Pain...

Uncle Jon, Aunt Kathy, Robert and Tina wouldn't do this. There was no reason for them to…or was there?

"Jeez, Avery, I can totally read those questions in your eyes right now. Emma wore the same look when I told her you posted the video that's currently circulating online," Tina said, releasing a small laugh.

Jaws slacking in stupefaction, Avery argued, "I posted what?! I did not. Emma couldn't have believed you."

"Of course, you didn't…" the smile on Tina's face now seemed permanent and it was obvious that she was enjoying the slow torture she was inflicting on her cousin. She totally loved this. "I posted the video. And like you said, Emma didn't believe at first. But she was in such an unstable state with her beloved fans bashing her online, her agency sending her bad news and hearing the news of both Arthur and Grandpa's death, that she forced herself to believe when I showed her your certificate of adoption."

"Tell me that's another lie, Tina. I was not adopted! You all have no reason to believe I did this!" Avery yelled, her chest tightening.

"You were adopted, Cousin. Or should I call you ex cousin?" Tina taunted. "Anyways, you are really an adopted child and that's why Emma, the police and the public believed us so fast. Oh…lest I forget, Brian also contributed."

"What exactly did Brian do?"

Avery was not stupid. And of all things, she knew best how to tell if someone was trying to play with her emotions. Plus Tina wasn't the type of person to keep up with a joke for more than a minute; so Avery believed she was saying the truth.

Adopted? She would accept that. After all, she had no memory of either Arthur and Emma from before she was 6 years old. If it turned out she really was adopted, most of the questions she had repeatedly asked when she was younger would have an answer. But she still needed to know the reason she was framed for this and who did it exactly. Tina seemed to be more than willing to tell her that.

Finger thoughtfully placed under her chin, Tina pretended like she was in deep thought trying to answer the question thrown at her. 

When she finally spoke, there was a slight spark in her eyes, "Brian? He simply backed up our testimony and lended us his family's power, in return for a few of the company's shares when Dad takes over."

"He loved me. He wouldn't be that heartless," Avery managed to say.

"You think so? Then why don't you ask him yourself? He's upstairs at the moment."

Jerking her head up, Avery repeated, "Brian is upstairs? He's not supposed to…" she trailed off, reminding herself it was not time to ask questions. She could face Brian herself and interrogate him. Seven years of relationship could at least move him enough to regret what he did.

With that thought in mind, she stumbled in her gown towards the stairs with Tina's mocking laughter escorting her.

"He's in Arthur's room, now owned by my brother! Robert has wanted that room for a while now you know!"

Avery couldn't bother herself with replying to that. Instead, her hands tightened on the rail as she pushed herself forward. Her footsteps light against the tiled floors, she walked down the hallway until she got to Arthur's room, pushing open the door without hesitation.

"Brian, care to—" she was starting to ask, when her eyes accustomed to the scene in the room and the words caught in her throat.

Stumbling backwards, Avery felt a wave of nausea wash over her. The scene in front of her felt like another dream but she knew it wasn't. That was Brian her fiance, standing naked before an equally naked Roberts who was bending on all fours in front of him. 

"Wha—t—What is go—going on here?" she stuttered, her knees weakening as she fell to the ground.

Lost in what they were doing, the two in the room were completely unaware of Avery's presence, absorbing themselves in pleasure as their loud groans filled the air.

Clutching the fabric above her bosom, Avery's voice lowered into a whisper as she struggled to get her words out, "So—Someone…Please lis—listen to me…i—i am going—" The disgusting moans that filled her ears made her want to vomit but she knew there was no way anything could pass through her tightened chest. 

'Calm yourself down, Avery. You can't…you still have to tell Grandpa a proper goodbye. You still have to ask Emma's forgiveness…Your stupidity brought them down and you have to destroy those who took advantage of it! You have to…" she said inwardly. Slowly, she could feel the air passing through her nostrils and into her chest.

Within few seconds, she had regained her strength. She slowly rose to her feet, fury raging in her caramel eyes.

"Brian, you motherfucker!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the quiet mansion. "What the hell are you two doing fucking each other?!"

As expected, their heads turned towards her and they immediately separated. 

"The fuck were you doing, Avery? You couldn't even knock," Roberts hissed in obvious displeasure. 

Seeing nothing but their repulsive faces, Avery watched as he bent to pick up the duvet which he wrapped around himself while Brian  went to stand behind him, wrapping his hands around her cousin. Her hands balled into fists as she noticed the mockery and slight smile on both of their faces.

"Like what you see, Babe?" Brian spoke up. "You can't imagine how much I have wanted to show you this for years."

"Brian…" was the only word Avery could muster. Even his name tasted like bile on her tongue.

"Why, Babe? Don't tell me you are surprised," he chuckled, snuggling closer against Roberts neck. "You always acted like you had everyone on your palm and like you could figure out what everyone was thinking. Imagine how shocked I have been for the past 7 years when I always avoided you and your desires, only to come back to your home to fuck Roberts."

"When did this start?" Avery asked, resisting the urge to hit her chest so as to relieve the pain growing in there.