Ashley’s POV

For a few seconds, I just kept staring at the raindrops drumming against the glass.

Oh, yeah! I am on my way back to Leicester.

I let out a tired sigh and blinked slowly.

“Finally awake?” His voice was like a whiplash back to reality. “You actually slept through this?” Nathaniel remarked nonchalantly when I looked at him.

It was not a dream.

The nightmare was very much alive in front of me.

“Let me out” I pressed on the lock furiously. “I want to see my family. I want to meet my mother.”

“You cannot” Nathaniel refused bluntly.

“Let. Me. out” I shrieked. “I will see them. You cannot stop me.”

“Fine!” Nathaniel unlocked the door. “Go and meet them.” He muttered offhandedly.

I didn’t waste a breath running out of his car.

I could only reach the gates. His bulldozers blocked my path before I could run away.

I pulled at my hair in frustration and cried loudly.

“What–” I gasped when Nathaniel carried me bridal style and walked back. “Put me down” I started pushing against him. “I don’t want to go with you. I–”

I stared at his mansion with a sinking heart.

We were back in Leicester.

What about my family?

“No” my struggles became violent.

“Stop moving,” Nathaniel said through clenched teeth.

“Put me down, put me down” I sobbed loudly when he carried me inside. “Put me down.” I kept pushing against his shoulder. “I don’t want to go with you.”

He repulsed me. His closeness revolted me.

“Damn it,” Nathaniel yelled when I broke free of his hold and ran back.

But he caught me near the door and dragged me back inside.

“No!” I screamed and clawed at his hand. “Leave me. I said leave me.”

“Stop your fucking struggles” Nathaniel pulled me into him. “You are only making it worse for yourself.” I refused to listen. “Enough!”

He raised his hand to slap me.

“NATHANIEL!” Michael thundered at him.

He rushed toward us with a very surprised Samantha.

“What are you doing?” He asked him angrily when Nathaniel held me possessively. “Leave her.” He didn’t. “Nathaniel!”

Samantha looked at me worriedly when I kept shaking in his hold out of terror.

“What is going on here?” Mathew came as well. “Oh, hell–What did you do?”

“None of your fucking business” Nathaniel snarled at them.

“Nathaniel!” Samantha stepped toward us. “Let her go.” His grip around me tightened. “Nathan!” She tried again. “You are hurting her.”

Samantha secured me in her hold when he shoved me toward her. I hugged her for my dear life and buried my face in her shoulder to hide from the monster behind me.

“What did you do?” Mathew asked him angrily. “What did you do to her, Nathaniel?”

“Just so you people decide to send her back” Nathaniel spat, “let me tell you she is married to me.”

“What nonsense!” Michael boomed. “Come back here. Nathaniel!” He yelled after him but Nathaniel left. “That–”

Michael looked at me.

“Take the girl upstairs, Samantha. Make sure he comes nowhere near her for now.”

Samantha nodded at Michael and took me with her. She made me sit on the bed and went to the bathroom to bring towels.

“I’m sorry, Ashley.” She said while rubbing my head.

What did I do to deserve all this?

“Hey,” Samantha sat next to me and rubbed my back when I started shivering violently. “Everything will be alright. You are not alone. We are here for you. Don’t be afraid.”

She hugged my shoulders when I couldn’t stop shaking.

“Michael,” She looked at her husband when he came inside the room with Mathew.

“How is she?” Michael inquired.

She just shook her head in response.

“Hey!” Mathew knelt before me. “Everything is fine.” He put his hand on my shaking one reluctantly.

His mouth set in a frown when I flinched away from his touch involuntarily.

“M-y fam-ily–”

“They are fine” Mathew palmed my hand again. “They are safe. They are not in any harm.”

“Please” I looked at Michael. “I swear I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t. He is not ready to listen. He–” I sobbed. “Please, don’t hurt my family.”

“Ashley!” Samantha hugged me again. “No harm will come to your family. You have my word.”

“Let the girl sleep,” Michael said to Samantha. “Find out where that brother of yours went, Mathew. He is not in his senses right now. It’s not wise to leave him alone.”

Mathew nodded and stood up.

“Stay with her tonight, Samantha” Michael looked at her. “Don’t let Nathaniel come near her at any cost.”

They left us alone.

“Go and take a shower.” Samantha helped me up and ushered me toward the bathroom. “I’m right here.” She smiled at me encouragingly and closed the door.

