Chapter 4

He tightened his grip on my neck and I could have sworn it was Eddie because it smelt like him, but I wasn't sure because my hallway was dark. I clawed his hand that was around my neck and struggled to breathe. 

"St-st-help." I tried to scream, but it came out as a whimper.

Finally, he released my neck and punched the wall beside my head severally–caging my heart in fear.

"How dare you?" He growled in such a way that it echoed in my hallway. 

I bent a little and rubbed my neck, coughing like a cat that swallowed a bone. 

"Answer me!" He thundered and I searched for the light switch on the wall. 

"What-what have I done and who are you?" I questioned with shaky hands and a pounding heart. 

Flipping on the light switch, my eyes widened when I saw Eddie. But I got confused. What was the reason for his abuse this time around? Last time he called me useless because I broke his cup and yelled at me in public because I smiled at the nice waiter. 

"Are you deaf?!" He growled, anger flaring out of his crooked nose that was above peach thin lips. His black eyes were even darker than they used to be.

My room door opened and Eliana was in sight, rubbing her eyes with the back of her palm. Her chocolate hair was scattered like that of a bird nest and I noticed Eddie's eyes were raking her body that was in a pretty exposed silk night wear.

"Eliana, go back inside and lock the door with the key." I croaked, sounding like a broken music box. "Now!"

Eliana banged the door shut and once I heard the key being turned twice, I heaved a sigh–but my heart jumped again when Eddie came closer to me with eyes red like he had been smoking pot. 

"So you now sleep with that bastard billionaire boss of yours right?" He seethed, venom dripping from his voice.

"What?" I furrowed my brows, confused as I didn't get where he was coming from. 

"You heard me right!" His voice shook the house. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." I shook my head, still nursing my neck. 

"Don't you dare lie to me," he said through gritted teeth as he took a step forward and I took one back. "Where are you coming from?"

"I thought you were still in Florida." I tried changing the topic, but failed woefully because he punched the wall and turned to face me with a bruised fist. 

"Where were you for the last time, Diana." 

"I was at my boss's place, he asked me to-"

"Massage his balls?" He ached his brows and I gulped. "He told me you were too busy to pick my call because you were washing away the river he made you."

Say what now?

"My boss told you that?" I glanced beside me in confusion. "When?"

"When I called you, don't play dumb with me." He threw his hands in the air. 

"But, Tcee was the only one that called and-" I hesitated and dug out my phone from my bag then scrolled through my call list. "Damn!"

I face palmed when I saw I had received his call, but I wasn't exactly the one that took it–my boss did. Now, I knew why he ran to the chair the minute I came out with his coffee. 

"He must have taken my call when I went to make him coffee." I regretted acknowledging his request to make him coffee. I shouldn't have left my phone. 

"So you're now giving my muffin to every guy out there to eat?!" He exclaimed. "Something you refused to give to me?"

"Curt, calm down. I'm still a virgin and-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because Eddie launched at me with his hand around my neck. He pushed and slammed me against the wall, causing an intense pain to awaken in my body. My phone crashed to the ground and I prayed for Eliana to stay in my room.

Gasping for air, he raised me from my neck and tears trickled down my cheeks. Suddenly, someone from no where threw him a blow in his ribs. Eddie released me and I fell to the ground, coughing. 

The sound of blows being thrown in the air filled my ears until I blacked out on the cold floor. 

**********

The feeling of a hot towel being used to apply pressure on my arm woke me up and I winced. The moment my eyes peeled open, I jolted and stood on the bed with a pounding heart. 

Eliana was seated beside me, still in her night wear. Her eyes had clouds of tears in them and worry likes formed on her forehead.

"Where is he?!" I screamed, afraid that he might strangle me to death then harm the one I swore to protect with my life–my baby sister, Eliana. 

"He's downstairs making you tea." She answered calmly and stood to lay me back on the bed. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"There's every reason to be afraid if Eddie is angry." I shook. "I shouldn't have even let him in my heart. There is no such thing as love!"

"Oh, the man down said he's some Mitch of Alphen company." She stated. "And I believe in love... I just feel maybe-"

"Eliana." I muttered with dread in my eyes as I held both her shoulders and shook her. "Don't you ever fall in love! It's a fucking catfish and would leave you shattered like broken bottles. Sour grapes!" 

"But-"

"Never." I cut her off and laid back on the bed with my hand held up to my face. "Love is the reason mother is six feet un-" I bit my tongue as I was the only one that witnessed what happened the second night mother left and never returned. 

Eliana had downcast gaze as she fidgeted with the end of the white towel in her hands. "Why don't you break up with him if he's that toxic?"

"I-" 

I got cut off by the light knock on my door. 

"Come in." Eliana ordered and to my surprise, Mitch strode into my room with a cup of tea on a white tray. 

My boss was serving me? I blinked my eyes rapidly in disbelief and cleaned it with my shirt just to be sure my eyes weren't messing with me. 

Yes, he was standing in front of me with a straight face–but his eyes sent a different message. They had compassion in them.

"I'll be in my room." Eliana handed him the towel and left.

Mitch and I were in total silence as we stared at each other like we were strangers. 

He placed the trail on my bedside table and proceeded in his black vest and tracks to open my blind fold. The sun pierced into my room in an attempt to fry my skin–I shielded my eyes. He sat beside me and placed a hand on my leg.

"Told you your boyfriend was a jerk. If I hadn't showed up in time, he would have killed you." He rubbed it in my face and I sighed, tired of hearing I told you so. "I would treat you like an egg if-"

"Mitch, not now. I'm still traumatized for what happened and all these happened because of you." I snapped, glaring stare daggers at him. 

"What do you mean by all these happened because of me?" He mimicked me by moving his head from side to side in a silly childish way. 

"Why did you pick Eddie's call?" I asked, holding the cup of tea in my hands. "Why did you tell him I was massaging those... What ever of yours?" 

"Watch how you talk to me, Diana. I am still your boss and wouldn't tolerate nonsense from you, especially grass snakes." He slightly raised his voice and got to his feet. 

"But why did you do what you did?" 

"I was trying to set you free, you know how I dislike his ugly face."

"I never asked for your help, Mr boss. Because of you I was choked. What is your problem?!" 

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, you ungrateful thing." He spat and I widened my eyes. 

Would it be wrong to down this hot cup of tea on him? Yes, I'd loose my job and my conscience would judge me forever. 

"How did you get into my house and what are you even doing here?" I threw questions at him, a bile rising in my scratchy throat. "Can you leave?"

"I will!" He walked over to my bean bag and yanked his shirt off of it and took giant steps to the door. 

Grabbing the door knob, he glanced over his shoulder. Suddenly, he turned and walked towards me. 

"You can't have my tea if you're ungrateful." He snatched the cup from my hand and made it for the door. "I expect you to bring your childish butt to work, we have a meeting by two and I don't want to not see you sitting beside me."

With that, he banged my door and it shook my room. My mouth was wide open at his behavior–to think that he was mature.

Was I exactly childish and ungrateful? 

I was just twenty three, did he expect me to act like some desperate forty five year old?

There was a knock on the door before it slowly opened. 

"Is he gone?" Eliana stepped into my room and glanced around, mirroring my mother's face and triggering a memory in my head.