When my eyes open a few hours later, it is to a new round of pain all over my body. I groan as I try to shift my body, only for the pain to worsen.
At least I'm not dead.
The thought of dying doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world. It is just about why I am dying. I would rather take my own life. That way, death will be sweeter. It will be my own decision.
But having a husband who betrayed me also kill me will have my spirit pained and restless for a very long time.
My eyes roam around the dark room. The stench of dog urine and poop tells me that I am still where Matt kept me before knocking me out of consciousness with his gun head. A little whinny sound announces the dog's presence.
I sigh, getting up a little on my elbow. I glance down at the camisole and shorts I have put on earlier that morning. Both are covered with dust from how Matt had dragged me from the main house all the way to the dog's house.
Cursing under my breath, I begin dusting off some of the dirt. How low have I gotten? And how much lower will I get? I wonder.
A tear slides down my face on remembering how simple and problem free my life had been before the wedding. It used to be perfect.
I have also wanted it to continue being perfect throughout my wedding, honeymoon and my trip to Italy for my art classes.
Now, look at me. A shadow of myself, with those wants, a fragment of dreams that might never come true.
What will people think when they see me like this? Most especially, what will Jameson think? Another sigh escapes from my lips, this one louder than the previous one.
It must have been loud enough because it ends up waking the dog from his slumber. He sees me and jolts to his feet. He begins wagging his tail as he rushes to me.
"Hey there…"
I tell him as he snuggles himself onto my lap.
He continues whimpering as I comb my hand through his hairy body. We stay like that for a while.
A knock comes through the door after some time has passed.
"Food time!" A voice announces, sliding a plate through a hole.
It takes me a while to realize that the food belongs to the dog, not me. A wave of hunger washes over me at that point, just as my stomach begins grumbling, begging for food.
I use my last strength to jolt on my feet.
"Hey!" I call out to the man who just dropped the food.
But it seems like my voice isn't loud enough since he continues his walk out of the place.
I jab at the door, "Please, I'm hungry. And I'm thirsty too. Give me food and water or get me out of here!"
He stops. When the man turns, I notice that he is the same one who stitched me in there in the first place. The hatred, the same one he had looked at me with while at the dining room, is still there in his eyes.
"What is it?"
Didn't he hear what I just said?
I let out a weak groan and lick my dry lips before releasing what I just said, even though I barely have enough energy to talk.
"What makes you think you deserve to eat or drink anything?" he asks me through gritted teeth.
"I am hungry…" I cry out.
"Fools like you don't deserve to eat anything. Or even drink anything."
He sneers at me before continuing his walk out of the area. I slump down on the floor. This is worse than I expected. What am I going to do?
I would have shouted for help if not that I don't have any strength left in me for that. I remain there on the floor until I drift off into another sleep. I find myself on an island.
Jameson is relaxing beside me on a beach chair. The sun is glazing through our half naked bodies. The look in his eyes is like the one I saw on the first day I set my eyes on him. It is so calm and soothing as his long fingers comb through my hair.
"You are the one I want, Bella," he says in a deep voice that washes over me like a wave of a tornado.
My lips widen in a smile that has me wishing we would remain like this forever.
"I want you more than anything you can ever imagine, Jameson," I tell him too, clinging on to each word like my life depends on them.
He wraps his arms around me, pulling me onto his chest. He smacks a kiss on my forehead. Another one on my nose, which I giggle to. He is about to get to my lips when a jab on my leg wakes me up.
When I blink my eyes open, it is to darkness. Two men are inside the room. One of them is spraying a pipe water on the dog's body. Some of which are splashing to me.
I manage to drag myself up on the floor, while wondering why everywhere is so dark. It isn't until I loom out of the window that I realize that it is already nighttime.
"Get your ass up from there!" The man shouts at me, "Boss wants to see you right now."
So much for a lovely husband, I thought, while dragging myself up from the floor. My butt ends up smacking right back on the floor since my legs cannot carry me.
The one washing up the dog rushes towards me to help me, only to end up giving me an emergency bath with the pipe water. I gulp down some of the water in the process when I can no longer help how thirsty I am feeling.
"What are you doing?"The other man barks.
"Helping her! She needs help, sir!"
"Leave that bitch to walk on her own. If she could betray our boss, she should muster some energy to walk!"
The man lets go of my arm. I stumble back a little before regaining my balance.
"Move it. Let's go."
I follow him with ginger steps. We get to their mansion, only to find Matt by the window, backing us.
"She's here, boss."
Matt turns to us. He pinches his nose immediately, "What's that horrible smell?"
"It should be from your wife, boss. We saw her all cuddled up with the dog."
The man turns to me, "Go and have your bath. You smell like shit."
He directs me to the visitor's bathroom. Once I get inside and lock the doors safely behind me, I strip naked. Then I turn on the shower and crouch under it, allowing the cascade of water to pour on my body.
Two thoughts remain with me throughout the long shower time. Both thoughts overlap each other occasionally.
I made a grave mistake by falling in love with Matt. He wouldn't have been treating me this way had it not been that I was head over heels in love with him. So much in love that my parents had noticed my craziness and had decided to use it to their advantage.
One of them should have noticed that Matt wasn't in love with me, like I was with him. If they had noticed, they didn't care. Or rather, they were only focused on reviving Vanderblib Glow and nothing about their daughter's happiness.
Regret courses over me as the second thought comes to my mind. If only I had met Jameson a day earlier. I don't think I would have been here, going through this means with Matt.
If he had been able to sweep me off my feet, literally, with his presence, just a few minutes after I had witnessed the betrayal of my life, maybe things would have been different.
I would have paused with the wedding, even if it means to think things through with Matt.
A knock comes on the door, "Are you going to have that bath forever or will you come to fulfill your marital duties?"
I frown back at Matt's voice.
"Answer me, Bella!" he shouts, banging on the door this time around.
I get up from the bathroom floor, wrapping my wet body with one of the white towels on the rack. My heart starts slamming on my chest at the same time my body is shivering. Whether the shivers are from the chilly weather or from the fear gripping every part of my bone, no one can fathom.
"Do you want me to break through this door? Huh? Is that what you want?!"
I swallow hard just as my fidgety hand goes to the lock. It unlocks the door. I open it, only to see Matt waiting for me with darkened eyes.
His eyes leave my face to slide through my body frame. He darks out his tongue to lick his lips slowly, while nodding his head satisfactorily at what he is seeing.
"Hmm. So what is it going to be?"