I cried silently in the shower. I didn’t want to go out but I didn’t stay in here as well. I had to stay strong for my family.

I changed into the clothes Samantha arranged for me and stepped out of the bathroom.

“Come here,” Samantha smiled at me. “You need to put food in your system.”

“I am not hungry” I sat next to her.

“Listen to me, young lady.” Samantha faced me sternly. “I want you to be in good shape when you meet your family.”

“I can meet them?” I asked fearfully.

“Of course, you can.” Samantha patted my cheek. “I understand what you are going through right now but I want you to be brave. Stay strong, okay?”

I nodded feebly.

“You will get through this.” She extended the plate toward me. “Eat and then sleep. Everything will be okay, I promise.”

*****

I didn’t notice when I fell asleep. I guess the exhaustion caught up to me at some point but the nightmares didn’t let the peace last long.

Before I knew it, I woke up while breathing heavily.

“Ashley?” Samantha rushed to my side. “What’s wrong?” I shook my head at her. “You should sleep some more.”

“Where are you going?” I asked when she wore her robe.

“I’m going to get some water,” She patted my cheek. “I’ll be right back, okay? Just go back to sleep.”

I watched her walk out of the room.

A chill ran down my spine when I looked around the room. The door to the balcony was open.

It was still pouring down heavily.

I closed my eyes and palmed my ears when lightning flashed across the sky followed by a clap of booming thunder.

I got out of bed to close the door. I drew the curtains hurriedly and stepped back.

“Hello, love!”

I froze in my spot.

“Won’t you welcome me back home?”

Nathaniel straightened up from the door frame and came inside the room. I cowered back in fear when he closed the door behind him

“Please, don’t” I moved back fearfully. “Don’t come near me.”

“Why?” Nathaniel purred. “You are my wife, aren’t you?” He sneered. “Why wouldn’t I come near you?”

“It’s not right,” I pleaded.

“It is right,” Nathaniel slurred. “In every fucking way.”

“I–” My legs hit the bed.

Nathaniel didn’t give me a chance to run away. He pushed me back roughly and climbed on top of me.

“Please,” I looked into his steely eyes fearfully. They were cloudy and unfocused.

Nathaniel buried his head in the crook of my neck and growled.

“Intoxicating” His nose skimmed the length of my throat slowly and seductively.

“No!” I sobbed uncontrollably when Nathaniel kissed my neck. “Please, don’t.”

“Sshh!” Nathaniel placed his finger on my lips and brushed them slowly. “The more you deny it, the more I want it.”

I held my breath when he further reduced the space between us.

“The more you resist it, the more painful it will become.”

My eyes widened when he leaned toward my mouth.

“No,” I pushed him off me with all my might and ran out of the room before he could have caught me.

“You cannot run away from me.” He thundered after me.

I ran along the corridors blindly.

I went inside the first room I came across and hid behind the sofa.

“Princess!”

I cupped my mouth to keep my voice from coming out.

“I can smell your fear, love.” His voice was coming closer. “Where are you?”

My eyes landed on the knife in the fruit basket. I stumbled toward it and held it with my trembling hands.

There was a matchbox near the basket.

I didn’t think twice before lighting the matchstick and throwing it toward the silk curtains.

The fire spread like a plague. The entire room was engulfed in flames and I sat amidst this self-lit inferno without any fear.

I should have died that night.

I crawled back when the door burst open and Nathaniel appeared at the entrance. His jaw locked when his raging eyes focused on me.

“Don’t!” I raised the knife to my wrist when Nathaniel tried to enter.

“Put that away,” Nathaniel said calmly.

I watched him, dumbfounded when he stepped inside without any hesitation.

Wasn’t he afraid even a bit?

“I said don’t come any closer,” I slit my wrist.

“Drop it,” Nathaniel snarled. “I said drop the knife.”

I shook my head at him and pressed the knife to my other wrist.

“If it means I can get away from you” I choked on my breaths, “I will gladly take my life.”

The knife fell out of my hands when I slit my other wrist as well.

I fell to the floor while breathing heavily.

The room was almost scorched.

He won’t be able to reach me.

I smiled through my pain.

“I will never succumb to you.” I breathed towards my end. “Never.”

“Never, princess,” Nathaniel whispered somewhere close. “I will never let you escape me.”

His dark figure loomed over me.

“Nathaniel!” Samantha yelled at him from somewhere. “Stop.”

