Chapter 4
The water had barely begun to run when urgent knocking sounded on the bathroom door.
“Who is it?” Winona called out, already knowing who it was.
Felicia’s hushed voice came through the door. “Winona, it’s me. Let me in, quick!”
Felicia had gone to the trouble of charming Chad into coming here. He was just as sleazy as she’d anticipated, getting handsy on the way over. As soon as they got to the room, he was ready to pounce on her on the bed.
To get rid of him, Felicia had made an excuse about needing a shower. Her plan was to get Winona out of the bathroom, lock the door from the inside, and keep Chad from bothering her.
Winona grinned mischievously and spoke in a goofy tone. “Felica, Mom and I are still in the shower, bubbles everywhere. Give us a sec, okay?”
Felicia’s voice rose with urgency. “Can you just open the door and let me she pleaded, but she didn’t get to finish her
sentence.
Winona cut her off with a dramatic groan. “Uh–oh, my stomach’s killing me. Gotta hit the toilet,” she exclaimed.
“Winona!” Felicia was about to snap when suddenly, Chad’s arms wrapped around her from behind. She let out a scream, her heart racing.
Chad’s hands were all over the place as he swept Felicia off her feet and rushed towards the bedroom. “What are you doing?” Felicia shouted, her voice edged with fear. “I haven’t even showered yet!”
“Your shower can wait!” Chad flung Felicia onto the large double bed and hungrily pressed his lips to hers.
Felicia was in a frenzy, attempting to scream for help. But Chad had a tactic for dealing with resistance.
He produced a pill from his pocket and deftly placed it on her tongue, a self–satisfied grin spreading across his face. Soon, Felicia, who had been fighting back, found herself powerless to resist and succumbed to him.
Winona, in the bathroom, heard the ruckus from the bedroom. She glanced calmly at her reflection in the mirror. After a moment’s thought, she decided to leave the garish makeup untouched.
Pretending to be someone who’d just stepped out of the shower without washing her face, she draped herself in a loose bathrobe and eased open the bathroom door.
As she stepped into the bedroom, she spotted the couple engrossed on the bed. Feigning shock, she said, “Felicia, what’s going on here? Is this old guy hurting you? Don’t worry. I’ll get someone to help you get rid of him.”
Without waiting for Felicia to respond, she quickly dashed out of the room.
Winona’s voice jolted Felicia back to reality. Panic set in as she tried to call out to stop her, but Winona was already gone.
Terrified, Felicia fought to push Chad off, but he was incredibly strong–likely from the aphrodisiac she’d given him earlier. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t break free.
As Chad saw Felicia’s struggle, he forced another pill into her mouth. Suddenly, Felicia’s resistance faded, and she was once again disoriented, the urgency of her situation slipping from her mind.
Winona hurried back to the bedroom, leading Travis, her dad Leonard Mosley, and a group of guests. They all came to an abrupt halt at the doorway, stunned by the sight of Felicia, seemingly enjoying herself with Chad.
The room fell silent as everyone gaped at the odd scene. Guests exchanged glances. ‘Isn’t Felicia the Mosleys‘ favorite?‘ they
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Chapter 4
wondered What’s she doing with that old guy?
Leonard stood there, dumbfounded. To him, Felicia had always been the picture of sweetness and grace. He couldn’t fathom how his cultured, well–mannered daughter had ended up in such a compromising position with an older man in Winona’s
rooth
Travis couldn’t believe his eyes; his mind was reeling. Felicia, the girl he’d always seen as pure and loyal to him, was now entangled with a man old enough to be her grandfather. He was completely taken aback.
Winona, seemingly oblivious to the collective astonishment, piped up in an innocent, almost foolish tone, breaking the silence. “Travis, Daddy, that awful old man is hurting Felicia. She’s crying out in pain. Come on, help her get away from him. Don’t just stand there!”
The room exchanged glances at Winona’s words. They silently judged her. ‘What a dummy. Can’t she tell the difference between a moan and a cry?‘
Leonard snapped out of his shock as soon as Winona spoke, quickly shielding her eyes from the scene. His anger flared, and he barked orders at the bodyguards, “Get those two apart right now!”
Travis felt the impulse to join the bodyguards in their rush, but he remembered the image he had to maintain–a man deeply in love with Winona. So, he held back, staying rooted to the spot.
His eyes blazed as he fixed his gaze on Felicia, his fists clenched so hard that his nails bit into his skin, drawing blood. Betrayal was the one thing he despised the most. Felicia betrayed him, and he wasn’t about to let it slide.
The bodyguards struggled to separate Felicia and Chad as they clung to each other. Leonard’s fury grew. He bellowed at the guards, “Dump water on them!”
A bodyguard swiftly returned with a bucket of water and splashed it over the couple. Felicia and Chad were drenched instantly, looking like a couple of drowned rats. The cold shower brought them back to their senses, leaving them both flustered and mortified.
Facing Leonard’s thunderous look, along with the guests‘ shock and Travis’s glare, Felicia felt terror seize her. She quickly wrapped herself in a blanket and, with urgency in her voice, tried to explain, “Dad, please, let me explain-”
Winona didn’t let Felicia finish. She dashed over, clutching Felicia’s arm, a goofy grin plastered on her face. “Felicia, you don’t have to say anything. We all saw that old guy hit you. Don’t sweat it. Dad will make him pay for it.”
Turning to Leonard, she pressed urgently, “Dad, we gotta get our guys to show that nasty old man what’s what. He messed with Felicia, and he’s got to face the music.”
Chad’s face paled at Winona’s accusations, and he quickly defended himself. “Mr. Mosley, it was Felicia who made the first
move.”
Chad’s words only fueled Leonard’s rage. He stormed over to Felicia and slapped her across the face with a resounding crack. Her head jerked to the side, a red handprint blossoming on her cheek.
“Felicia, I’m beyond disappointed,” Leonard growled, his voice tight with anger. “I’ve treated you like one of my own. How could you sink so low as to entice a man old enough to be your grandfather?
“Ever since your mom brought you into the Mosley family, I’ve tried to raise you with dignity. Is this the life you want?” Winona, who was intellectually disabled, was often in Felicia’s shadow. Folks figured Felicia was Leonard’s kid, with her looks and smarts. He never bothered to set them straight, feeling too ashamed to admit Winona was his own flesh and blood.
But now, on his birthday, Felicia had disgraced the Mosley family by ending up in bed with a man in his sixties. Leonard couldn’t let people continue to believe that Felicia was his biological daughter.
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Chapter 5
