CHAPTER FOUR

She cried while mopping up her blood stains from the ground. Her work seemed futile because as she tried to mop up the stains, her body willingly donates more to the ground, making her work a lot harder. She was very close to escaping, very close to leaving all these problems behind her; she was really close to escaping that wicked man. Where was the key? Where did he hide it?

She stopped mopping suddenly and brought her right leg to her face. It was bleeding and so was her left leg. These wounds never seemed to heal no matter how much she cleaned and wrapped them. She lifted her eyes horrified at the stains on the places she had just cleaned. What was all these? She was tired and just needed rest. She wanted to sleep and just imagine all these as a nightmare but she knew that was impossible. It most certainly was her reality, a reality with no escape.

She lifted the hem of her dress, locates a loose spot and tore it making her dress considerably short, maybe that wicked man would get her a new one, she thought. She wrapped her wounds with the cloth, gently massaging them to ease her pain. She forced herself up in order not to stain the floors she was trying to mop because the more she crawled, the more she bled. She steadied herself on a wall until she felt she had regained her balance. She picked up the mop ignoring the painful screams in her body parts. The last thing she wanted was another round of beatings for a dirty house.

She mopped until she could no more. She felt her body beckoning her to sit and she did. She closed her eyes and let herself cry some more; It didn't solve a thing but it made her feel better. It made her know she was still human. She heard footsteps approaching and she quickly wiped off her tears. What does he want now? She forced herself up once more and tried her best to keep herself from falling. He appeared in front of her and gave her a very disgusted look.

"what are you doing?" he asked

"I am cleaning"

"by standing?" he mocked

She kept quiet. Answering him when he is being sarcastic or sardonic makes him ballistic. She really needed to avoid his angry side this evening. He had already made her morning mournful. She would not allow him touch her anymore. She would not get beaten again.

"so, what was this morning drama all about?"

She gave him no answer

"where were you headed?"

She still did not reply him. That made him slightly angry.

"answer my questions" he said sternly.

'nowhere sir" she replied in a shaking voice.

He scoffs at her and walks towards her, "you think you're so bright and smart right?"

"right?", he repeated

She shook her head rigorously; he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. Such devilish eyes! She hated and dreaded this man.

" you hate me?" he laughed reading her thoughts.

" well, I love you but let's be clear, you try do that again and you meet the other side of me. I do hope you understand that."

What other side? This man had an other side? He is bad already. What could possibly be his other side?

She nodded and he was pacified. He left her chin and began to walk away only to stop a distance apart from her.

"by the way, I got a new dress for you. I left it in your room."

How did he know she needed and wanted that? Just who did this guy think he was? Why was he double sided? She could never understand or figure this man out.

"thank you" she murmured.

He smiled an almost angelic smile at her and walked away. She was neither smart nor bright. Marrying this man is proof enough of that. She resumed her mopping on his departure. She hated and cursed the day she had said she would marry him. Couldn't she end this marriage? Couldn't she end this torment? Is she not bright and smart enough to do that?