The price of luxury

You're not interrupting anything, darling," she said, sliding off Mr. Harrison's lap with a grace that seemed almost rehearsed. "We were just getting to know each other." I couldn't bear to look at them anymore. I turned on my heel and ran back to the room I'd been given, the grand hallways of the mansion seeming to stretch on forever as I sprinted away. My heart hammered in my chest, the pain of seeing them together like a knife twisting in my gut. But as I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, panting, I knew I couldn't hide forever. This wasn't my house. This wasn't my life. And if I didn't want to be just another toy for Mr. Harrison, I had to take control of my own destiny. Slowly, I walked to the bed, each step heavier than the last. The plush comforter and silk sheets seemed to beckon me, offering a brief reprieve from the storm raging inside. I collapsed onto the mattress with a sigh, feeling like a rag doll thrown aside after a child's playtime had ended. For a moment