Buttons And Lace .

To the past...

That is it .

My story ends.

I woke up jolting from my nightmare , again .

It's okay , it's alright. It was just a dream.

I continued chanting it like a mantra as if my life depended on it .

Well practically it did.

The lady in the seat adjacent to me gave me a dirty look and then bent her head , going back to reading her book.

Well this wasn't dream , it was my reality striking me like a friggin' nightmare.

" This is our last stop , people , Dodge City , Kansas. Now we will be reaching in five minutes . So pack up , will ya ? Okay , have a good time . "
The man in a crappy khaki shirt and pants , spoke gathering everyone's attention in the bus .

I was sweating already , because getting used to the comfort in Buttons mansion made you cringe at the hot weather of Kansas .

I started to gather my luggage from under my seat and sat straight , checking one last time if anything was missing.
Being content , I put my hair into a tight bun and then wrapped the scarf around my head , just to make sure that I don't get any unwanted attention .

The bus stopped , and people started getting down . I was careful not to be in the front of the line , nor at the last . I mixed with people and made sure that nobody recognises my presence .
Getting down the bus I walked straight , but got hitched by a voice .

" You seem to be in a hurry , young lady . You want me to help ya out . ?"

I turned around to see the person . He was an old man , maybe in his late fifties with a shabby t shirt below his open  button up shirt .
He looked like a taxi driver. I was thinking of politely refusing his request but one look at his face and he started frowning.

" Come on , figlia . You look tired , wherever you are going it is nearly a good five miles away . You can't walk with all the luggage you are carrying . "

He spoke looking at me . Seeing me thinking about it , he spoke out again .

" I ain't taking ' no ' as an answer . So get your ass in here . "

" Okay .. okay "
I replied not wanting to anger him up anymore . Besides he didn't seem like a bad person.

I looked around the taxi , and saw that it was old . Probably a decade old , easily .

" So where ya goin' " he asked , with his eyes fixed on the road.

I searched for the paper inside my bag and finally got it.

" Oh.. the address is
13/3 , Wilhelm Houses .
Greentree street.
Dodge city ."
I read out the address .

"  So you looks like ya ' all shifting here , with so many luggages , ya' got . Where is your husband ?" .
The taxi man asked and my nerves became alert all of a sudden .
I never told him that I was married , how the hell did he know .

" Umm.. how did you know that I was m - married ? " 

I spoke trying to take out the penknife from my jacket . I was holding it tightly so that I could plunge it when he makes a move .

"Haha...haha ..
Ya ' have got a big diamond for a ring on ya' finger . Must say you are one lucky lady , ya' husband must have spent quite a fortune for that ."

" O- Oh well... actually , I am planning a surprise for him . So I am here first , he will be here after his work is over."
I replied trying not to be a nervous wreak. I lied through my teeth.

I sighed and looked back into my past once more . My life was exactly what people called shady , and downright crappy.

I am an almost orphan at nine and my mom gets married to a man who I barely know . Then my stepfather treats me like crap and then me staying away from that mess by studying in a med school , even if I don't like it . 
On the first day itself , I get stuck with a billionaire who can turn my life like whatever the hell he wants . And then getting my crap of a life as nightmares , not only at night but whenever I doze .

This is whole new level of crazy . And my craziness had made me a brand for paranoia .
I felt relieved that the man was just being logical .
I was way too much paranoid these days and the thought that I was about to strike an innocent old man with a friggin' knife didn't do much good .
I don't trust anyone now , but I have to keep it that way , if I didn't want to be thrown back to hell ,more like Buttons mansion.

" Here is ya' place . Let me take the luggages out for ya "   .

I got down from the taxi and saw the old building . It was an small old house that I had booked , for future purposes when I stayed in the Buttons mansion.

Practically, I had planned my escape for a few months . I learned Aaron's monthly  schedule by heart and planned accordingly.
I knew that if one single thing went wrong I would be stuck up at his house for forever .
But the reason I escaped.... I knew better than to think about it .

I got a panic attack the first time I thought about it while planning an escape .

I paid the taxi driver and opened the old rusty gate of the house. 
I had gone to whole new lengths to buy it . I had started withdrawing small amounts of money from the credit card Aaron gave me for my personal use .

I mostly did when I went for shopping so that it wouldn't go noticed . After gathering enough , I casually set up a meeting with one of my old friends who was dealing in real estate . I had to act extremely calm around Aaron through the entire thing until my escape .

As if I didn't know that...

After buying the house through cash , I planned to escape when he wouldn't be at home . I had waited for months , till I got a date of his meeting , a business counsel in Vienna .

That was what I would call
A perfect chance . 
I strode past when Aaron let his guard down .

Then , here I was , in front of it , anticipating my life in it .