Chapter 6
"Mr. Carter, thanks for today."
Emily gathered her thoughts and smiled at Raymond.
"Thanks for what?"
Raymond rested one hand on the steering wheel, his gaze slowly traveling up from Emily's legs before finally settling on her face.
"Thanks for driving me home."
Emily paused slightly, her expression unchanged, not responding to Raymond's comment.
"If you wanna thank me, show me something real."
Raymond raised an eyebrow, not waiting for Emily to reply before turning to start the car. "Don't disappoint me with your gratitude."
With that, the car sped away, leaving Emily to choke on the exhaust fumes. She was glad she hadn't said anything earlier, knowing exactly what he wanted.
Once Raymond's car was out of sight, Emily took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the mansion. As expected, Serenity was already waiting for her in the living room.
Not only had she avoided Lawrence's advances, but she had also managed to kick him. Serenity, having gained nothing from the encounter, was naturally ready to settle the score with her.
Emily walked up to Serenity, quietly waiting for her judgment.
"Niamh, is the pool water changed?"
Serenity glanced at her coldly, but her voice was directed towards the backyard.
"Yes, Mrs. Phillips, it's done."
Niamh hurried in from the backyard, looking at Serenity with a fawning expression and casting a sympathetic glance at Emily.
"Let's go."
Serenity stood up and addressed Emily.
Emily nodded resignedly and walked towards the backyard. This place had been her nightmare since childhood. Whenever she made a mistake, Serenity would bring her here for punishment.
Several bodyguards were already waiting by the pool, cameras set up on all sides, aimed at the center of the pool.
"Take off your clothes."
Serenity leisurely walked to a lounge chair by the pool and sat down. Emily hesitated but slowly unzipped her dress. The marks on her body were fully exposed, filling her with shame, but she had no choice but to accept the punishment.
Serenity had always been meticulous in her upbringing, never allowing her to have any visible injuries. Thus, the punishments were always designed to be painful yet invisible to outsiders.
The pool water wasn't deep, calculated each year to match Emily's height. It wasn't enough to drown her, but it would just cover her nose, forcing her to stand straight, tilt her head back, and balance on her tiptoes to avoid choking.
In the open-air pool, four cameras recorded all her humiliation and suffering. Serenity sipped her wine, staring coldly at Emily. "Tomorrow, you will personally apologize to Mr. Parker."
Emily didn't respond, staring at the sky and closing her eyes silently.
In early autumn, the daytime wasn't too cold, but at night, the temperature would drop significantly. Emily, submerged in the pool, maintained her position until her body grew stiff. Any attempt to rest would cause the water to cover her nose.
She choked on the water repeatedly, enduring for three hours until she was on the verge of passing out. Only then did Serenity order the bodyguards to pull her out.
Emily was left by the pool, the bodyguards having retreated. She curled up naked, shivering uncontrollably.
She had to hold on. If she could nail the final interview with the overseas company, she could leave this place forever. Even if Serenity had enough dirt on her to ruin her, it wouldn't matter. Serenity's reach wouldn't extend overseas.
Once her body had somewhat recovered, Emily stood up, leaning against the wall as she made her way to her room. The mansion was dark, everyone already asleep.
She randomly grabbed a nightgown from the closet and buried herself under the covers. This couldn't go on. If Serenity continued to torment her like this, she might not survive long enough to leave.
Thinking of this, Emily took out her phone and sent a message to Raymond on WhatsApp.
"Mr. Carter, do you have time tomorrow? I'd like to thank you."
"No."
The quick reply surprised Emily. He was still awake, but the message left her feeling frustrated.
"What about the day after?"
"We'll see."
Raymond didn't give a direct answer. Emily sent another message, but there was no response. Anxious about Serenity's demand for an apology tomorrow, she impulsively called him.
The phone rang twice before Raymond answered.
"In such a hurry?"
Emily was momentarily speechless, then let out a light laugh. "Yes, Mr. Carter, you're skilled and kind. I'm eager to repay you."
Raymond paused, sensing something off in Emily's voice. It had a slight nasal tone, sounding muffled.
"I have a meeting tomorrow. Wait for my message."
With that, Emily couldn't say much more. "Alright, Mr. Carter, have a good night."
Raymond didn't reply, hanging up the phone.
After the call ended, Emily couldn't help but sneeze several times. She had been holding it in, and now, feeling relaxed, her head was spinning.
It seemed she couldn't avoid the apology tomorrow.
Emily fell asleep without realizing it, waking up the next afternoon.
Serenity stood by her bed, frowning down at her. Niamh stood nearby with a glass of water and some medicine, looking at her helplessly.
"It's already three o'clock. How long are you going to pretend to sleep? Take your cold medicine and get ready to see Lawrence."
Serenity checked her watch before speaking again. "Dinner is at six. Don't be late."
Emily, still groggy, took a moment to process. She took the medicine from Niamh, swallowing it with a couple of sips of water.
Her throat burned, but she got ready as Serenity instructed, applying light makeup and wearing a knee-length dress that made her look innocent.
"Go on, have a nice dinner with Mr. Parker."
Before she left, Serenity slipped a room key into her bag, her tone warning.
"Got it."
Emily nodded, pretending not to notice, and got into the driver's car.
The car headed towards the hotel. Emily occasionally checked her phone, but there were no messages from Raymond. She didn't have the courage to call him again.
How was she going to get out of this?
Lost in thought, the car arrived at the hotel. Emily reluctantly got out.
The driver watched her go inside before reporting to Serenity.
Emily took the elevator to the third-floor restaurant, where Lawrence was already waiting.
She bit her lip and slowly walked over. Just as she was about to sit down, Lawrence grabbed her wrist and pulled her to sit beside him.
"Emily, sit here so I can take care of you."