He lifted me carefully in his arms and stood up. I looked at him balefully through my slipping consciousness when he walked toward the door.

I was not in my senses but I didn’t fail to notice the flame in his eyes.

“What are you?”

My head rolled back and I finally lost to the darkness once again.

With an ominous promise echoing through it.

“Nothing can take you from me.”

*****

I wanted to move my arms but they felt so heavy. My whole body felt injected with lead. I groaned in pain when I struggled to open my eyes.

“She is awake,” I heard Samantha. “Hey!” She palmed my cheek when I focused my unfocused vision on her. “Ashley?”

“I am alive,” I sensed the disappointment in my voice, “Why?” My voice shook.

“Stop talking,” Samantha helped me sit. “Stop talking nonsense.” She wiped my tears.

“Back off!”

I pushed against the headboard when I heard Nathaniel.

“Relax,” Samantha tried to calm me down. “He won’t do anything.” She stood up in front of me defensively.

“Nathaniel!” Mathew warned him. “You don’t know what you are doing right now. You will end up complicating things more.”

“She is my wife.” I clutched the blanket tightly at his response. “You cannot stop me from seeing her.”

I held my breath when he pushed past him and came inside the room.

“Stop right there,” Samantha stepped toward him. “I said stop.”

“I won’t,” Nathaniel growled at her.

“Enough, Nathan,” Samantha yelled. “Wife, you say? Look at her and tell me.” She stepped aside so he could see me. “Is this how you are supposed to treat your wife? A newlywed on top of that?”

“Mother!”

“She is terrified of you, Nathan. She is scared of even your name.” Samantha said woefully. “I am highly disappointed in you. I never expected you to act this barbaric toward an innocent life. I thought you were many things but human. You proved me wrong today.”

Nathaniel just looked at her emotionlessly.

“Why did you need to go to such extremes when everything could have been done properly?” Samantha asked him.

“You are saying this?” Nathaniel jeered. “It doesn’t matter anymore. The deed is done. It will be best if you swallow it.”

“Nathaniel,” Michael boomed from behind him. “Have you forgotten everything?” Nathaniel’s jaw locked angrily when he stood next to Samantha. “The power is not given to you to abuse, son.”

Power?

“You cannot come near Ashley,” Samantha finalised. “She is not ready to accept you. Neither physically nor emotionally.” She raised her hand to him.

“What do we say to people? If anyone got the wind of things. If they found out.”

Another impregnable pause.

“Until you are officially married in front of everyone, you cannot come near her.”

“Mother!”

“I can never live with the humiliation of the fact that my son forced an innocent life.”

Nathaniel clenched his jaw to keep his anger in check.

Looking at him reminded me of an untamed beast.

He knew nothing but destruction.

“You cannot keep her from me,” Nathaniel said arrogantly. “I challenge you,” he looked at them in derision. “She will come to me herself and you won’t be able to stop her.”

My heartbeat rose when his malicious gaze stopped on me.

“We are not stopping her,” Samantha replied calmly. “We are stopping you. You, who could hurt her.”

“Have it your way for now” Nathaniel stormed out of the room angrily.

“Do you think we can keep him away?” Mathew asked Samantha.

“Yes,” Samantha replied confidently. “He is many things but true to what he says.”

She came and sat next to me.

“Nathaniel won’t touch you or come near you. So, don’t do something as stupid as this” she pointed to my wrists, “ever again.”

I looked down at my lap.

“Don’t try to fight him or run away, Ashley. Things are much more complicated than you can imagine. You are in danger now that you are married to Nathaniel.” She palmed my cheek. “Just bear with it for now.”

“It’s my final year” I looked at her pleadingly.

“You are free to do whatever you want.” Samantha chuckled. “But you need to be careful, okay?”

I nodded at her.

“Don’t talk about your marriage to anyone. At least for now.”

“Okay,” I replied.

“We will send your application for medical leave. You need to recover fully. I will make sure you receive your work regularly so that you won’t miss out on anything.”

“Thank you, Samantha.”

“You are my daughter now and I will do whatever I can to protect you.” Samantha kissed my forehead and stood up. “Good night, Ashley.”

She went to Mathew and Michael.

“Good night” I said back.

Samantha switched off the lights and closed the door on their way out.

I looked at the ring on my finger and then at the bandages around my wrists.

“I hate you, Nathaniel,” I whispered spitefully. “I will make sure I never forget that for the rest of my life.”