Left to Die

Crystal's POV

'I swear on my life I am not seeing anyone, Eric, please,' I said, jumping out of bed as fear gripped my heart.

'You are not seeing anyone yet you were mumbling his name in your sleep? How convenient,' Eric said with sarcasm dripping in his voice.

'I will tell you the truth, please,' I said, swallowing hard and pleading with my eyes.

'Should I take a seat so that you can give me an encyclopedia on the person you have been sleeping with behind my back?' Eric asked moving closer to me.

'No. I swear on my life, Eric. Midas was my friend in high school. I must have been missing him, and that was why I kept mentioning his name in my sleep,' I explained, praying that it would sink into his head and that there was no way I was seeing another man.

'Really? And you expect me to believe that bullshit?' Eric said coming closer to me. Before I could decipher what he wanted to do, he slapped me across the face and pulled my nightwear. It tore under his tight grip and I had to hold the two halves together to cover myself

'Eric please don't do this,' I pleaded desperately.

'You want to become a whore? Not under my roof, you this ungrateful wench,' Eric said, but I dashed out of the room and ran downstairs.

Karen and Adele were both outside my room when I ran outside. The noise must have woken them.

'Leave her alone Eric. Is this necessary?' I heard Adele say to Eric.

'Shut up and mind your own business, Adele. This is none of your business; get out of my way,' Eric shouted at her.

I was quick to see Eric dash down the stairs with a belt in his hands. I quickly ran to the sitting room door, unlocked it, and ran outside. I ran towards the gate but stopped when two of the security guards stood in front of me. I had no option but to turn around to face Eric, pleading with him.

It was winter and it was terribly cold outside. I was barefooted, and my clothes were torn. I looked at him begging with my eyes and mouth. Eric ignored my pleas and walked towards me like a lion caging in its prey.

'I thought you were supposed to run out of the gate Crystal. What are you still doing here?' Eric mocked.

'Please, Eric, I promise never to mutter his name ever again in my sleep, please. I can't stand the pain of that belt, please,' I pleaded desperately.

Eric had only used the belt once, and that was when we were newly married. He had gone out for days and returned drunk and testy. He had taken it out on me and beaten me with his belt. I still had scars from that night.

The next morning, Eric had avoided me. I had thought he regretted what he did to me but when he returned from work in the evening, he had behaved as if nothing happened and moved on from the incident. Our housekeeper at the time had helped clean my wounds.

Since then Eric has not done it again, all he did was slap me around a little and scream my head off while saying mean and demeaning things to me.

'You know what. I will let you go today,' Eric said and I nearly sighed in relief.

'Thank you,' I said wiping my tears.

'You should indeed thank me because I am being magnanimous enough to allow you to sleep in my compound,' Eric said.

'What do you mean?' I asked as panic squeezed at my heart anew.

'You ran out of the house yourself. I could easily ask my bodyguards to throw you out of the compound, but I am so nice to allow you to sleep somewhere around,' Eric said, grinning wickedly.

'You can't possibly make me sleep outside here Eric. It is cold,' I said in panic.

'I thought you ran outside so you could get fresh air since the house is obviously choking you. Enjoy the fresh breeze, Crystal,' Eric winked at me, then turned to his bodyguard. 'If she goes anywhere near the car pack or any shelter at all in this compound, I give you the permission to shoot her,' Eric said, then turned around and left.

I couldn't control my tears as I followed Eric pleading with him to please let me into the house. I begged him to beat me with the belt and not leave me outside in the cold but all my pleas fell on deaf ears. Eric closed the door in my face.

I sat down at the door and cried bitterly. My feet were already blue from the cold. I was shivering and tired. I couldn't stop the tears until they dried up on their own.

I don't know for how long I had sat down by the door trying to cover myself with my torn clothes. I could no longer feel my fingers or my toes. Everything was numb.

I could feel as I gradually started feeling overwhelmed with tiredness. I felt as if I was giving up, and I was sure I heard my heart beat its last from the biting cold. I closed my eyes and the face I saw was Midas smiling at me and extending his hands for me to take.

I didn't hesitate to take it as I smiled back at him but the moment I took his hands, I started falling and spiralling into darkness. I screamed his name before I discovered that I couldn't fight the darkness, and I gave up, allowing it to swallow me.

It was deathly silent around me. I couldn't open my eyes as it felt as if my eyelids were heavy. I tried to move my hands, and they moved. I moved my legs too, and they did, but to open my eyes became an ado.

'Open your eyes, Crystal. Please come all the way out,' Karen said beside me. From her voice, I could see that she was crying.

I tried to pry my eyes open, but light penetrated them, and I closed them instantly. I decided to talk instead.

'Where am I, Karen?' I asked. My voice was hoarse and talking was difficult.

'You are in the hospital. I will be right back. Let's get the doctor,' Karen said, leaving the room. I heard her move away, and the door opened and then closed.

Karen returned a few minutes later with a doctor and a nurse in tow. The doctor encouraged me to open my eyes and I was able to since they were blocking the direct light.

'You are okay, but you need rest and a proper diet, plus you need to stay as warm as possible for the time being,' the doctor said after he was satisfied with his examination.

'Thank you so much doctor,' Karen said before the doctor and nurse left.

'What happened Karen? How did I get here?' I asked after the doctor and nurse had left.

'I am so sorry Crystal. I would have come outside that day to give you a blanket but Sir Eric locked the doors and took the keys to his room. I was helpless,' Karen said as tears flowed down her eyes.

'How did I get here Karen?' I asked again. I wasn't interested in her apology. She didn't owe me any. She wasn't the reason I was outside in the cold.

'Sir Eric brought you here. After he gave me the keys in the morning, I found you unresponsive on the floor outside the door. I shouted for help and he brought you here himself, he didn't allow Adele or I inside the car. He later brought me here to stay with you,' Karen answered.

'How many days have I been unconscious?' I asked.

'Three days now,' Karen answered.

Eric's act of wickedness was getting out of hand and I was beginning to think he had it in mind to kill me. Since he wasn't ready to divorce me and face public scrutiny, he might have decided to kill me to gain public sympathy.

'Where is Eric now?' I asked.

'I haven't seen him since he dropped me here. Even when I went home to get you a change of clothes, he wasn't there. The driver he left to take me anywhere I wanted told me that Sir Eric said he was going to Paris for a business meeting.

Eric left me to die and then flew abroad for a business meeting. I knew then at that moment that he wanted me to die.

I couldn't possibly give in and die at that moment. I needed to take care of my grandmother till she dies and I needed to find out what happened to Midas. I had a lot ahead of me but it seemed Eric would not let me achieve them. If he planned to kill me to gain public sympathy, he would fail because I wasn't ready to die.