Elude [H.S.]

TEN

*TW: Talks of unhealthy weight loss and dieting, domestic abuse.*

I stand in the en suite of the guest bedroom and stare down at my hand that I'm currently wrapping gauze around. My eyes stay fixated on my motions and I'm practically dissociating. The wound was healing but I still had to keep it wrapped. I had already cleaned it and applied the ointment, now I just needed to finish up with the gauze and I'd be good before the gala tonight.

I rip the gauze off the roll and tie it properly, slightly wincing when I apply too much pressure and my mind instantly flashes back to the night of the dinner last week - once everyone had gone home.

"Did you disobey me because of the fact Heidi sat next to me at dinner?" Conrad asks, staring at me. "She's my assistant, Maeve. She needs to be there to listen to my conversations with investors."

I shake my head softly. "That wasn't it."

"Do you just live to defy me now then, is that it?" Conrad screams as he paces around the foyer.

I flinch at how his voice bellows through the house, going as far as to rattle some of the glasses resting on the bar.

"No, you know that's not true," I say softly, trying to keep my tone even to prevent him from getting any angrier.

"Oh really?" He asks, stalking over to me.

I removed the heels I was wearing for this evening so he's truly shadowing over me.

"Then what do you call having that big glass of wine, huh? I've worked so hard at keeping you on this diet that you're on and you're just going to throw that out the window?"

My mind is at war - going back and forth on whether or not I should bite back. I hate this stupid diet he has me on. I don't think it's healthy or right.

"I never asked to be on this diet, Conrad."

I watch as his eyebrows soften at my words and for some reason that scares me more than him having a grimace on his face.

My eyes follow as he walks over to the bar and grabs a rocks glass, filling it with whiskey.

"Do you understand how expensive it is for me to have that chef come in and cook for you every day?" He asks, his back still to me.

"Again...I never asked for that."

I barely have time to move out of the way as Conrad turns around and throws the rocks glass in my direction. It shatters against the wall, the liquid going everywhere which causes me to slip. I throw my hands behind me to catch myself and cry out when I feel a shard of glass pierce my palm.

Slowly, I bring my hand up in front of my face and stare as crimson begins to run down the heel of my palm and down my wrist, trickling down my forearm. Thankfully the glass didn't stick and is still somewhere on the floor. I look over at Conrad with tears in my eyes.