Inside the house, the air is thick with tension as Robin sits across from Malik in his study, her eyes downcast, fingers trembling in her lap. She knows she's in trouble - the look of fury across her husband's face makes that painfully clear.
"So tell me, Robin," Malik begins, his voice dripping with barely contained rage. "Why were you at that gallery, hmm? Sneaking around behind my back, cavorting with God knows who?"
Robin swallows hard, her throat suddenly dry. "I-I wasn't... I wasn't cheating on you, Malik," she stammers, her gaze darting nervously. "I just wanted to leave the house briefly to see something new. That's all."
Malik slams his fist on the table, causing Robin to flinch. "Don't lie to me, you ungrateful woman!" he roars. "I provide for you, I give you everything you could ever want, and this is how you repay me? By betraying my trust?"
Tears well in Robin's eyes as she shakes her head vehemently. "No, Malik, please, you have to believe me. I would never do that to you. I love you, I swear!"
But Malik is having none of it. He rises from his chair, towering over her, his expression twisted with rage. "Love me?" he sneers. "If you loved me, you would obey me, and you would never have dared to defy me like this."
Robin shrinks back, her heart pounding in her chest. "I'm s-sorry, M-malik. I'm so sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."
Malik's lips curl into a cruel smile. "Oh, it won't happen again, my dear," he says, his voice dripping with menace. "I'll make sure of that."
With that, he storms out of the room, leaving Robin alone, trembling with fear.
She knows Malik's wrath is far from over, and she dreads what he has in store for her.
**********
Three days pass, and Robin doesn't see Malik at all. She's confined to the house, forbidden from leaving, and the silence is deafening. She spends her days pacing the empty halls, her mind racing with worry and uncertainty.
Then, one evening, the front door slams open, and Malik stumbles in, reeking of alcohol.
Robin rushes to his side, her heart pounding. Was he drinking? Why? "Malik, what happened? Are you alright?"
But Malik shoves her away, his eyes wild and unfocused. "Don't touch me, you lying bitch!" he snarls, his words slurring together. "I know what you've been doing, and I know all about your little affair."
Robin's eyes widen in horror. "No, Malik, please, you have to believe me. I would never-"
Her words are cut off as Malik's fist connects with her face, sending her reeling. She cries out in pain, clutching her cheek, and Malik advances on her, his expression twisted with rage.
"Shut up!" he roars. "I don't want to hear your lies anymore. You've betrayed me, Robin, and now you'll pay the price."
He grabs her by the hair, yanking her to her feet, and Robin can't help but scream as he drags her across the room. She tries to fight back, to plead for mercy, but Malik is relentless, his blows raining down on her like a storm.
By the time he's finished, Robin lies on the floor, battered and broken, her body wracked with sobs. Malik stands over her, chest heaving, his eyes cold and unforgiving.
"This is what happens when you defy me, Robin," he says, his voice low and dangerous. "Remember that."
With that, he turns and stumbles out of the room, leaving Robin in agony. She lies there, trembling, her mind reeling with the realisation that this is the worst day of her life.
Somehow, she finds the strength to pull herself to her feet, her every movement agonising. She knows she can't stay here, not with Malik in this state. She has to get away, to find a safe place to hide.
Clutching her bruised ribs, Robin reaches the front door, pausing to grab her purse. She slips into the night, her heart pounding, and begins to run. And her only thought is to put as much distance between herself and Malik as possible.
Robin's legs burn as she runs, her lungs aching with each desperate breath. The night air bites at her exposed skin, but she doesn't slow down, driven only by the overwhelming need to escape.
Every step sends shockwaves of pain through her battered body, but she pushes on, her mind consumed by the haunting memory of Malik's fists slamming into her.
The terror of that moment is etched into her very being, practically carved into her bones.
As she rounds a corner, Robin's vision blurs with tears, her feet stumbling on the uneven ground.
She collapses under a bridge, the cold, hard concrete offering little comfort as she curls in on herself, shaking uncontrollably.
The silence is deafening, save for the ragged sound of her breathing.
Robin flinches at the slightest noise, her every nerve ending on high alert, and her body braced for another attack.
Suddenly, she hears the faint sound of footsteps approaching, and her heart leaps into her throat.
Panicked, she scrambles backwards, her back pressed against a pillar, eyes wild with fear as she searches the darkness for the source of the sound.
A shadowy figure emerges, and Robin's breath catches in her throat, a strangled cry escaping her lips.
She crouches on the ground, arms raised in a desperate attempt to shield herself, her entire body quaking with pure, unadulterated terror.
"Shh, shh, it's okay," a familiar voice suddenly breaks through the haze of her fear. "It's just me, Robin. It's Ramsey."
Robin blinks, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. "R-Ramsey?" she stammers, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ramsey's expression is etched with concern as he kneels beside her, his gaze intently studying the bruises and cuts that mar her once flawless skin. "What happened to you?" he asks, his voice laced with shock and anger.
Robin shakes her head, her lips trembling. "I-I... I can't," she whispers, her body curling in on itself as if trying to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible.
Ramsey's brow furrows, and he reaches out, his hand hovering hesitantly over her arm. "Robin, you're safe now," he murmurs, his tone gentle and reassuring. "Let me help you."
With a shaky nod, Robin allows Ramsey to guide her to her feet, her every movement laced with pain. She leans on him heavily, her legs threatening to give out as they make their way through the darkness, Ramsey's strong, steady presence the only thing keeping her from collapsing.
As they enter the light, Robin can't help but flinch, her eyes squinting against the sudden brightness. But Ramsey's grip on her is firm, his gaze unwavering, and she knows that for the first time in what feels like an eternity, she is truly safe.