A Loveless Marriage

Chapter 16: Fred

It was an easy decision, too easy. If Mary knew what I'd done to trick her into marrying me, it would crack our marriage in half. However it started and whatever Mary said now, there was something between us. It was real.  I knew I could not let her go.

Bella gave a triumphant laugh.  I stared at her, the muscles in my body becoming taut with rage. I hated her. A wretched, vindictive little witch ready to curse my marriage, even her beauty sickened me now. I felt as tightly-coiled as a spring, ready at any moment to let go. I imagined the look of hurt of Mary's face if she found out the truth, I could not let that happen. Feeling disgusted with myself, I stepped forward and reached for Bella with the pretence of tenderness. Her eyes half-closed and her lips parted, she was ready to be kissed. I knew what I had to do. My mouth lightly brushed hers as she gave a groan of satisfaction.

Without hesitation, I grabbed her throat hard and began to squeeze. She tried to gasp in surprise but she could not get air. Pushing her down hard on my desk, I tightened my grip. The look of horror on her face was unmistakable, she clawed desperately at my hands but I would not let go. Bella's eyes bulged and her face turned a purplish-red, I knew at that moment I could kill her and she knew it too.

"If you ever try to destroy my wife's happiness, I will destroy you," I said in a low, angry voice. "Do you understand?"

Bella mouthed the word "Yes" as she gulped for air, foaming salvia formed on both sides of her swollen mouth. I felt her body shake with fear, her feet desperately scrabbling to reach the floor but I pinned her down. Her delicate fingers tried in vain to pull my hands from her neck as I continued to strangle her, her face turned a darker colour than ever. Her death was in my grasp.

The struggling became weaker and her eyes began to lose focus, still, I did not let her go. For a sickening moment, I enjoyed the power I had over her, it had stopped being about preventing her from telling the truth and had started to become revenge. There was a splash on the floor, in her fear she had urinated on the study floor. My rage had gone too far. My grip loosened and she slumped on the ground gasping for air, her tears returning with her breath. I watched her, half-horrified at what I had done. I had no qualms about using my fists to settle a fight with other men but I had despised the brutes who raised their hand to a woman. Yet here I was, towering about Bella as she cowered in fear. I loathed myself as much as I loathed her. My heart beat hard against my chest and I breathed as heavily as a horse after a gallop.

   "I was..." Bella whimpered, her throat so hoarse that she could barely whimper. "I was only joking, Freddie."

It was a lie, we both knew that. Just as we both now knew that I had it in myself to commit murder.

   "Were you now? Well, that is fortunate," I said pulling her to her feet roughly. "Because I would kill and die for Mary."

"I'm sorry," she whispered her hands at her throat. "It was stupid of me."

"I don't like being blackmailed," I growled.

She nodded dumbly, as shocked at my violence as I was but less capable of concealing it. I watched her with shame and loathing, wishing that I had never entangled myself with such a woman.

"So you and I will part ways tonight," I said. "You will not talk to Mary, you will not talk about Mary. Is that understood?"

Bella nodded again, her whole face swollen and red. She reached down to her dress and winced as she touched the dampness of her dress, I pitied her for a moment but then remembered what she had done.

"You should go to your room and clean yourself up," I said coldly. "And don't tell anyone what passed between us today."

Bella made no reply but looked to the floor, her shoulders slumped and despondent.