5 A hateful kiss

Jenna's POV

The next day I woke up at about the same hour to prepare coffee for Henry. I was dressed in some shorts and a loose black t-shirt which used to be my brothers'. Suddenly I heard footsteps coming from upstairs and after a couple of seconds he was in the kitchen with his iPad in his hand, dressed professionally, this time with a navy-blue suit, dark-blue tie and white shirt.

"Good morning, sir!" I said to him, emphasising on the last word. "Would you like anything else besides coffee?"

"Where is my breakfast?" he asked looking at me icily. I was shocked by the question as I knew a day before I threw the breakfast I made into the trash.

"I thought you only wanted coffee." I replied briefly.

"Well, today I want breakfast. Eggs and bacon...what are you wearing?" he asks looking at my t-shirt.

"My brother's t-shirt. He died a couple of weeks ago." I replied, instantly feeling an overwhelming sadness.

"I don't care about your stupid story. Take it off, you look like a homeless person." he said emotionless to me after which he took a sip of his coffee.

"Ok, I will go and change." I said trying to keep my calm. As I was stepping out of the kitchen, his hand stopped me.

"No, you will strip now and walk around like this until I'm gone." he said, amused by his stupid idea.

"But I have only my bra underneath, I can't just go around the house like that."

"Take it off now or I'll do it for you" he said but this time his eyes were full of anger due to my protests.

"No! I agreed to be your maid, not your slave. I shall dress how I please." I tried to keep my voice low and firm for him to understand that this was my final decision and I was going to stick with it. Out of nowhere he grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him. I could feel his breath on my neck as he whispered:

"I can see now not only that you're stupid, but also stubborn. You're a stupid stubborn bitch!" he yelled the last sentence while pulling the t-shirt off me as I was struggling to keep it on. Finally, he succeeded and I was left standing in front of him only with my bra, trying to keep my last shred of dignity by not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me crying. I frowned my eyebrows as I watched the smirk on his face getting bigger and bigger until he began laughing violently.

"Are you happy now?" I asked ironically trying to grab the t-shirt out of his hand.

"Oh, don't be such a prude. It's not like I didn't see your tits before..." he replied while raising the hand that was holding the t-shirt up, too far for me to reach it.

"Give me my t-shirt back you monster!" I screamed hatefully at him, making efforts to grab the t-shirt.

"Oh, this t-shirt?" he asked making a step back, taunting me to come and get it. Before I could grab it, Henry torn it in half and threw the remains into my face without any emotion.

"Why would you do that?" I asked picking up the piece of cloth that was now just a rag in my hands. Tears were dripping down my cheeks and the taste was bitter, just like his heart. He grabbed my chin forcefully, obligating me to look into his eyes. I could only see darkness and hatred so I closed them in hope he will eventually leave me alone, but he didn't. Instead, I felt his lips crushing against mine and his tongue making his way into my mouth, exploring every corner of it. His taste was sweet and masculine with a light cinnamon aroma, invading my entire being. I moved my head to the side trying to escape his kiss but that only made him more desperate as he pulled my hair down brutally with one hand while the other was wrapped around my waist so tightly, I could barely breathe. I was forced to keep my head up only this time his mouth was near my shoulder, ultimately biting it until I started screaming from the pain. I felt the flesh burning as blood was flowing now from the wound but his hands wouldn't let me go, sign that he was not done with me. The hand that was moments ago pulling my hair was now on the strap of my bra undoing it and in matter of seconds I was left without it. I turned red and covered my breasts in shame looking at his stone-cold expression.

"I warned you once and you didn't listen! I never repeat myself! This is a lesson for the future in case you have any more rebellious ideas in that brain damaged mind of yours." he said without even an ounce of emotion. I was crying frenetically by the time he finished his threat, mostly from the physical pain he just inflicted upon me but also from the pain of being treated like a piece of trash. I tried to move past Henry and get as far away from him as possible, but he grabbed me again, this time by the arm used to cover my chest.

"Where are you going? Do you want me to teach you another lesson? I said I want breakfast and I expect you to do it..." I wouldn't dare look into his eyes as he made his demands because I was too afraid of him hurting me again. "NOW!" he shouted into my ear and I flinched, clenching my jaw as my hatred grew even bigger for him. Forced by the situation and the sadistic man standing beside me, I turned to the fridge and began searching for the eggs and bacon, half naked while he was standing beside me now, watching my every move. Part of the blood from my shoulder already got to my forearm, creating uneven red lines on the left side of my body. The pain was excruciating so I struggled preparing the breakfast with my right arm.

After everything was finished, I passed him the plate only to see it smashed on the floor without any particular reason followed by a disgusted look in his eyes as he was preparing to leave.

