Control, we all need it over our existence, we need independence and when we don't get it we see how unnecessary we are.
This world has billions of people in it, our death or our life will not make any difference, we live in the constant awareness of living in an unlimited universe and that our planet is not as important as we believe yet we want to feel less useless.
Having control, having the privilege of making choices will make you feel less meaningless because who knows that choice could be able to change the life of other insignificant humans for the better.
"Yes mom, I love you too" I felt exactly like that, useless.
"Yes, yes I will bye" I hang up the phone and stared coldly at Andrew, that had a vicious smirk on his face.
"You think I'm that stupid to let you speak to her without me?" he asked raising his voice, when he began to talk like that I wasn't allowed to look at him nor reply to his questions so I looked down at my hands and shut my mouth.
"I know what you are thinking babe but I'm doing this for you, you would be nothing without me, I love you." He grabbed my chin with his finger and I nodded slowly, hiding the disgust that that touch caused me a soft smile made it all the way to my face.
"The phone" he said holding out his hand, I gave him my phone and got up from his bed.
"Now go away" I exited his room and ran into mine.
"Fuck!Fuck!Fuck!" Rage filled my body and I tried to control myself.
Tears of grief ran down my soft cheeks, and I felt more irritated at myself. When someone doesn't have any control over all the things that are happening to them the first thing they do is cry or simply lie to themselves saying that everything is fine.
Tears are so tricky, uncomfortable, and strangely complicated, they can be a perfect coping mechanism but not for me, I hated them.
I wiped my tears with the palm of my hand and took deep and controlled breaths.
" You will not get away with all of this Andrew." I muttered to myself.
He took my phone but not the one with the evidence and I was counting on that.
I put on a short white dress that exposed my long legs, the contusions on my legs weren't exactly healed but they were hard to spot. I felt the need to cover them for prevention but something stopped me.
"You know what? fuck that shit, I will not cover these bruises if they notice them good for them"
Before I could exit from my room I heard someone knock, I opened the door to see the east Asian helper looking at me with a gentle smile on her face.
"Mr. Gresham would like to see you in his office"
"Did he told you what he needs?" she shook her head and walked away.
Without minding too much, I went to Damien's office and entered inside without knocking.
"I'm here" he looked one second at me and then went back to look at the papers he was holding but then he instantly got up from the chair and walked in my direction, I took some step back noticing his angry expression, and hit the door with my back.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he whispered yelled to my face, I looked at him, confusion was written all over my face and I could feel him getting more irritated since I wasn't understanding the cause of his madness.
"This, are you fucking serious?" he grabbed the rim of my dress and slightly lifted it, I gasped at his action and looked down at my dress.
"What do you not understand of keeping a low profile?"
"You are going around the house with your bruises exposed!" he smashed his hand right next to my head hitting the door, I gulped not knowing how far he could go when he was mad.
"I'm sorry" I murmured.
"Do you want to ruin everything?" he asked and I shook my head.
"Then why are you fucking wearing this dress, is exposing every single wound on your legs." he kept lifting my dress up without breaking our eye contact, He suddenly loosened the grip he was holding on my dress.
"Do you realize how exhausting is this? hiding?" I asked.
"You will have to do it forever if you expose yourself like this, what if Andrew finds out"
"This was what I was trying to do"
"Are you trying to end your life?" He asked with a harsh tone and I laughed bitterly at his question.
"Of course I'm not?"But I'm so tired of not having control, I can't-" my voice breaks and tears blur my vision suddenly I feel Damien strong arms wrapping around my body pushing my head to his chest.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was just so worried, I shouldn't have done that, I've clearly upset you."
"But I really don't want Andrew to hurt you, I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you and how angry and frustrated you are at this situation."
"But you aren't alone this time, I can help you, I will help you." He said softly caressing my back.
"Do you want a tissue?" He asked braking our embrace so he could look at my face. I simply nodded and he went for the pack of tissue on his desk and handed it to me.
"Elide, I know it's hard for you, but please don't take unnecessary risks." He said and His expression softened a bit.
"I understand...why did you want to see me?" I asked trying to switch the topic.
"You need to make a copy or more of the proofs and put them in different, but safe places "
"oh... understandable"
"I already have a copy of all of them in another USB will hand it to you."
"Okay then"
"Elide please go cover your bruises" I nodded and left his office, I quickly went to my room and used concealer and foundation to cover my bruises, going out of my room was pointless so I decided to remain there.
●●●
Dinner time came that forced exit my room, I put on something less reviling and went down to go eat with all of them.
"ELI, ELI!" Tom shouted, I smiled at him, everyone was already eating apart from me and Andrew.
"Sit down next to me and Tiffy!" He pointed at the empty chair next to him and I nodded not wanting to say no to that little child.
"Oh no, Elide has to sit down next to me" Tom huffed as he heard Andrew.
"That wasn't the palace of your imaginary friend?" Monique asked posting at the empty chair.
"Oh right!"
"Sorry, Eli you can't sit there." He gave me an apologetic look that resulted in me smiling softly at him, he was so cute.
Andrew sat next to me and he placed a kiss on my cheek, he wrapped his left arm around my waist and used his nails to dig in my skin.
For the whole dinner, his fingers were shoved into my skin but the people sitting at that table weren't aware of it.
The lain I was feeling was ridiculous but I wasn't going to say anything.
"I'm going in my office " Damien got up from the table putting his empty plate in the sink and went up directing himself to his office.
"I'm going to my room, I'm really tired the food was amazing thank you" I finished after Tiffany that was still waiting for Tom to finish, I placed my hand on Andrew's dad to make his grip loosen and looked at him with a sham smile.
"Oh, good night babe"
"Good night" I got up and quickly disappeared upstairs.
"Shit!" I locked the door and immediately removed my clothes leaving myself with only my underwear on and looked down at my left hips to see the marks of his nails on it.
I was lucky enough to not have any further bruises but the pain I was feeling was almost unbearable.
"Let me see" I gasped as I felt Damien's hard chest touching back.
"H-How did you... I locked the door. "
"I have keys" obviously.
"Now, let me see"
I could have screamed at him to go away but I didn't, instead, I turned around to let him see.
He looked at the new injury his son left me intensely and brushed it with his thumb I groaned in pain and he immediately stopped touching me.
"I'm sorry" I smiled and shook my head.
"Is not your fault"
His eyes were looking at mine almost painfully, I could feel our bodies getting closer to each other, a moan excepted my lips as I felt his fingers caressing my back.
I know he heard that but he didn't stop, uncomfortable I patted his arm and he immediately turned his back to me, I gulped understanding I was still in my underwear.
Embarrassed I quickly put on the clothes I removed.
"I shouldn't have come into your room without telling you anything first"
"You can look now and yes maybe, you shouldn't have done it." I looked down trying to avoid his gaze and I felt him getting once again closer to me.
"You were good at hiding what he was doing to you, but the way you looked at me when you got up was enough to understand he was hurting you."
"I just needed to make sure you were okay"
"Take."
"It's a cream, it will leave a livid if you don't do something about it so take and put it on" he explained handing it to me.
"thank you" I smiled at him.
"Okay, I think should live now" I nod.
"Elide" I froze hearing Andrew's voice.

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