Our last class of the day ended at 3: 30 p.m. Emma was already itching to be the first to rush out of the classroom and go to the baseball field stands to get a good seat. As I ran along with her, I made sure I brought my phone with me. I didn't want to make any mistakes and get caught by Ravi.
When we reached the stadium stands, we realized that there were already a lot of girls who had taken the front seats. Emma and I could only choose to sit as close to the front as possible. She excitedly pointed out to me the players who were warming up on the court. One of the pitchers was her crush. I touched her curly hair and gave her a naughty smile.
"He's really handsome," Emma, unable to suppress her emotions, said. "I've seen him take off his shirt before. His abs are perfect." Emma covered her face with both hands. She must have known how hard she was blushing.
Perfect abs? The image of Ravi removing his shirt and revealing his abs instantly flashed through my mind. No, I couldn't let this person occupy my mind, not for even a second.
"I'm going to get some drinks," I told Emma with a smile as I got up.
"I want a beer, thank you."
"Are you over 21?"
"Then make it Coke, thanks." Emma winked at me.
I really couldn't do anything about this girl. I turned and walked towards the exit in the middle of the stands. People started walking towards the middle of the stand one after another. I had to avoid them. I was almost at the exit when someone came at me. I dodged to the left. He took large strides in the same direction. I dodged to the right and he took large strides in the same direction. I looked up and saw that it was actually Ravi.
"Why didn't you pick up the phone?!" His voice was very cold, but there was no hint of anger in it.
"You called?" I looked at him in surprise, then immediately checked my phone. "Sorry, I put it on silent during class." I looked like a primary school student who had made a mistake, and I was afraid to look him in the eye.
Ravi grabbed my wrist and started to walk toward the exit.
"Can I say goodbye to my friend?"
"No."
"Irina!" A voice rang out from not far away. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Brian. He had run down one level at a time from the top of the stands, and at that moment, Ravi had stopped.
"Do you need help?" Brian looked at me with concern.
I didn't know what to say. I just said, "This is my classmate, Brian; this is… Ravi."
"If you need help, just ask. No one can force you to do anything you don't want to do." Brian glanced at Ravi.
Ravi said nothing. He tightened his grip on my wrist, and I frowned in pain.
"You're hurting her," Brian said to Ravi. I could sense Ravi's anger, even though his gaze remained expressionless.
Ravi suddenly let go of my hand and punched Brian in the face. Brian's tall body fell to the ground instantly, and blood flowed out of his mouth.
Not knowing what to do, I froze in shock. I felt a large hand grab my wrist and pull me forward. The people in the stands gathered around to look at Brian. As I walked, I looked back, but my view was blocked by the onlookers.
In the car, Ravi stared at me coldly while I kept avoiding his gaze.
"You didn't keep your promise." His voice was still so cold that no emotion could be detected.
"Sorry. I was going to—"
"Your punishment is to spend 48 hours in isolation."
I was terrified. In my old home, I was often locked in the basement by Raul because of small mistakes. The basement, with only a small bed, was cold and damp. During my isolation, I couldn't eat. I could only drink water, and I had to endure Raul's beatings. Painful memories surfaced in my mind.
"Yes." I tilted my head back and widened my eyes to keep the tears from falling.
We returned to Ravi's villa, and Ravi dragged me to my room. He sat on the bed and looked me up and down. I felt uncomfortable under his gaze, so I went to the window and turned my back to him.
"You're not allowed to leave this room for two days."
I turned around and stared at him in shock. He got up with his hands in his pockets, and walked towards me.
"You can't eat. You can only drink water," he added.
Ravi turned toward the door. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around. "I have to confiscate your phone too." He held out a hand. I took my phone out of my pocket and placed it in his hand. He took the phone and walked away without looking back. The door was locked from the outside by him.
I stood alone in the room and looked at the locked door. It was like I had been transported from one prison to another. I had not harmed anyone, but I had been punished, beaten, scolded, and imprisoned again and again for various reasons. At the end of the day, I was a greedy person who wanted to survive and could not bear to die. In order to live, I had to endure the abuse. I had no choice but to marry someone I had never met, and I had no choice but to sell myself out in order to survive.