"Go and wipe off the blood! You disgust me!" I heard his words before leaving the house. I sighed relieved that he was finally gone, but my entire being was smashed into little pieces. I knew I had nobody to go to, no one to confide in and nothing to live for. Instinctively I crouched into a corner of the kitchen sobbing silently, thinking that maybe I deserve this after all the things I did and wishing that everything would only be a nightmare from which I could wake up at any minute.

Twenty minutes past as I sat there thinking about my life from now on and reminiscing about my fucked-up past until the voice of reason finally emerged in my head, pushing me to wipe off my tears and continue the work I was assigned to do.

"2 days past, 28 to go, 2 days past, 28 to go..." I mumbled to myself while I was walking to the bathroom to treat the wound and wipe off the blood. As soon as I finished patching the carve and wiping off the floor the breakfast remains, I went to "my room" to get the menu list I had to prepare for the following day. Reading it, I realised that I didn't have enough groceries to cook that much food so I decided to call Henry and let him know. I took my phone just to find a text message from Tania which was sent yesterday morning:

"Jenna, I got the key from the neighbour. Don't worry about it, I hope you are ok and feel free to come by whenever you want. "

I read the message and felt compelled for a second to call her and get to spend a little time away from that torture house, but I couldn't since I was too busy to even eat and afraid of what Henry might do to me if I don't finish the menu on time. This was the second day since I haven't eaten properly and the headache I felt yesterday was becoming more and more intense. Since I didn't have Henry's number, I looked around the house to find something that could help me reach him. After a couple of minutes searching, I found a business card thrown in an empty fruit basket with his name on it. I called the number and his secretary answered:

"Good morning! Mr. Strauss's office. How may I assist you?" the voice of the girl asked politely.

"Hi! My name is Jenna, I'm Mr. Strauss's maid. May I speak with him?" I asked hoping for a positive answer.

"I'm sorry!Mr. Strauss is not available at the moment." she answered briefly. After a short pause she asked:" Would you like me to give him a message?"

"Yes, please tell him to call me back when he has the chance."

"Ok, I will let him know. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, thank you. Have a good day!" I said to the secretary, wishing she would go to Henry as soon as possible and let him know that I called. Officially, I was afraid of this man due to his natural way of handling things. I wasn't sure if I was the only person he afforded to snap at the way he was snapping at me every time I used to speak my mind, but he was terrifying, emanating pure hatred and the last thing I needed was another scene like the one which happened an hour ago.

Since I had to wait for Henry to call me back and arrange for the food to be delivered, I took the opportunity to quickly eat a small sandwich and watch TV. When I finally sat on the red leather sofa, I literally sank in it, enveloped in a feeling of coziness and relaxation. After I finished eating, I laid on it until my eyes began getting heavy. My body felt sore, my head hurt as if someone hit me with a big rock and on top of that, his bite stung every time I was trying to raise my left arm. Not long after that, I fell asleep thinking about my life before my brother died, how mom and dad would take us to McDonalds every weekend after school and the way it made me feel just knowing I had somebody to take care of me and love me for who I was. With them gone, all I got left was my shady past and an executioner ready to cut my throat at any second.

Henry's POV

As soon as I got to work and stepped into my office, I was surprised by Mila standing in my office chair with her legs on my desk. She had a wide smile on her face and two weapons, half of them coming out of her bra. They were hard to notice but for some reason, my thought immediately jumped to Jenna's breasts, small, perky and soft..." Man, what are you doing? Fucking idiot! Stop thinking at that fucking thief!" I thought to myself, trying to erase the image out of my head.

"Mila, what are you doing here, in my office, with your legs on my desk?" I asked irritated by her attempt to seduce me. Since I was a man that enjoyed a good challenge, I never liked desperate women as they seemed pathetic and weak in my eyes. I smelled her perfume from the door and scrunched my nose as it was too strong for my liking. This was for sure my mother's hand which made things even worse for the poor girl.

"I want to thank you again for the opportunity..." I cut her instantly." You welcome, don't mention it, now I have work to do. Is there anything else you need?" I asked quickly, removing my blazer and going to my desk. She rose up blushing allowing me to take a sit on my chair which I did. Three seconds later the woman was in my lap, wrapping one arm around my neck while the other was stroking my chest. At that point I was disgusted so I pushed her lightly trying to regain my personal space as I stood up.

"Please leave!" and saying that I nudged her from behind with one arm, showing her the exit with the other.

"I'm sorry...I fucked up. This is not me...I don't usually do this..." she stuttered visibly ashamed by the situation. Her face was red and her eyes were facing the ground while she was getting closer to the door. In that moment and idea popped into my head so I stopped her:

"Mila, listen...I don't want you to get this the wrong way. You are a beautiful woman and I would like to get to know you better but I don't like things to be forced. I believe it's much more beneficial for both of us if everything would go...natural." Hearing my words, she raised her head and I could see hope flickering inside her green eyes.

