Chapter 5

Natalie

I am sitting on my bed in my room. My eyes are glancing in the direction of the wall clock again and again.

It’s eleven in the morning and I still haven’t left my room since I have returned from that birthday party and it was the day before yesterday.

Yes you heard me right. I didn’t go out of my room some the day before yesterday.

I have locked myself in here since that night. I didn’t even go out to eat and just stayed here in my room.

Even now I really don’t want to go out. Especially when I know very well what is going to happen when I step out of my room and go in front of Edwin.

But I can’t avoid him for much longer. Eventually I will have to go out and face him. And I know that the more I will avoid him the more angry he is going to get.

He must be raging in anger and by now he must have already thought about how he is going to punish me this time.

I didn’t thought about all of the consequences I will have to go through when I was leaving that party, without telling anyone.

After what happened with that jerk of a man Cyrus, I couldn’t stay there any longer.

I didn’t know why but I was feeling suffocated, right since the moment he asked me to dance with him. His mere presence around me was making me uncomfortable.

As if something very bad is going to happen, if I didn’t stay away from him.

And after the interaction I had with him later in an empty hallway, I couldn’t stand staying there anymore. It just made me lose all of my patience.

I left the party, came out of the hotel where party was held, got a cab to return to this mansion of Edwin and locked myself in the room.

The first thing I did after entering into my room was, take off my dress and enter into the bathroom.

I stood under the shower for I don’t know how long, letting the cold water drip on my tired body.

I could still feel both Andrew Smith and Cyrus’ hands all over my body and it was making me feel nothing but disgust.

I was hating that feeling.

That is why I was scrubbing my body furiously in an attempt to remove the feeling of their touch from myself. Ignoring the fact that I was hurting myself.

I was trying to pull myself out of the feeling of disgust which was engulfing my heart, my body, when I heard the knock on the door of my room.

It was Amanda who knocked while shouting from outside and telling me to come out. She sounded angry.

Of course she would be. She must have thought I was trying to seduce the guy she has a crush on.

She already thinks that I am a seductress who tries to get the attention of every men out there… and actually I don’t blame her for thinking like that.

Because…

I shook my head to remove those thoughts and came out of bathroom after wearing my night pajama shorts and an oversized t shirt.

But I didn’t make any attempt to open the door. I don’t want to see her act like a b**ch she is, at least not right now when I am feeling so tired.

She knocked few more times but when I didn’t open the door, she left but not before threatening how she is going to teach me a lesson, after I come out of my room.

After she left I decided to take a little rest in order to forget everything that happened in the party.

But before I could lie down on my bed, there was another knock on my door and this time it was Edwin. Just as I had expected, he was raging.

He banged on my door multiple times but I just ignored it.

I knew ignoring him is not the best choice I am making. I never ignore him.

Because I know what happens when I do that. I have tried ignoring his words, his threats in past and I have genuinely regretted those times.

But I was already aware that I have messed up a big time and I will have to pay for my mistakes eventually, whenever I open the door of my room and get out.

Either I open it now or tomorrow. So if my fate is already decided then why suffer now.

'I will rest for tonight and will bear the consequences later for whatever I did’.

With this thought I lied down on my bed covering myself with duvet.

“You are starting to get stubborn with me again, aren’t you? Let’s see how long you are going to stay in there”.

Spitting this words in pure anger, Edwin left, probably going back to his room.

I sighed in relief and closed my eyes. Again those ocean blue eyes popped in my mind and my eyes snapped open. I don’t seem to get him out of my mind.

My mind went back to the interaction I had with him.

‘Why was he giving me so many bad vibes?’

It’s not that I have never encountered men like him in my life. In fact I deal with people of his kind, almost everyday.

‘Then how was he able to make me feel this uncomfortable and restless with just one interaction?’ I asked myself.

I covered my face with my palms and tried to push the thoughts about him away from my mind.

I again closed my eyes to sleep when I heard another knock on the door. My breath hitched when a horrible thought crossed my mind.

‘It’s not…'

But before I could ponder over it any longer, I heard the voice of the person calling my name from outside.

I released a breath of relief that it’s not the person I thought it would be.

But the voice I heard clearly shocked me. I didn’t expect her to come to my room.

It was my mom, Ruby.

My brows knitted together as I wondered, ‘What is she going here?’

It’s been almost four years that I haven’t talked with my mother. I have never spoke even a single word to her after that particular incident in my life.

My eyes started moistening as the thoughts of that horrible incident flashed in my mind.

“Nat, are you okay dear? Why aren’t you opening the door? I am getting really worried, Nat” she said softly from outside.

I scoffed at her words but didn’t say anything. Her words don’t affect me anymore. I don’t believe anything that comes out of that mouth of hers.

