What HE took from ME

Chapter 8

Brenda

To wherever we were going, I worked how to let Tim down easy-I did not want to marry him anymore because I knew Edgar loved me. And I loved him back. As the car drove by, I could not stop but sob over leaving Edgar behind. I felt like a part of me was shedding off every mile we drove, and it hurt like hell. I was leaving my life behind and going with someone I barely cared to know.

I did not care that Edgar was poor. Hell, I was poor too, so we were going to work it out. I did not know how, but we had to. I knew I would be happy with Ed. Money can not buy love. Right?

The cold wind broke me out of my intensive thoughts. When I looked up, my eyes met the old lady. Loyce was one of the many women who hated me for no reason. I locked my eyes with her cold ones and trembled with fear. "Out!" She ordered, and I looked to my side in a desperate search for his help, but Tim was not in the car anymore.

I am screwed.

I was in her territory, so I chose to play nice. Tim had turned his back on me, leaving the playfield unbalanced, with my side on the losing end. So, if I even thought of putting a fight, she probably would have eaten me. I stepped out. I shrank as a few maids glanced my way on their way to the house. No one dared to utter a word to me, which scared me even more.

I must have been slow because Loyce started dragging me along. I increased my pace to keep up. I had decided to put up with that Loyce just once, to allow me to survive the night without unpleasantries like; her smothering me with a pillow or poisoning my food. I wanted a safe rest of the night, and hopefully, I was going to be gone and never see her or her mean boss again.

Resigning, I followed her, admiring my surrounding. I had never been to any part of the house except the living room, so I fell in love with everything my eyes landed on outside.

No matter how breathtaking things were around that big house, my heart still yearned for my home. I wished I was back home already, in my bed, although I was sure I would not have gotten any sleep.

Loyce led me to a section that looked like a sophisticated car wash. It was a car wash because the car we just came in was getting merciless scrubbing.

Why were they even doing that at that time? It was late.

"Undress and put them there." Loyce pointed to a trashcan with her thin lips. I assumed she was not talking to me, so I continued staring at her. And she got furious, "Listen, remove your filthy clothes. I want to resume my sleep already." She growled, making me squint in wonderment. Who the hell did she think she was, yelling at me like that? Who said I let anyone crap all over me?

"Screw you," I yelled, then turned to leave. I had a feeling it was Tim who had given her the order to mistreat me like that, and I was not going to take it.

I looked up, and there was a room with the light still on, and I assumed he was there. So I gave him the middle finger, officially calling off the engagement. "Screw him." I mumbled as I strode to go back to my life.

I did not make it far enough when I felt the cold water on my back, all the way from my hair. That bitch!

The water was so cold that it left me numb. I could not even complain when Loyce threw soap on me and used a long brush to scrub me as if I was on the dirty pavement.

I was numb, so I barely felt anything, and by the time she finished with me, my clothes were rags.

I was never going to forgive that woman.

I felt a towel thrown on me, then Loyce spoke, "Follow me."

I did that quickly; I had learned my lesson the hard way, so disrespect was not an option. Plus, I needed to get away from the harsh cold that sliced through my skin like meat.

We entered a small room at the garage with a fireplace. As much as I hated everyone in that house, I just wanted to kiss her for lighting that fire.

"Here," Loyce handed me a pair of black panties and a top. I quickly put them on, then moved closer to the fire. I was sure that even if I put my hands in that fire, I would not feel the burn. I raised my hands over the fire, silently studying her.

"Why do you hate me so much?" I asked what I had been dying to ask since the first time she mistreated me.

Her eyes softened a little, "I do not hate you," she answered, shaking my head. " You only irritate me with how naive and oblivious you tend to be. I warned you to run away from him, but you did not listen. I do not know if anyone is ever going to save you from this," she stopped talking when we heard footsteps approaching.

I turned around, only to find Tim stalking towards us calculatingly. He looked like a predator ready to tear apart its unaware prey. With the way Loyce had turned white, I knew she was talking about her boss. She made him sound like a monster, which shook and confused me a lot.

"Hey, honey." Tim greeted, and my anger boiled through me. He gave the orders to fumigate me, and he was hey honeying me? And since when did we give each other pet names? He barely called my name without growing wrinkles. I remained quiet, battling with my thoughts. Then Tim spoke, "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"What is tomorrow?" I asked.

He neither gave care nor an answer to my question because his mouth was hanging open.

What was he staring at like that? The fire through me?

I followed his gaze until it stopped on me. "Huh!" I took a second look at myself and jumped when I realized that just in the panty and the tiny vest that Loyce gave me.

I quickly grabbed the soggy towel and cloaked the front part. "Not bad." He said as if he had expected me to look like, I do not know.

I think he hated himself for complimenting me, even if it was that perverted and rude. To divert my attention, he fixed his stare on my hand, "Where is your ring?"

My head bowed down, and I did not even bother trying to locate it. I was tired and terrified of the house of hyenas that had thrown me into because of my naivety.

I was a little happy, as I stared at my finger without the ring. That hideous thing had to go. Moreover, I did not want to marry him anymore.

"I lost it," I replied confidently. I had thought Tim was going to blow up and cancel the engagement. If there were someone I wanted to marry, it would be the blond I left at our pigsty. However, his response had me shocked.

"I thought so," he said, smiling.

Ew!

I was still trying to figure who he was and what he had done with Tim when he took a step towards me and took my hand. Then, he removed a ring from his pocket and slid it in my finger again. This time the ring looked different, pretty even. But I still did not want it."Do not worry, I got you another one," He said after he let go.

I looked at it with a grimace on my face." You do not look happy," he

commented, bored. He had moved closer, and his warm hands were sweeping my wet hair away from my face. It grossly came back to my collarbone and lingered there.

What the hell?

What was he doing?

I stepped back, disgusted. Tim tried to mask the awkwardness with a smile while waiting for an answer, "the ring is fine." I said coldly. I turned to Loyce; my eyes begged her to help me. I was so tired, and all I wanted was to sleep before I garnered enough to tell that obnoxious guy that I had changed my mind about marrying him.

"Just fine? You know right about now is when you kiss your fiancé?" He leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head. What was happening to him? He never even wanted to shake hands with me before. And now, all of a sudden, he wanted me to kiss him? "Forget it. Tomorrow, when we get married, you will have to kiss me."

"WHAT?"