"Forget the finale piece,"he barked."Play this instead.A lovely little video of Meredith Evans screwing a homeless guy."
I stayed unmoved.I stayed crumpled on the floor,blood pooling at the corner of my lips,as laughter filled the room—sharp,delighted,merciless.
"Oh my god...she was really doing that with a homeless man?"
"Tch,no wonder Lennon hasn’t brought her to any public events lately.Turns out he knew she was trash all along."
"A woman like that should be thrown into a cage like a wild animal."
I clenched the carpet beneath me.My nails dug into my palms so deeply I felt the skin tear.
On the massive screen,doctored images and faked footage looped endlessly—Lennon’s twisted production,designed to portray me as some depraved woman assaulted by vagrants.Every frame crushed me under the weight of shame.
And Lennon just stood there,watching it all without a flicker of remorse.Never once asking for the truth.
He had already chosen his version of the story—and the role I would play in it.
"Mr.Shepherd,the finale piece has been removed.You may display…whatever you wish."
The auctioneer handed over the remote control with shaking hands.
Lennon took the remote from him,towering above me like a god of judgment,his eyes cold and gleaming with a cruel glint.
"Meredith,"he said,"since you like attention so much,let me give you all of it."
He pressed the button and the next video began to play.
Something worse than humiliation.A new level of hell.
It showed me surrounded by filthy men,their bodies grotesquely close,violating the image of me with staged,degrading movements.
The audience erupted in horror.
"Oh god!This is sick!"
"Poor Mr.Shepherd…married to that?How did he stand it for so long?"
My whole body shook.I could not even see clearly anymore through the tears clouding my vision.
I knew the footage was fake—Winona had it made.I knew that.
Yet,I knew,no one wanted the truth.
Lennon did not even want justice.
He wanted to destroy me,making my life feel like hell.
Then the auctioneer spoke again,voice rising above the chaos."Ladies and gentlemen,tonight’s final item is…rather special."
"Mr.Shepherd here has decided to auction off his wife,Meredith Evans."
What—?
My head snapped up.I stared at him,not sure I had heard it right.
Lennon actually wanted to...auction me?
"The starting bid is one dollar,"Lennon said,his voice calm and cruel."Because frankly,that’s all she’s worth."