THE BLACK BIRD ||COMPLETED||

CHAPTER 8

She heard the door open the next morning and she stood up slowly, still nursing her injuries.

Her back ached and she was still in the dress she had on yesterday. Kendra had cried her eyes out the whole night. What's the use crying anyway?

When there was no one here to hear her. She blinked as the door slowly opened and Alice came in.
This was one of the maids who always dared to open the door to her room every time she got beat up.

Alice had always been there to help her nurse her wounds. The maid was the only one who was bold enough to come up to her when every other maid was scared to reach her.

"Ma'am."
The young twenty years old lady said and walked to kneel beside the bed.

Kendra looked up at her. She never cried in front of other maids but Alice was an exception because she would always tend her wounds.
So, Kendra broke down in tears.

"I'm sorry for not coming here last night. I was scared he would find out."

Kendra nodded. "Where is he?"

"He left to work. May I?"
She gestured to her dress and Kendra nodded.

"With all due respect, ma'am. I don't think you still need to stay here. He's hitting you all the time and God knows that I would kill any man who does this to me."
Alice said and winced at the sight of the deep red marks and injuries, cleaning them with a wet cloth and Kendra groaned in pain.

"Sorry."
She apologized.

"You have to leave him. You have to tell someone that he's hitting you."

Kendra said nothing. Telling someone wasn't the case. But, the thought of people telling her 'I told you so' was the case here. She couldn't even tell her parents. They were the first people to disagree on the marriage if she couldn't wait a while and date him for at least six months. But Kendra turned deaf ears. Telling them now would only make her the fool.
She welcomed the piercing pain that stabbed her when Alice applied the methylated spirit.

"I will prepare your bath water so you can take a bath and I'll close up the wounds that are open."
Alice couldn't stretch the matter further. If Kendra didn't say a word about it, the maid simply closed the topic. Kendra watched her walk to the door.

"He's my husband, Alice."

Alice paused.
"But he's killing you slowly."
Alice pointed out and walked back to the bed.
"Ma'am. You're too nice to die young. You have to file for a divorce. You have to tell someone about this."

Kendra shook her head.
"A divorce is against my believe. I need to a stronger reason to leave him."

"He beats you. He abuses you. That's a stronger reason."

"Its more than that. I can't divorce him, I made a mistake getting married to him. I don't want to be a laughing stock."

"Ma'am."
Alice said almost a whisper. A tear rolled down Kendra's eyes.

"You won't understand what I'm talking about, Alice. I have to keep quiet and bear it. Its my cross."

"With all due respect, Ma'am. He's a beast. No responsible and gentleman would open his eyes and raise his hands to hit a lady. Especially when she's his wife."
Alice said with certainty.

Kendra smiled.
"I know. But some men do. It was my fault, Alice. I didn't do what he wanted me to do. I was stubborn."

Alice looked at her for a while and turned to leave.

"Alice."
The maid stopped again.
"Aliyah could come here today. Tell her I went on a trip with my husband."

Alice spun around to look at her. Then she opened the door and left the room.