Chapter 6

The following morning Maya felt sore around her neck but ignored it. She took a shower and as she brushed her hair she noticed the bruising around her neck. Panicked, she grabbed her makeup and tried her best to cover it up. She struggled to cover it up so she wore a turtleneck. Thank God it was winter. She made her way downstairs for a cup of coffee. Jason was nowhere to be seen so Maya assumed he was at work. It didn't make sense to work on a Sunday but she knew he was a busy man. 

"I'll be there in thirty minutes." Jason said 

Maya hoped he wouldn't notice the bruises. Though she feared him, part of her really hoped that he would soon accept her as his wife. 

"Well tell him to wait! If he really wanted to discuss this with me he would have no problem waiting a little longer!" He yelled and dropped the call.

"Rough morning?" Maya asked, hoping to score a conversation out of him. 

Jason ignored her and grabbed a cup of coffee. 

"Should I make anything specific for dinner?" She tried again.

"Maya could you just for once in your life shut the fuck up?" 

Maya didn't bother saying anything afterwards. Instead she made herself a slice of toast with avocado. She was a vegetarian all her life. Jason didn't know this though. He didn't know anything about Maya, he never planned on learning anything either. 

Jason put his cup in the sink and left for work. Maya on the other hand stayed behind not knowing what she was going to do all day. 

She decided she would call her little brother to find out how he was doing. 

"Good morning buddy." Maya gently said over the phone. 

She wasn't allowed to have a phone while she lived at the villa so when she got here she was finally allowed to have one. Jason had left it on her nightstand.

"Maya?" 

Blake's voice sounded weak and frail. It broke Maya's heart to hear him like that.

"Yea kiddo, it's me." 

She wipes a tear from her cheek while she spoke to him. After four long years she was finally able to hear her little brothers voice. 

" How are you?" Blake asked her. 

She could hear his tone change. He was just as happy to hear her voice as she was to hear his.

"I'm alright, I just miss you so much." 

"I miss you too. Do you think you could maybe come visit me in the hospital?" 

Maya hated seeing Blake in the hospital. She would always break down in the hospital room. The only thing she would think about was how terrible her life would be without him. He was her only source of happiness. She loved him more than life itself. 

"I'll just have to ask Jason if I can come see you. As soon as he agrees I'll come right over."

Maya felt less freedom here than she did at the villa.

"Great. Well I need to go, he nurse is here. I love you okay?" 

"How much?" 

"Too much." 

The two giggled. 

"I love you too." Maya whispered before she hung up. 

She burst into tears as soon as the call ended. Not because she missed her brother but because she knew he wasn't doing well at all. She knew she had to have hope but it was hard having hope when she already knew what was coming.

Maya made her way back downstairs and bumped into the chef preparing lunch for her. 

"Mrs King." He greeted and she sat on top of the kitchen island. "I noticed you only ate the vegetables on your plate last night. Was the meat not to your liking ma'am?" He added. 

"Oh no no,not at all. It's just...I'm vegetarian." 

His face turned red from embarrassment. Maya felt so bad for not telling him.

"I'm so sorry Mrs King, I had no idea." 

"No it's my fault. I should have told you." 

He puts the meat back in the fridge and takes out even more vegetables to prepare her a meal. 

"Is there anything you're allergic to?" 

Maya immediately nodded her head. 

"Nuts." 

"I'll be sure to stop adding them to meals then." 

The two continue having a conversation while he was preparing lunch. He was such a lovely young man. Maya didn't understand why he would work for someone as cruel man like Jason. 

"Here you go ma'am." 

He placed the food in front of Maya and it smelt divine. Maya started eating and noticed that he wasn't having any.

"Aren't you going to eat something?" She titled her head in confusion. 

"Oh no Mrs King I'm not allowed to having anything, Mr Kings orders." 

Maya rolled her eyes in annoyance. She hated how Jason treated people. Especially those that put up with his shit all the time. 

"Well Mr King isn't here right now so sit and have lunch with me." 

He just shook his head. 

"The house is covered in cameras so he is always watching." 

"Show me one of the cameras."

The chef pointed to one in the kitchen and Maya smirked. She licked the sauce off her finger and pointed her middle finger at the camera. She hoped Jason saw it. She was absolutely sick of him.  The chef looked at her in disbelief. He had never seen anybody disrespect Mr King like that. 

"I'm going to clean myself up, I'll see you for dinner." She got up and went to her room.

While she read her book she couldn't help but think about Jason. She hated him but at the same time she didn't. She just wanted him to care about her the way she cared about him. Maya was determined to make the marriage work no matter the effort. Nothing Jason could say or do will make her change her mind. 

By the time dinner was done she went down thinking she would find Jason at the table. He wasn't there. 

"Where's he?" Maya asked the chef.

He just gave her a nervous look. There was no way he would tell Maya about Jason's whereabouts. Not because he was scared of Jason but because he cared about Maya and didn't want to hurt her.  

"Dinner is on the table Mrs King, a veggie pizza and no nuts." He smiled and hoped she wouldn't as again.

"Thank you." 

She sat in silence and ate her food. The only thing on her mind was Jason. Was he safe? 

By midnight Jason still wasn't home. Maya couldn't go to bed knowing Jason wasn't home. She needed to make sure he was safe first. She took a shower and put her turtleneck back on before she went downstairs to watch a series while she waited. By two in the morning Jason came stumbling in.

"Fuck." He mumbled after he bumped into the coat rack. 

Maya put the TV off and walked upstairs. 

"Why are you still up?" He arrogantly asked. 

"I couldn't sleep."

Maya would never admit that she was worried about him. Jason reeked of alcohol and it was nauseating. Maya could smell it from so far away. That wasn't she only thing she smelt off of him. She could smell someones perfume on him. Her heart sunk at the scent. She knew why the chef wouldn't tell her where Jason was. 

"Goodnight Jason." Maya said and tried going upstairs.

Jason grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close to him. Maya's heart rate increased after he pulled her. Their faces were just inches away from each other. His grip around her arm tightened. She was positive it would bruise just like her neck. 

"It's Mr King to you."

Jason expected a reaction from Maya. Just enough for him to be able to throw her to the ground but she didn't say anything.

"Goodnight Mr King." 

He left go of her arm and she ran upstairs to her room.  She took her turtleneck off, exposing the bruises her husband gave her. She quickly put another shirt on and got into bed. 

Jason barged into the room and bumped the nightstand. She looked up at him and he noticed the bruises.

"What happened to your neck!?" He yelled and moved towards her.

"You happened." 

Jason felt a slight ache in his chest when Maya told him he was responsible. He just stared at the bruising till Maya covered it up with her robe. 

"That is absurd! How dare you accuse me of that!?" Jason barked.

He knew he was responsible for it but he would never admit it. It was easier to blame someone else for it. 

"Go heat up my dinner and bring it to my room." 

Jason got up and stumbled all the way to his room. Maya went down to get his food and took it up to his room. She knocked on his door before coming in. All she noticed were his rock hard abs while he was changing out of his suit. 

"Here's your dinner." 

She placed it down and was just about to walk out but she stopped in her tracks. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

He turned to face her and gave a gentle nod. 

"Can I take one of the drivers and go see my brother?" 

Jason sat on his bed and started eating his food. 

"You can drive with me at the end of next week. I need to go fill in paper work anyways." 

"Thank you."

She left the room and started jumping in excitement. It didn't matter how bad he treated her, Maya always found joy in any situation. Her feelings towards Jason were so confusing. She hated how he treated her but she knew there was some good inside of him.