I stood in Julia's hold, dumbfounded by the words that left Mia's lips.

I was too distracted and confused by the sudden change in behaviour of the two women and by the approaching footsteps to notice Mia step towards me and mimic taking the cane away from me with a hard yank. Henry and Cassius had rounded the trees at just the right moment for it to look like she had just pulled it from my hands. They were followed closely by Zev, Ezra, Axel, and Jaxon in that order respectively. They came to a jogged stop, seemingly stunned at the scene before them.

Mia threw the cane off to the side away from me. She threw herself at Cassius, clutching at his arm. "Cassius," she desperately called, forgoing his formal title. "Please, help! Please, save him from your wife!"

My mouth dropped at her words. Surely she must have been kidding, right? Who would believe that I would harm a soul? Who would believe that I was capable of harming someone? I was more likely to drop a knife through my own foot than stab someone in the back with it.

Clearly, that wasn't an issue for these two.

Luckily, I wasn't the only one with that train of thought. Cassius looked down at Mia as she clung to him, a small frown playing at his lips. I could see a hint of doubt and suspicion on his face. There were no signs that he believed her words. There were no signs that any of them believed her words if the furrowed brows and frowns of confusion were anything to go by.

Zev was the one to break the awkward atmosphere that had descended. "I'm sorry, but could you clarify what happened, Lady June?" he asked her calmly, his eyes briefly darting towards Kirk as he lay on the ground in pain.

Mia pulled her face out from where she had buried it into Cassius's arm. "Lady Riar and my servant had fallen behind as Lady Rose and I continued ahead while in conversation. We had returned to see what was holding the two up when we noticed they had fallen behind only to find your wife trying to force herself on my servant as he begged her to stop. In a rage, probably at being discovered in the act, she grabbed my walking stick and started taking her frustration out on the poor boy. She turned her attack on me when I attempted to help him," she lied with fake tears in her eyes. "I heard the women on the council speaking of how powerful you men were. I never expected anything like this from a wife you would have chosen after so much care and deliberation, but surely you can stop her from harming him further, especially if you truly do advocate for other men!"

Ezra was quick to reply. "There must be a mistake," he said as he stepped forward. He looked tired, light bags could be seen forming under his eyes. While the events of this morning seemed to have drained Ezra, Axel, who stood behind him to the side, looked better than he had in days. He looked... too good, like his head was in the clouds.

"Nea wouldn't do something like that," Ezra continued, shaking his head. The others seemed to agree if their expressions were anything to go by.

My brows furrowed in confusion. If they didn't think I was capable of doing what I was being accused of, then why did I have to face what I did on a daily basis? Why would they harm and assault an innocent? They were no better than the women they condemned- no, they were worse. They knew the damage that treating others like that could do to a person yet they chose to still engage in the behaviour. Or...

Maybe it was just me. Maybe they just loved tormenting me.

I almost snorted inappropriately. I had to stop daydreaming and getting caught up in main character syndrome, especially at times like this.

Mia's grip on Cassius's shirt tightened. He didn't react, just looked down at her with a blank face that gave nothing away. But that in itself gave a response.

Because he didn't refute Ezra's statement.

Mia came to the realization quickly. Julia followed shortly after, the slight tightening of her arms indicated how stressful this situation was for them.

Mia's face twisted in anger. It seemed partially genuine. "You all are blinded by her seduction. I can smell it on you," she sneered at Cassius before shooting daggers towards Axel. Her eyes briefly flickered towards me, the hatred directed towards me was not at all hidden now.

"I never thought that one of my servants would have to face such treatment in the home of men who preached for equal rights and treatment of other men. It's a shame you can't see your wife for who she is; a lying, manipulative, abuser who preys on the weak. She was waiting for this opportunity, waiting for the perfect victim. She found him. She found him and thought that she wouldn't have to worry about him for long either since he would have been leaving in a day or two's time. She probably would have gotten away with it too if Lady Rose and I hadn't returned to see what was taking them so long!"

Mia was breathing heavily by the time she was done shouting the angered words. They were filled with such conviction, that she had even me doubting myself for a moment.