"I know..." she said smiling." I just thought this is what you want. I've talked to your mother and she suggested I should be more...involved" she mumbled taking her eyes away from me.

"Oh, yes! My darling mother! Isn't she a peach? Listen, what do you say about dinner Friday night at my place? I promise my mother will be there." I told her amused thinking that she will get the joke, instead she was shocked by my words.

"I was joking!" I raised my hands defensively. She giggled and I smiled.

"Oh, sorry. I'm very bad at jokes, both understanding and making them."

"No worries. My.." " My mother is the same" I was about to say but fortunately it remained just a thought. "8 P.M is good for you?"

"It's perfect. Have a wonderful day Mr. Strauss" She said going out the door.

"Please call me Henry." I followed and she smiled.

After a long meeting with the board of directors, I found my mother waiting for me into my office, smiling and sitting comfortably in the blue sofa where I sometimes used to fuck Kim. The thought entertained me but her presence displeased me.

"So, what do you think about Mila?" she inquired like a little child.

"What is it with you women and my office? The waiting room is outside." I protested at the sight of her.

"I don't wait outside! You are my son, I am your mother and this used to be your father's company. I can wait wherever I want." she said pointing her index finger at the entire room bothered by my words. "Anyway, I didn't come here to argue. I came here to..."

"..let me guess." I said rubbing my forehead as if guessing the lucky number. "...to find out if I like Mila!"

"Yes, exactly" she said smirking.

"Well, Mila is a nice girl. I asked her for dinner and she accepted my invitation."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" she praised, happy about the news." I knew you would like her. She's such a nice girl. She would make a good wife and an even better mother." I heard her saying with so much conviction as if commercializing a product on the market.

"Yes mom, you're right! Thank you for bringing her into my life. I believe she might be the one." I lied trying to seem as natural as possible. My mother bought it instantly as I watch her coming towards me, giving me a hug, which was quite a rare gesture from a woman like her.

"I am so happy to hear that. When are you going to propose to her?" she asked me excited.

"First, I have to know her, see what she needs, how is she as a person...to have an idea as to how can I please the woman of my dreams. I want to make her feel special, after all she is a gem, isn't she? " I asked my mother icily but she was too distracted by the idea to notice my sudden change of behaviour.

"Yes, that's right." she said and added after a short pause "Maybe I didn't do too bad in raising you after all."

"No, mom, on the contrary, you raised me to be exactly the child that you deserve." I said misleading the woman in front of me which was anyway easily impressed by some false words and a forced smile.

"I'm so glad to hear that." she told me while cupping my face into her hands and looking into my eyes with a candour I failed to receive most of my childhood. "I have to leave now. I'm meeting with Jane at 12:00 to have lunch." She picked up her jacket and handbag going out the door but not before saying:

"I will come tomorrow around 6 P.M to the party with Jane as well. It's time for you to meet your future mother-in-law." Her words made me sick, only the idea of marrying someone was a no go for me, but knowing now that I have to put up with one of her friends and sell fake interest towards her daughter in order to give my mother a final lesson was worth it.

"Sure..." I replied briefly.

Not two minutes passed, and I hear someone knocking at my door.

"Enter!" I yelled without raising my head from the contract I was about to sign.

I see my secretary, Christine entering the office with a folder in her hand approaching my desk. She was a tall blonde with long hair and brown eyes that flinched every time my eyes met hers. She had the waist of a wasp and was beautiful to the eye but not the type of woman I would like to sleep with. Her dull behaviour was not on my liking as I found monotony in her gestures and voice, wondering sometimes if she even had a soul.

"Mr. Strauss, this is the file you requested with the report for the beta test. A woman called, she said she was your maid and her name was Jenna." I was surprised when I heard the news as I did not know why would Jenna want to talk to me after what happened this morning.

"Thank you, Christine. You may go now." I said and followed her with my eyes until she left the room. As soon as I was alone, I dialled Jenna's number and expected for her to pick up the call but the voicemail came on "Hi! This is Jen! I'm not around at the moment so leave a message and maybe I'll call you back". I sighed nervously and called her again but the result was the same as before which made me think something bad might have happened. I stormed out of my office and into my car droving in slalom through the busy traffic until I could see my house. From afar everything seemed to be fine which was a relief, still I parked the car in the garage and barged in to reassure myself, scanning every corner of the house from the entrance. As I walked in, Jenna caught my eye, sleeping on the sofa with her shoulder bandaged and curls covering her face. She looked like she had cried for hours because her eyes were swollen and red. I went close to her face, instinctively caressing her check and heard her moaning softly from my touch. My hand moved to her bottom lip and I could feel the softness of it, reminding myself that only a couple of hours ago I took the chance to taste it. She instantly opened her eyes, fear reading all over her face as she rose up and ran a couple of meters away from me.

"What are you doing here?" She asked panicked, breathing heavily.

"A better question would be: why are you sleeping?"