CHAPTER 1

I raced down the flight of stairs without caring to watch my steps, the only thing I could feel was my heart beat which was so fast that I couldn't keep count of; with my wobbling hands trying to hold a tight grip on my phone. My palms were sweaty and my body in pains from so much bruises. A thin layer of sweat covered the nape of my neck as I struggled to find my way with a blur vision.

 

I scampered for safety and left the house for the basement where he wouldn't find me after ensuring that the door was locked from the outside, it gave me enough time to hide.

I secured a safe hiding spot and quickly I checked for Eva's number. My hands were wobbling and I could barely feel my  fingers. Luckily, I found her number and dialed it immediately but she didn't take my call. I tried again and this time it went to voicemail but I persisted .

Pick up please, I wobbled in tears biting my fingernails in frustration.

 

From where I stood, I looked at the reflection of my image. I couldn't believe the number of bruises on my face, eye circles surrounded my eyes and my pretty face which was rosy before had now become blunt red in pain.

 

"What's the matter Arya?" A voice queried on the other end of the call which distracted me from my thoughts.

" Eva…Eva…"  I cried out in pain.

"Arya…" Her voice dropped in fear.

"He did it again—Eva. Just had a little disagreement and he had sent off his belt whipping me all over." My eyes welled up in tears as I explained things to her.

"This is crazy. I had always warned you about the devil you call a husband."

"Don't call him that." I defended myself even though he had inflicted so many bruises on me, he was still my husband and I foolishly believed he loved me.

"A husband who beats you every time he gets an opportunity?" Eva mocked.

"Stop trying to make accusation and help me out of this…he's going to kill me." I managed to alter some voiced words as I tried to hold back the tears that came.

 

"You have to call 91…"

"No…" I had stopped her before she finished whatever was on her mind." I can't do that Eva;He will kill me if he finds out I mentioned this."

"You know you can't continue to live like this Arya. You need to leave that house." Safe ended the call before I could protest against her advice.

Now I was left alone in my own world, not knowing what to do or whether I would survive today's beating. I fell to my knees and cried silently because I knew he was out there looking for me. I had only been married to him for 3 years and I could testify it had been the worst 3 years of my life.

 

After graduating from New York university, Kian had returned to fufil the request if his mother by getting a wife but things played our really bad and I became the daughter-in-law after a contract was signed that I get married to him in order for the Lawley's family to treat my dieing father. Sometimes I wondered if my status as a commoner contributed to the physical abuse I received from Kian.

 

His family members were indifferent and never for once cautioned him about his behavior towards me.My father who had made me choose this pathway died after a year. I had tried too hard to get a divorce but Kian had warned me against it.

To him, the status and reputation of his family was more important than anything. He craftily fabricated a story  for everyone who asked about the bruises and swellings on my body.

 

He always had a reason to torture me, just this morning I had woken up late after sunrise and was awaken from the dream world by cold water which Kian had splashed on me.

It was winter already and the weather was freezing, the glare in his eyes didn't let me  question him on why he had done that. I got up immediately but he pushed me back, making me knock away the lamp on the bedside table.The broken pieces of glass made Kian grow red in anger, I didn't need someone to inform me that I had made  him upset by breaking the lamp.

 

Before I could apologize,he had pulled out his belt and was whipping me all over; I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came.

" How many times have I warned you about waking up and not seeing my coffee?" He yelled at me. I was motionless for a while, was it because I hadn't prepare his coffee that he was so upset?

When he was absent minded I use al the strength I had and pushed him away before running downstairs to hide away from him

 

I heard the sound of sirens outside and I prayed silently for it to just be a coincidence. If they were here to arrest Kian then I was going to be dead because I knew he would kill me at once. To my dismay, the sound of the siren stopped right at the front gate. I waited as my heart beat increased anxious that it might be here they were coming. A knock came from outside and my fears were confirmed.

I peeped from where I was and saw Kian go to open the gate, luckily from where I was I could hear what they talked about.

 

"Hello officers."I had heard him greet, from where I was I noticed that he wasn't even scared but that was expected, he was among the top business men and his family could always bribe their way out of security officers.

"Mr. Kian Lawley?" One of the officers said, he was shocked,"We received information that something was going on here. An attack or something."

Kian held the head officer by the shoulder and they talked in whispers for a while before he left.

As soon as the chief security officer left,it dawned on me that Kian was surely going to kill me for calling the 911 on him. I began fidgeting and tried to get up While trying to stand I had mistakenly hit a box which contained electrical items. All items fell and made a clattering sound.

The sound attracted Kian and he entered the Basement, as he took each step to where I was my heart raced in fear.