“Poor Fawn, unable to face the truth.” Meredith cupped Fawn’s chin. “But you need to face it. That’s how you become really strong, so let me give it to you straight.”
“Please—-”
“They matter to him. That’s the truth of it. His family, his friends, they’re the people that matter. So they’re the people worth fighting for to keep in his life. But you—-”
Meredith let go of Fawn’s face with an exclamation of disgust.
“Do you get it now? You’re a fucking brick around his neck he doesn’t want—-”
A cry escaped Fawn.
Meredith said in a singsong voice, “You know. YOU KNOW.”
In the courtroom, everyone watched as Meredith’s words succeeded where having almost half of her face carved had failed—-
Tears started to fall, mingling with blood, and the prince’s eyes began to burn.
Red mixed with white, and the right side of Fawn’s face turned into a ghastly shade of pink.
You know.
YOU KNOW.
Meredith’s voice echoed in the prince’s head like a jeering reminder of how he had practically said the same thing to Fawn—-
Why is nothing I do not enough? Just tell me—-
And he had told her—-
He had fucking told her—-
You know why, Fawn.
YOU ALREADY KNOW.
No, God, no.
It wasn’t goddamn like that.
He bent down, his head reeling at what Meredith’s words forced him to see.
Oh God, why did Fawn have to suffer for him to realize the truth?
He had pushed her away again and again, thinking that he had been doing it for her sake, but—-
In the video, Meredith was turning to Fawn with an insanely gentle look on her face.
“Do you see you’re suffering for nothing now? So give him up.”
But Fawn refused, and the knife went straight to the middle of her forehead.
Two slashes.
The number 5 lit up on the screen, turning blue.
“You know I’m telling you the truth. His family matters. His friends matter. But you don’t. He had fun with you, maybe he even cared for you, was fond of you, I don’t know how rich fucks like him think. But what I do know is when crunch time came, he dropped you. So I’m going to ask you one more time. Tell me where Beatrice Crichton is.”
And still Fawn whispered, “No.”
“Stupid bitch!”
A raw sound clawed past the prince’s lips when he saw Meredith slap Fawn hard just before grabbing her by the hair, pulling her head back as she furiously carved on Fawn’s chin.
Jagged lines turned into an X.
The number six lit up on the screen, turning blue.
“I don’t know if you’re keeping tabs on your own face, bitch,” Meredith snarled, “but I just need one X or one fucking circle – it doesn’t really matter, the next one will be a fucking tic tac toe, and either way, it means I get to carve a piece of your nose and I’ll have my men fuck you while you bleed to death.”
Laughter mixed with curses and obscene catcalls greeted Meredith’s statement.
“I’m going to rip into that pussy hard.”
“Her asshole’s mine.”
“Do you hear that?” Meredith demanded. “They’re excited about fucking you while—-FUCK!”
Fawn’s cry spilled out of the speakers, a sound of agony that no one in the courtroom would ever forget.
But it was her face—-
It was her face as she peed in her fear—-
The yellowish liquid dripping down her bare legs until it formed a puddle next to her feet—-
Ah God, Fawn.
I’m so damn sorry.
The prince rose clumsily to his feet, reaching for Nick’s shoulder to let his friend know he had to leave. “I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely. “I have to go.” He swung away, not waiting for an answer, not wanting to waste another moment.
He had to go to Fawn—-
The reporters in the crowd began to stand up as well, unable to resist the opportunity to take photos of the naked expression on the prince’s face.
The judge began to pound on her gavel, demanding order.
The video continued to play.
“Oh my God,” someone from the crowd screamed.
The prince was halfway to the door when a chill swept over him, like someone walking on his grave, and he knew—-
He knew.
There was something else he had to see.
He turned around slowly, and he saw Meredith kick Fawn’s shins in a fit of furious disgust.
“God, you’re so fucking gross. No one’s ever done that before.”
The video showed Fawn crashing to the floor, face down on her own pee—-
“Drink your own fucking pee, you little shit, drink that or I’ll fucking kill you right now—-”
And she had.
SHE HAD!
Oh God, no.
The prince ran towards the door.
Chaos erupted, paparazzi from the crowd of spectators running over