It's not all Roses

4.

"Here your fav—" as he stepped into the room, carrying dinner in his hand, his expression transformed from warmth to icy coldness. Anger was clearly visible on his face.

"Why haven't you changed yet?" he demanded.

Exhausted and frustrated, she let out a deep sigh, finally fed up from this nonsense. Slowly, she met his gaze, a glimmer of defiance in her eyes.

"What do you think?" she retorted, her voice laced with resentment, as if his existence held no significance to her anymore.

His frustration was evident, his bewilderment at her response palpable. Yet, he composed himself, choosing a nonchalant tone.

"What do you mean? I made you dinner." he said innocently, feigning ignorance.

"I don't give a damn about your dinner. Can't you see the chain around my leg?" she yelled, her anger flaring. "This isn't normal! Stop pretending like this is an everyday occurrence." Tears welled up in her eyes, her vulnerability momentarily breaking the façade of indifference she had erected.

.

.

He saw her eyes, usually guarded, now sparkled with fragility as she gazed into his.

With a pretentious smile, she attempted to manipulate him. "If you let me go, I'll pretend that nothing ever happened," she said, her words laced with insincerity, trying to coax him into compliance.

The calm expression that had adorned his face just moments ago was now replaced by a furious one.

"You just don't get it, do you?" he exclaimed. "I've been telling you over and over again that this is how things are going to be. Just accept it!" His words were filled with irritation.

With this reply whatever little hope she had was also shattered. She realized that he had no intention of listening to her pleas; he was a complete psychopath.

The weight of this realization hit her hard, and with anger and tears in her eyes, she snapped, "And I'm telling you, you fucking psycho, JUST LET ME GO!" Her frustration was evident, and there was no trace of the solicitous smile she had once worn.

"Do you really think we're some kind of couple? After kidnapping me and subjecting me to all this, you still expect me to cooperate?" she continued, her anger growing.

He just stood there, attentively listening to her words, not uttering a single response.

.

.

After a moment of silence, when he didn't respond, she took a deep breath and tried a different approach.

In a calm and persuasive tone, she asked, "Why are you doing this to me...Cedi? This isn't how things are going to work out." She desperately hoped to convince him, to make him see reason.

"I'll never be able to love you," she whispered, maintaining eye contact with him, her voice trembling and her eyes moist.

.

.

Her final sentence seemed to be the last straw for him.

*Sigh

He audibly sighed, as if he was done with all the pretense. He placed the dinner plate he had been holding all this time on the table and approached her with a menacing look in his eyes.

Her heart started racing once again as he sat down next to her, his hands firmly holding her face. Leaning in, he whispered something in her ear that shocked her to the core.

"How's Neel?" he asked.

Her eyes widened at the mention of her brother's name, and it felt as if her breath had been taken away.

"I recently found out that he's doing well. His mental health is also improving," he said, smirking.

*SMACK

Without a second thought, she delivered a powerful slap across his face.

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