A Trillionaire's Revenge

VII

I think I knew that already, I had a feeling from the beginning. The help was in love with my so-called husband. If only she knew what a sick person he was, would she still love him? I could care less. All I wanted was to get out of here as soon as I could.

It was time, exactly 8:05pm. I had a bag packed with my most expensive shoes and clothes. I could sell them for cash and get a place to stay for the night. I was dressed in a purple floral print dress, my hair flowing and my signature red lips. If I was going to escape like a criminal, I would at-least look good doing it.

I walk down the stairs and I'm grateful because the lights are turned off. It would make my escape easier. I hurriedly walk on the stairs, trying my best to be as silent as I can. I reach the hallway and my palms are sweaty, my hands shaking. I open the door and rush out as fast as I can. I breath a sigh of relief and begin to run as fast as my legs can take me, until I see a familiar figure in front of me. I take steps back, my heart beating fast and my lips parted in shock.

"What are you doing?" Luke asks.

I begin to cry, "Please, I'm begging you, let me go." I move closer to him, "If only you know how much I hate you. No, I despise you so much! Please, just let me leave, allow me to go away from here, please." I hold his hands, "Please, I will die if I keep staying here, please, I need peace, please, let me go!"

His eyes are red, but I could care less about that. He squeezes both my wrists, "No." He responds and I scream.

"You're a beast." I say in between sobs as I run back into the house. Lucas was a monster, and at that moment, I knew there was no escaping this scam of a marriage for me. I was trapped.

Somehow, I end up in Luke's study, crying my eyes out. "Oh God, Rocky must be looking for me."

Luke enters, "Stop crying." I hear. He sits on the grey couch opposite me. "Natalie, please forgive me, I don't know how to look at myself in the mirror after doing what I did to you yesterday. I'm not a rapist, and I would never force a woman to bed intentionally especially when that woman is my wife." He gets on his knees, a gesture that shocks me. My crying pauses as I concentrate on him. "I agree that our marriage is just an agreement but still, there's no excuse for what I did yesterday. I don't know, you always get me so annoyed and you bring out this wild side in me that I don't know how to control." He says, trying to hold my hands.

I feel disgusted, "Don't you dare! Don't touch me, don't! I've told you, I hate you, I despise you and the fact that we breathe the same air makes me sick. Get out!" His eyes aren't red this time around, instead, they are blue. His actual eye color. He looks sad and dejected, something that made me happy knowing he was just as sad as I was.

***

I didn't know what time it was because I hadn't left the room since what transpired between Luke and I earlier on. I was curled up in my bed, with no tears left to cry. My mind drifted into thoughts about my father. I hoped he was doing well and recovering well. I missed him so much during these hard times. I wonder if he knew what my mother had done. If he knew that I had been sold off like a piece of furniture just to save our name and money. My mind drifts off to Rocky. Why hadn't he come for me? Did he hate me? It wouldn't come as a surprise after all, I did betray him.

I had decided to take a tour round the house— if I was going to escape again, I needed to know every possible escape route. Luke's house was indeed very huge. There was a total of nine rooms and every room had a bathroom in it. There was a mini theatre on the second floor and beside it was a chapel with the statue of Mary in it. I had prayed there for a while, asking and begging the holy virgin to send my love to me.

Now, I was quite hungry because I hadn't really had anything good to eat since I'd come to the manor. I'm downstairs, heading for the kitchen when I hear voices from the study. As I'm about to go closer, the door opens and Laurel comes out alongside Luke. She looks annoyed.

Luke looks at me, and I stare at both of them. "Natalie, please." He says, stretching his hand towards me. I take his hand, looking at Laurel and enjoying the sour look she's giving me.

"There's always a party here, at the manor, every July 29th, it's a family tradition. The party is in two days and Laurel has always planned it alongside the planner, but I was just telling her that since you're here, as my wife and the lady of the house, you get to plan the party and make all the decisions." He says.

Although I didn't like it here, I was glad I had something to do to distract me from everything that had happened in the past few days. "I'll see. Although, I've never planned a party in such short notice before." I say, looking at Luke. He has a small smile on his face. The smile disappears as soon as he sees me looking at him.

"Thank you." He says, turning to leave. Laurel storms off.

"Wait, Luke." I say. He turns, "I'm hungry." I say, embarrassed.

"Follow me." He leads me to the kitchen and takes out a sit for me. The cook isn't around so he decides to make me something. I sit watching him quietly. It's uncomfortable.

The food is ready, and it's a plate of pasta sitting right in front of me. "You know how to cook. I hope it tastes as good as it looks, and not as horrible as you are." I say, eyeing him slowly.

"Wait," He says, and I wonder if he had gotten upset with my comment, but instead he surprises me by taking a taste of the food. I look at him, confused.

"Just incase you think I might've done something to the food or poisoned it." He says, his face void of emotions.

"Thanks." I say.

****

It was midnight and I'm in my room, unable to sleep. I need some fresh air, so I decide to go to the balcony downstairs. I arrive, and Laurel is there. It's awkward.

"Why are you here?" She asks. I scrunch my brows in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Natalie. Why are you here? This is my spot. I always stay here every night, so you should leave. You aren't welcome here." She says and I'm beyond amazed. She didn't like me, that was obvious, but the feeling was mutual.

"You know what? Maybe things are going to change, or no— maybe, things have, indeed changed. Incase you might've forgotten, I'm Lucas's wife, which makes me your boss, so you better have some respect for me." I respond, unsure where my response came from.

Laurel laughs heartily, "Wife? Seriously, did you just say wife? You don't act like it, do you? You don't love Luke, so don't claim to be what you're not and, I'm not a maid, boss." She continues, "I'm sure Luke doesn't love you either, you're probably just some business deal he had to get. He doesn't joke with the company." She says and I chuckle. I had the perfect reply to make her mad.

"If he didn't love me, then why did he have sex with me yesterday?" Her face goes pale, almost immediately.

"He ha-had sex with you?" She asks, shocked.

I tilt my head to the side and smile, before turning to leave. "Enjoy the fresh air."