"We do not allow such behaviour in our home, Lady June," Cassius finally spoke, assuming the role everyone was waiting for him to take. "We are just having a difficult time believing that our wife was capable of harming your servant. She is not only weak physically and magically, but she also has not displayed any violent tendencies before this incident."

Mia's mouth dropped open in shock. "Are you saying that I am lying?" She asked in outrage. Her mouth opened and closed a few times in disbelief. "If you don't believe me," she finally managed to spit out. "Then ask him," she sneered as she pointed towards Kirk where he lay on the ground.

Everyone's focus shifted to his beaten body. He groaned in pain when he shifted his arm slightly.

Zev walked up and crouched beside him without a word or glance at anyone. Placing one hand on his hair while the other hung limp between his legs as he rested his elbow on his thigh, Zev soothingly stroked Kirk's hair. At first, Kirk's body had frozen, his muscles clenched tight, but slowly he relaxed at Zev's surprisingly gentle touch.

He bent over and said something near his ear. I couldn't hear what, nor could I make out anymore by reading his lips since they were hidden behind his shoulder from where I stood. Whatever Zev said to him, Kirk was shaking his head which made the frown on Zev's face deepen along with the crease between his brows. He said something again. Kirk shook his head again, sharper this time. He must have regretted it judging from the twisting of his face. He followed the shake by soft words spoken in a pained hiss.

Zev's face seemed to ashen. He looked towards me sharply before glancing towards his friend with wary eyes. His eyes returned to Kirk, gentler than I knew was possible for him. He gave him a small nod and a final pet before he straightened and faced everyone else.

His face had turned to stone. "He said that Nea attacked him after he refused her advances and the ladies arrived."

Silence followed his declaration.

Eyes widened.

Mouths parted.

Gazes shifted.

Stances widened.

Arms crossed.

Eyes narrowed.

My heart rate soared. I tried to hide it, but the speed at which my chest rose and fell increased as the pairs of eyes in the room narrowed in on me.

Eyes that didn't believe I would be capable of doing anything had suddenly turned hostile and cautious. They eyed me like I was the biggest threat in the room. Me. The shortest one out of everyone around.

Cassius cleared his throat, drawing the unwanted attention to himself, giving me a moment to breathe. That was before his words registered.

"We deeply apologize for our wife's behaviour and would like to extend our gratitude for helping open our eyes to who she is."

They believed them.

"Thank you, Lady Rose, but we can handle Lady Riar from here."

Julia released me from her hold with a slight shove. I stumbled forwards, my hands spreading in front of me to help stabilize me. When I looked up, my eyes collided with Ezra's moss green ones. What I saw caused my heart to stall.

His eyes flicked towards Kirk before returning to mine, harder and skeptical. He scanned over my face for a moment before looking away, no longer able to face me.

I felt my heart crack.

Did he really believe I was like that? The others, I could understand, but him? After all the time we spent together? How could he believe their lies?

"That's it?" Mia asked, frustration clear in her voice.

Cassius turned to her before she could continue. "We would like a private moment to process this information and proceed accordingly," he stated in a professional manner that chilled me to the bone. "We will compensate you for your troubles accordingly, but in the meantime, Jaxon will help carry your servant-"

"Kirk," Zev interjected.

"Jaxon will carry Kirk to the infirmary where Ezra can look him over."

Jaxon had started moving towards Kirk as Cassius was still speaking.

Mia seemed to be about to argue further, but she must have sensed the ever-present warning that naturally surrounded Cassius. She stepped back and cut me with her razor-sharp gaze before storming off. Julia paused for a moment before following after her.

Jaxon carefully lifted the thin boy's beaten body in his arms. Cradling him gently in his arms, he started walking towards the manor after looking in my direction with a heated yet conflicted glare. Ezra followed after him. He didn't even glance in my direction. Instead, he actively avoiding looking in my direction. It was clear from the strain in his muscles, he wasn't taking the lie well.

But he believed it.

I felt a shard of my heart slip out of place.

The two left with Kirk, leaving me alone with Henry, Cassius, Zev, Axel, and the atomic bomb of a lie that had just been dropped. But that quickly turned into a party of three once Cassius instructed Henry to escort Axel to his room so he could ride out the high of feeding.

