I'm going to teach you a lesson.” Eleanor's chest heaved from her fury while her eyes turned darker, looking like a demon that came from hell. Charlotte was starting to break out in cold sweat at the sight of her. They said the Bennetts show no mercy when they kill. Is she going to kill me? “What are you trying to do?” She tried to back off, but before she could, the servants were already pinning her down. “Ah!” Charlotte almost fainted from shock when she saw Eleanor standing up. There was not a hint of warmth in her eyes as she slowly approached Charlotte. Charlotte could feel her life flashing before her eyes, and every cell in her body was filled with fear. “I didn't come here willingly! I was forced into this! Please don't kill me! I don't want to die! Please let me go. I'll pay off my debt, I promise!” Charlotte begged in tears. She couldn't care anymore, for her life was on the line. All of a sudden, Eleanor gave her a tight slap, almost sending her into oblivion. Charlotte's head turned sideways from the impact, then her face became numb and her ears buzzed. She could even taste the blood in her mouth. “Oh, so now you're fearing for your life? You should have thought about that when you were hooking up. You totally humiliated our family!” Eleanor roared, her eyes bloodshot. Who knew that such an innocent-looking girl is actually a slut? Who does she think she is? I am going to teach her a lesson. Damn hag! How dare she slap me? Does she think I'm easy prey? Charlotte bit her lip and roared, “If you think I'm embarrassing you guys, then let me go! Do you think I want to be here? Ow!” Sh*t, it hurts! “Did you just shout at me, girl?” Eleanor had never been provoked that way before, so she was irked that Charlotte did so. She wanted to slap Charlotte again, but her heart jolted when she met the latter's furious glare. In the end, she put down her hand. However, her anger did not subside. “Take her away!” “Yes!” Then Charlotte was dragged away quickly, much to her shock. “Hey, where are you taking me? Murder is a crime, so you're going to get jailed. Let me go! And human trafficking is a crime too! Help!” But her shouts were futile as the servants dragged her to a room under Edda's instructions and tossed her inside. Then the door was slammed shut behind her, and darkness swallowed her up. Charlotte's head spun from being thrown into the room. Before she could get up, Edda said coldly outside, “Mrs. Bennett wants you to repent. Until you do so, you will be locked in there.” But I have repented! “Keep a close eye on her and don't let her go.” “Yes!” After that, Edda could be heard chastising the guards outside. Only when she had gone away did Charlotte let down her guard and get up with difficulty, but when she looked up, she gasped in shock. Holy crap! They threw me into the ancestral hall? What greeted her were thousands of memorial tablets that were arranged in two rows. She felt as if thousands of souls were watching her, and a chill ran down her spine. Overwhelmed with fear, she patted her chest to calm her pounding heart and blinked her widened eyes as she checked out the building carefully. It was cold and dark inside because the doors and windows were closed. Only the altar had a source of warmth, which came from a feeble candle. The more she stayed there, the eerier she thought the place was, and she could not help but gulp. Why the hell did they throw me here? Are they trying to scare me to death? Then the flame of the candle flickered, and something seemed to glide past her. Charlotte jumped in shock, and then she scrambled toward the door. Her face had turned as white as a sheet by then. “Help! Help!” She slammed the door, sweat drenching her back. “Open the door! Let me out!”