“Nat, please talk to your mother. I know you don’t believe me but I am really worried for you my child. If you want someone to talk to, then I am here for you” she said.

A lone tear escaped my eyes sliding on my skin slowly and disappearing in my hairs.

‘You are late mom. You should have said these words when I really needed to hear them from you’.

I turned my back towards the door, lying down on my side and waited for her to just stop talking and go back to her so called husband and leave me alone.

After some time I heard the sound of her retreating footsteps.

My mind went back to the memories of the day which still shatters my heart into millions of pieces.

I closed my eyes letting my unshed tears flow freely.

Soon sleep consumed my tired body.

I inhaled a deep breath with my nose and let it out from my mouth. After repeating the action three to four times, I decided to get out of my room.

I braced myself for facing the worst possible consequences today, before putting my foot out of my room.

I walked into the living room and saw Amanda sitting there on one of the couch with my mom. Edwin was also present here.

I gulped the lump that has formed in my throat but I couldn’t gather the courage to take a single step in their direction.

Amanda noticed my presence and lifted her cat like eyes to look at me. In a second the look of happiness that was dancing in her orbs disappeared, replacing it with anger.

“Now you decided to come out of your room, you worthless b**ch” she shouted while glaring at me. I don’t even flinch at her harsh tone anymore.

Her voice caused everyone’s attention to shift towards me. My eyes instantly moved to look at Edwin whose jaw clenched as soon as his eyes fell on me.

I clenched the hem of my oversized hoodie in my fists. I would be lying if I said that I am not scared right now.

I have always been scared of Edwin, for so many reasons which I don’t want to discuss right now.

I didn’t move at all and stayed rooted to my place.

“How dare you….” Amanda started but was cut off by Edwin when he said, “Amanda, go back to your room and get ready”.

'Get ready? For what?’ the question popped in my head.

“But dad…” she wanted to say something but Edwin looked at her with serious look on his face. And it was enough to make Amanda shut her mouth.

This man’s aura is something different.

Amanda got up from the couch and started walking in the direction of her room but not before glaring hard at me.

“You also go and get ready” he said to my mom, who just nodded her head and left. She also glanced in my direction before leaving with a look of concern in her eyes, which I ignored completely.

I shifted my gaze back to Edwin. He got up on his feet and started walking towards me. I took a step back in fear. My fists clenched even more tighter.

“You are starting to become a lot more braver these days. Why? Is it because I am not treating you the way I used to do?” he spat as he stopped two steps away from me.

I again gulped in fear but couldn’t utter a single word.

“Don’t think that I am going to let you off the hook for what you did in that party. You made me embarrassed in front of all those businessmen, especially in front of Andrew Smith”

“Do you know that he rejected the deal I proposed to him and all of it is just because of you. I hope you are not thinking that you are going to be safe after that” He said all of it in his cold and dangerous tone.

He took a step closer to me. I tried taking a step away from him as there was only a step’s distance between us but before I could do that, he grabbed my elbow in a tight grip and I stopped.

“I will make sure that you won’t think about disobeying me ever again” he growled on my face and I closed my eyes waiting for him to say what he is going to do.

But the words he said next made me open my eyes and furrow my brows.

“But for now just go back to your room and get ready. We are going to have guests and I want you to behave properly in front of them” he informed me and left my hand, slightly pushing me away, causing me to stumble back on my feet.

Who is this guest? Whoever it is, thankfully because of him my punishment got postponed for a little more while.

Without asking anything I turned on my heels to follow his order. I don’t want to make him more angry.

I could take only a single step ahead when his words made me freeze on my place.

“Cyrus Knight is the guest I mentioned. He is coming here to discuss some business…” he paused.

I didn’t turn around and was standing frozen on my place.

Suddenly my heartbeat increased upon hearing his name. An unfamiliar but an uneasy feeling settled in my gut.

‘Why is the mere thought of seeing him again is making me feel restless like this?’

‘No, I will not leave my room when he comes here. I don’t want to meet him again' with this thought I decided to go back to my room.

But my eyes widened and I turned around with a jerk when he continued “and I want you to apologize to him for your misbehavior”.

“But…” I was about to protest when his next words made me gulp my words back down in my throat.

“Don’t even think about going against my words. Or else even I don’t know what I am going to do with you. I don’t want to lose my face and a potential big deal with him, just because of your stupid pride.” he threatened in his deep cold voice.

“Go and get ready. I want you here in this living room within half an hour” he ordered.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I nodded my head and turned on my heels to make my way towards my room while having only one thought in my mind.

‘Until when I will have to live like a puppet who is controlled by Edwin Miller’.