Then I was left facing a stone-faced Cassius and an ice-cold Zev who was having difficulties hiding the flashes of anger that flickered in his eyes.

I internally sighed. There was no point in arguing. There never was. Plus, it wasn't like they would believe me. I didn't know what Mia and Julia offered the boy to take such a beating then lie about it, but his false testimony had ended the case. There would be no trial to prove guilt because it had just occurred and the verdict was not in the favour of justice.

The wind blew sporadically. At times it was a still like the growing tension that filled the air, others, it was violent like the beating of my heart, whipping my hair around sharply.

No one moved a muscle.

"It's too late too late to cancel the introduction party tomorrow."

Cassius's words seemed to float in the air between us before the wind swept it away. "We will go about it like nothing is wrong, hopefully, Ladies June and Rose will understand and keep the events that occurred here quiet."

Zev snorted. They wouldn't be keeping it quiet.

"After a peaceful and uneventful party, we will petition the council for a divorce. It will take longer and may take multiple attempts to achieve given we are seeking it as men, but seeing as we have witnesses to why it is occurring, we can't really have you have a change of heart and want one instead. The one good thing out of this is that we could get potential recommendations from the two ladies that could win us favour in the divorce proceedings."

I stood still, realizing I had not spoken a word since everything had taken an unexpected turn.

But there was nothing to say anyway.

Nothing that would make things better.

Nothing that would be believed.

But I shouldn't want to say anything if they would be giving me what I wanted in the end, right?

A divorce.

I never wanted to be married to them. Why argue pointlessly when I can just go along with the lie?

Cassius's eyes narrowed on me the slightest. "You will be kept under constant supervision from this moment forward." He looked towards Zev. "I'm going to get the paperwork started, you escort her to her room and keep watch."

With those instructions, Cassius turned and left, leaving me alone with Zev.

I swallowed past my thickening throat. Something about being alone with one of them felt more frightening than being with all of them at their angriest.

My anxiety rose when Zev turned without a word and started heading towards the manor. I followed behind him hesitantly. I had no choice but to head back with him, but I knew after the events of today things would be different.

Things would be worse.

Zev marched his way in the direction of my room without a glance towards me. If he had looked, he may have noticed me struggling to keep up with his long stride.

Not that he would care.

When we reached my room, he threw the door open and entered, not checking to see if I followed.

Or so I thought.

The moment I had closed the door behind me, I found myself being pressed up against it the next.

Zev stood looming behind me, his presence not something that could be ignored. He crowded me, pressing my front into the closed door.

Zev chuckled lowly into my neck, surprising me. It lacked all humour and amusement. "You fooled us all, didn't you, doll?" He asked into my ear. "Tricked me into thinking you might have known a fraction of the suffering I went through in those damn whorehouses with your vague comments of having been through worse. But no, you didn't suffer. You turned out to be just like one of them. The ones who visited those deprived brothels."

I felt him pull away. Slow and mocking clapping followed. "I must say, credit where credit is due, you're an excellent performer," he continued.

I turned to face him, pushed up against the door as he walked around the room leisurely running his eyes over the sparse contents.

"Ezra kept pleading your case, I'm ashamed to say that even I had. But I didn't go to the lengths he did, speaking about how your not from this world and don't know the ways of our women." He chuckled.

I thought Ezra said that was a secret? What else had he lied about?

"Was that all a bullshit lie, too? Were you lying to Ezra, going after the nice one with your act? Did you think we wouldn't divorce you when we were done with you if we thought you were helpless and lost in this world? Tell me, how long have you had all this planned for?" His lips spread in a cold smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Guess bitches like you just can't resist your true nature. Too greedy and impatient. You probably would have succeeded with your plans too if you hadn't tried to rape that boy."

He walked towards me, his stride imposing. I scrambled back towards the corner while trying to keep the distance between us. Luckily, he wasn't headed for me.

He opened the door and paused in the doorway with his hand on the knob. "If you hadn't beaten him because he didn't want you to touch him, we would have fallen for your trap. But for once, I'm glad bitches like you can't control yourself. Enjoy your lasting time as our wife, doll, because it won't be for long now."

He walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him. The click of the lock was like a gunshot in the silence of the room.