The Bachelor's Bride

Chapter 7- Etta

We had left my parents home a week ago and sold our house up on High Street for a small but cute apartment closer to the city itself.

Jack had gotten a job with a nearby newspaper company and I was working at a factory with other women, sewing multiple articles of clothing together. I worked on the fourth floor with an Irish woman named Mary-Jane, a Chinese woman named Lin, and an American girl named Beth and appeared to be only sixteen. We occasionally made small chatter over the rackety clicking and clacking of the sewing machines. And then at twelve we had a short break to eat lunch before we got back to work.

I would finally get to go home at six every night. I routinely said goodnight to Mary-Jane, Lin, and Beth as I hurried out of the door past my boss Mr. Jeffers. He was a round, stern looking man who I tried to avoid at all costs. He stopped me with a big, beefy arm, preventing me from going any further.

"Mrs. Muller? A word in my office, please." he said gruffly.

I flinched at his tone, hurrying after him down the small hall, "Did I d-do something wrong?" I asked nervously.

He stepped aside, letting me squeezed past him into the equally tiny office space. I heard the door click behind me and I spun around, "Sir?"

Something had changed in Mr. Jeffers's gaze, and it wasn't a good change. I backed up against the edge of the desk as he advanced on me, letting his hand come to rest on my hip. I tried not to gag at his rancid breath. If I could just slip quickly out of the door, then I could get away from this creep.

"How would you like a raise?" he whispered in my ear, his wet lips brushing my skin.

I pressed back further from him, "Oh, uh, thank you sir. But I think I'll pass..."

When I tried to slip away, he grabbed my wrist tightly, "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Get off me!" I screeched, stopping on his foot, causing him to loosen his grip. I quickly lifted my knee, swiftly kneeing him between the legs.

Mr. Jeffers collapsed, groaning as I ran for the door. He shouted after me, "I'll be docking that out of your pay!"

I didn't care. He could keep his dirty money as long as he kept his gross hands off of me. I ran past my co-works, ignoring their confused looks, as I escaped from the building. I immediately ran into the solid chest of my husband, who had been waiting each evening to walk home with me.

Jack grabbed my arms, steadying me as the concern grew in his eyes, "Etta? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

He spotted my arm and yanked it up to his face, tugging down my sleeve. I flinched at the sight of the finger prints visibly leaving bluish-purple bruising. Jack growled, "Who did this to you?!"

"Jack..." I pleaded. "It's fine. I'm okay."

"We aren't leaving until you tell me what happened."

I sighed. He was as stubborn as I was. I knew we really wouldn't get to go home unless I told him about the incident. "Well, my boss Mr. Jeffers had been making some...untoward advances and I tried to get away."

A fire lit in Jack's eyes, "He touched you? I'm gonna kill that ba-"

"Jack, stop!" I grabbed his arm, before he could run inside. I pressed my hands against his chest, pushing against him. "Stop! I need this job!"

"You can find another one!" he yanked me away, his hand already on the door.

"No, please!" I stepped in front of him. "Nothing happened. He was trying to make a move on me and I managed to get away before anything got out of hand. I don't think he will try to do it again."

"I don't trust him." Jack mumbled under his breath.

"Let's just forget about it. It's not worth getting into a fight over. You can't have the police hauling you to the station." I pleaded once more.

Jack sighed, stepping away from the building. I breathed in relief as we began walking home, but I could tell Jack was still tense with anger. I slipped my hand in his, "I promise to tell you if it happens again, okay?"

He nodded, keeping his gaze ahead. I was surprised by my husband's reaction to my boss's actions. I mean, I knew that we were married and everything but we didn't love each other. Why did he care if another man was trying to make a move on me? I looked up at him, trying to read his expression, but he kept a stone face.

I guess it made me kind of happy that he cared about me. He wanted to protect me from that creep, even if I wouldn't let him. But his reaction meant a lot to me. Jack looked over in confusion at my smiling face, "What?"

"Nothing." I smiled. "What do you want for dinner?"

Jack shrugged. I hummed under my breath before saying, "Oh, what about fried chicken?! My mother just sent me this new recipe that I've been dying to try out!"

He smiled down at me and I practically melted. I wouldn't ever admit it to him, but that smile could kill a girl. He placed a small kiss on my hand, "Sounds good."

I practically stumbled over my own feet in surprise. Was my husband flirting with me? Who was this man?

Copyright © 2017 by Rosanna Parker

All Rights Reserved

Awww they're so cute, right?! But I will give you a heads up, the next chapter is about to be VERY VERY EMOTIONAL so please prepare yourselves! Anyways, please vote and comment! It really does mean a lot! And feel free to share my book with other fellow Wattpadders and your friends! I really appreciate all of the reads, and it would be great if you could help get my story out there! Thanks!

-Rosanna