Chapter 2

“Thank you, Peter.” She said with genuine gratitude, loud enough to be heard through the thick door.

She stood up then, walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her long black hair, which was usually neatly placed and lustrous was now disheveled and slightly matted. Some parts of her scalp were bleeding from where he had drug her with it. Her makeup was tear streaked. She picked up her brush from the counter and began to gently comb her hair.When it looked similar to how she had fixed it earlier she picked up a small towel and wet the corner of it with water from the bathroom sink. She used it to wipe away the blood on her scalp and the corners of her hairline.

Her head was throbbing when she was finally done. She then ran cold water from the sink and splashed it on her face to help with the puffiness from the crying, as well as wash away the tear streaks. She patted her face dry with a hand towel that hung on the gold towel rack beside the sink. And quickly applied makeup to cover up the soon to be bruises. She was thankful she wore a long sleeve, silk blouse and trousers today.

She assessed herself in the mirror. There she was. Strikingly beautiful to everyone, but herself. Her features were sharp. She had piercing, almond shaped, hazel eyes, raven black hair and a supermodel figure. 

She recalled how early on in their relationship Bradley had told her he was going to get her a wonderful wedding present. She remembered being so excited about his surprise just two days after their marriage. She was quite shocked when she realized they weren’t visiting a hotel for a romantic rendezvous, but instead he had hired a private plastic surgeon to give her a new nose and bigger breasts. She was insulted and taken aback at it, but they had only been married for a couple of days and she was his fourth wife. She had always told him she would never complain or bother him. She knew now he had tested her with his “wedding gift”.

She had no choice but to smile and tell him that he was the best husband she could ever ask for.

Now her nose was small with a pointed tip and her perfect 36C enhanced breasts looked perfect in any top she wore. Of course, everything she wore was his idea, down to her lingerie. She was his doll to dress up. She secretly felt ashamed at her complicity. She let him mistreat her early on, and never stopped. She had let it go too far.

Whenever she would try to mention his controlling behavior he always made her feel horrible for questioning his logic and love for her. Always domineering in his stance towards her, making it seem like she was blowing his behavior out of proportion.

His ‘make up’ gifts were always extravagant and very expensive. Thinking about it now she looked down at the fifteen carat wedding ring on her slender left, perfectly manicured hand. It was the only jewelry she wore, other than her two carat diamond earrings. She hated staring at herself, at what he had turned her into. She didn’t think she was beautiful.  She was his preening sex kitten.

She felt sad and overwhelmed now. She had finally stopped shaking from the fear and adrenaline. It had faded. She was so tired of pretending that everything was perfect. She felt like she was at her breaking point. She wanted to leave him and to leave this gilded cage he kept her in, their home.

She couldn’t leave him though. She had signed a contract. She regretted that blunder now. If she were to leave him right  now she would leave without a dime or even the clothes on her back.

She had to wait until either he found someone else, and she had no doubt that would happen. After all, she was the fourth wife, and not getting any younger. Or she could wait these three years out and be able to divorce him with her dignity and a nice nest egg to start her life. Could she do it? Three years seemed like an eternity with her husband now. 

She had no choice. She had to do it.

She took a deep breath and one last look at herself in the mirror before she opened the bathroom door...

Elayna walked to the spacious living room on the west end of her husband's seventy room mansion. It took her a liitle more time because her body was sore from what had happened earlier. She felt exhausted and the day hadn't begun.

Her husband's Security guard, Pete and a male she was unfamiliar with stood there waiting for her. The other man was dressed similarly to Pete. She thought the he was handsome in a rugged way. She also thought he filled his ash grey suit out nicely, even though it wasn't a designer one. She found herself wondering if his shoulders really were that broad, or was it padding.

By his handsome gruff looks she guessed he was probably ex military. She then  wondered why her husband had hired more security. 

“Pete,who is this?” She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. She pasted on her polished fake smile. 

“Ma’am, this is Nick Lane. Mr. King hired him for a security position a few weeks back. Are you sure you’re alright, Ma’am ?” He asked her once more.

Pete had to admit her appearance was impeccable, as usual and almost looked as if nothing had occurred. The only give away for him was her eyes. They usually weren’t so sad. They were also slightly puffy and bloodshot. If you didn’t know you would think it was fatigue, but Pete knew her and her husband. It wasn’t fatigue. It was her bastard of a husband. It was abuse...