Knight Terrors

chapter nine. (a fallen facade)

During December Reece and Mia broke up for what seemed to be the final time, their relationship had no chance of surviving. Roger was well aware of this yet the rage that filled him upon finding out overtook the little amount of sense his body possessed.
He ordered Mia to come round to the house  almost immediately after he had been told what had happened, she arrived and was instantly grabbed by the monster who dragged her into his office slamming and locking the door behind them.

Siobhan had overheard the commotion and couldn't help but listen in, she heard the man's screams and Mias words coming out in small stuttered sentences yet she couldn't work out why  Roger would be so angry over the breakup.

The blonde continued to listen, wincing when she heard it. A harsh slap, followed by another then another. The door swung open and Mia left, her face red, mascara running down her cheeks the colour in her body drained. The woman looked empty. Siobhan was horrified yet wondered that if Roger was to discover what she had overheard then he would inflict a similar punishment onto her. The monster was constantly verbally abusive and had pushed the blonde around a lot yet this was unlike anything she could've ever pictured him doing.

Siobhan silently crept to the other side of the house where she was joined by Roger around ten minutes later, he told the blonde to get him a whisky which she did in an instant. The love bombing had stopped, his mask had slipped and the facade had fallen.

That christmas Siobhan was instructed to leave her job, Roger had put her on the books so now she was essentially financially dependent on him, if he chose not to pay her then she wouldn't get money. The blonde was trapped, it was living with him or having nothing.

Once she was without a job the abuse worsened, he would scream in her face everyday, tear any self confidence away from the woman and if she was to ever disobey or anger the monster, she was pushed to the ground and slapped. Siobhan was living a nightmare, her entire life filled with constant fear.

Their relationship was now public and everyone now thought of Siobhan as nothing more than a gold digger, someone who couldn't love unless there was money, someone with ulterior motives. The reality of what was truly going on was far beyond what anyone could imagine. The blonde would often find herself looking into a mirror, picking herself apart piece by piece acknowledging each thing Roger had judged her on individually. The woman had no self respect, no self confidence, she was now a shell of who she once was.

During the new year, Roger had caused major problems at the nursery, hiring Reece to take Siobhan's job knowing it would upset Autumn and damage her new found sense of security, he then hired Mia after discovering Reece had grown truly fond of Marjorie in a short space of time and Roger wouldn't have that, if Reece was to start a loving relationship then he would no longer be unknowingly under his control. Mia was to send dead flowers to the office of the nursery in order to make Marjorie believe they were from his son causing her to think he had played yet another sick joke. It all worked out in Roger's favour due to Reece getting back with Mia almost in an instant.

It all blew up in Roger's face after Marjorie shook some sense into his son, the apprentice had worked everything out causing everything from the past to finally be revealed. The control he had over his kids was gone, Reece was happy with Marjorie and Mia had fallen head over heels for one of the staff members, a woman called Charlotte. Mia was finally happy yet without her he had nothing to keep his kids controlled with, they finally saw him for who he was. His only remaining victim for now was Siobhan.

She couldn't be alone, Roger followed her around constantly it felt similar to having a dark shadow glooming above her at all times. If she was to ever be alone the constant texts and calls felt suffocating, she couldn't get a break, she was lost.
No one knew the ins and outs of that relationship, if they did they would tell her to leave, they wouldn't understand that she couldn't get out, that she was trapped. Siobhan was completely isolated, she had nothing, she had no one.

Janice would often be at their house, Roger would make no effort to hide his advances towards the taller woman. Siobhan would sit fighting back tears as she watched her partner attempt to make constant contact with someone else right in front of her. Janice never entertained the monster though, she just stared back blankly before turning away with a disgusted look plastered across her face.

Siobhan had nearly been caught by Janice straight after Roger had been violent, the woman was slouched on the kitchen floor with tears streaming down her face when she heard the front door open and heeled footsteps approaching her.
The blonde stood up in an instant, splashing cold water onto her face and composing herself in the space of what could have only been a few seconds. She greeted Janice politely before taking herself up to her bedroom, she knew whenever Roger had company she wasn't to be seen or heard, she was to be invisible as though she didn't live there.