Married To My Bully

Glimpse

Crystal

The night was long and cold. And colder appeared the moon that sat amid numerous twinkling stars. So mesmerizing yet alone. Celebrated yet ignored. Just like him. I didn't get a wink of sleep that night as I couldn't stop myself from thinking about him. I had never even imagined something like this could have happened with him. 

Mr, Knight came into their life like a god. Now I understood why Alex had a certain glimmer in his eyes every time he saw Mr. Knight. A glimmer of gratitude. I also felt indebted to him. I was so grateful to Mr. Knight for stepping into their lives and getting them out of their misery. For providing him with the life he deserved.

Alex's father had bought money from Mr. Knight and failed to return. When Mr. Knight enquired, he offered him a night with his wife to settle the score. That was the first time he saw Debbie and fell in love with her. Mr. Knight refused the offer. He was the first one to decline. He was disgusted not by the woman but by her husband. Debbie and Mr. Knight came closer as time went by. He had no qualms accepting her eleven-year-old son. In fact, he loved him like his own. They tied the knot after a couple years of Fred's death. 

Alex was having a hard time getting over the guilt of killing him. He became extremely reticent and would hardly talk. The boy forgot how to laugh. And they hadn't seen him laughing his heart out till this day. 

He was still hurt. He was still grieving. It's just he had become good at hiding his feelings now. Damn good. 

A gentle knock on the door ripped me from my thoughts. The door cracked open and Mom peeked in from behind it. There was a hesitant smile on her face. Dad must have filled in on her about my and Alex's fall out. 

"Did you sleep at all?" her smile faded and a worried look graced her beautiful face as she walked over to me.

"Yeah..a little," I lied with a fake smile. She sat on the edge of the bed and eyed me with concern. 

"Ben was right. You look awful," she said. I just smiled and lowered my gaze to the mattress, not knowing what to say. 

"He did it. Didn't he?" she asked knowingly. 

"He hates me," is all I could manage to utter. I wasn't in the condition to say anything more without breaking down in front of her. A bitter taste coated my tongue and I felt my throat tightening as I let that word out. Hate. Such a strong word. And he used it for me. Tears bubbled up in my eyes. 

'No. Don't ever think like that. He doesn't hate you. Nobody can hate you. He is an idiot who doesn't know how to value the treasures of his life," she caressed my head affectionately. Tears fell over my eyes at her kind words. I hugged her and started sobbing. 

"I tried. I really tried Mom to work things out between us. But he...He always misunderstood me. But last night. Last night he made it crystal clear that I mean nothing to him. Why, Mom?  Why is he like this to me?" I sobbed like a child on her shoulder. She stroked my back.

"Don't cry, honey. He will come around. I promise he will come around," she tried to assure me

"No. He won't. He doesn't want me. He hates me. I've made up my mind I am going to free him from this meaningless bond," Pain slashed through my heart when I said those words. 

Mom drew back. Horror was written all over her features. I knew what she was going to say so I shook my head in no. Nothing was going to change my mind now.

"Child. Don't say that. He needs you. He might not show it but he needs you more than anything," she was almost pleading. 

"No mom. You don't understand. He doesn't want me. He has made it more than clear to me. I can't go back there," I said remembering all those times when he made me feel insignificant.

As if on cue, Mr. Knight entered the room with a tray of food in his hand.

"Ben.." Mom looked at him helplessly.

Dad placed the tray on the bedside table and sat next to his wife. 

" Crystal is right. She should not go back to that house. Not until Alex beg her to come with him," he said to his perturbed wife.

"Crystal. You will be staying here from now on. You are our child too,"

"But dad...." I was confused.

"We are going to knock some sense into him. I know he will come for you. One day, he will. And the day when he will come, you will shove him away just like he did to you until he gets on his knees and beg you to take him back," 

"Dad..I don't think..." I was speechless.

"I've seen the way he looks at you, Crystal. He adores you. But for some reason is holding himself back. And I am hundred percent sure that he will come running back to you when he will realize you are slipping through his fingers. That you don't care about him anymore. Just trust me on this," he said. His words did the work of salve on my wounded heart. Does he really look at me with adoration? But when? I never noticed that. Hope started to bloom in my heart. Just one more try. Maybe this time..things will change. Maybe. Or maybe not. I didn't want to get hurt again. I didn't want my hope to crush down like always.  

"You are his salvation. Just one more try," Mom squeezed my hand and looked at me hopefully. 

Just one more try

I nodded. A relieved smile bloomed over their lips. And Mom pulled me into her arms and hugged me tightly. 

"Thank you, child," she said.

Mr. Knight was looking at us with an affectionate smile. 

ALEX

It was a dark room I looked around frantically searching for a single drop of light. Goosebumps erupted at the back of my nape when a heard a growling sound. I spun towards the direction from where that sinister sound was coming. Another blood-curdling growl tore through the air causing a chill to run up and down my spine. 

"Who's there?' I started walking backward as my knees threatened to give out. My hands were shaking. 

And then suddenly a yellow bulb flicked on shedding light on my surrounding. A sight I wasn't prepared for. My heart leaped up to my mouth when my eyes caught sight of three giant beast-like dogs glowering at me. Their eyes were trained on me. Breath died down in my throat and hair erected at my nape. I scanned over the room. The only exit was locked. I was stuck inside a cell with these dogs.

Another throaty growl brought my attention back to the beasts who were approaching me now. My eyes widened and sweat broke all over my skin as I backtracked to put distance between us. 

I was shaking from head to toe. 

"Help,' my voice came out shaky as tears invaded my eyes. 

"Please...somebody help," I tried again but no response came from the other side except for a nightmarish growl. 

My survival instincts took over my senses and I ran towards the door. The only escape. 

Before I could beat the door, I got tackled to the ground by one of those beasts. He started pulling at my jeans while the others ran towards me. I pulled down my jeans as that was the least of my concern now. Once out of jeans, I immediately pulled myself to my feet before the other two ferocious dogs could pounce on me.

Clad only in my boxers, I ran towards the farthest corner despite the wounds that I had earned when the dog sank his caning in my ankle. Blood trailed behind me. 

"Somebody.....please," I begged. My mind and heart had gone haywire. My legs were trembling like one of them pounced over me once again. I screamed but no one heard. The dog dragged me down to the ground and the other two joined while I kept screaming. They ripped my shirt. One of them sank his teeth into my leg, while the other was hauling me I don't know where by my foot. I screamed. I kept screaming till my throat clogged and I fainted.

I bolted up as soon as my eyes flung open. I found myself bathed in sweat but my attention was drawn to my heartbeat that was beating as ruthlessly as it did that night. Another nightmare. Or rather a memory that I was trying so hard to forget.        

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