Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

"Hey! What did you do!"

Jerlina heard the shout of her Uncle Pat as she placed her hand on her cheek. Her mouth was ajar and her eyes clouded as she realized what happened just then.

Gerard slapped me in the cheek!

"Jer... I... I didn't mean...I'm sor-"

"Step back!" she heard the shout of Charlie followed by a loud bang.

"Missy, are you okay? Kolya, bring ice!" her uncle Pat's warm hand held her hand and he checked her cheek. 

She heard the shouts of her company employees and Charlie's cussing.

"You mother*cker! I thought you couldn't get any lower... But hitting the woman you claim to love? That's...a  f*cking stupid thing to do in front of me... Pick a fight with someone your size, s*ssy...Come on!"

She quickly wiped her eyes and saw Charlie pinning Gerard on the hood of his car. Gerard tried to struggle out of his hold and the dust raised from the ground. But his upper body was pinned strongly by Charlie. 

"As I thought... I should've killed you when you touched Jeremy, but now..." Charlie chuckled and his laughter made Jerlina shiver. She knew something bad will follow.

Jerlina was given an ice pack immediately as they have it handy for first aid since they work with fire. 

"It doesn't hurt, uncle," Jerlina got the ice pack from Uncle Pat's hand and said with a smile. 

Gerard didn't hit her hard. Her cheek stung a bit and she was startled but other than that she was not hurt badly.

"I'm sorry, Jer... I didn't..."

Gerard shouted but Jerlina didn't want to look at him.

"Let's get inside, Missy," Uncle Pat led her inside and her uncle's son was clenching his fists. Jerlina saw all of her employees with an angry expression and she got a bit worried for Gerard as the atmosphere was tense. 

"Kolya," uncle Pat patted Nikolay's shoulder. "We need the wedding to happen." 

  Jerlina didn't understand what her uncle meant by that but Nikolay nodded as if he understood his father and walked towards Charlie.

Jerlina turned to have a look and at that moment, Charlie elbowed Gerard's chest. That was followed by a cracking noise and the loud scream of Gerard.

Did Charlie break Gerard's rib?

"Come on, Missy... Let's see where you're hurt..." uncle Pat held her hand and led her inside.

  "If I press here, I can puncture your lungs. How about that?" Charlie's shout was heard behind her and Gerard's painful screams sent shivers through her spine. 

She tried to have a look, but the others blocked her view. All she heard was Gerard's screams.

Jerlina gulped hearing the painful shouts of Gerard. She looked at uncle Pat who had a stoic expression. She could sense he was very mad at Gerard and so was Nikolay, and others.

All because he slapped me? 

"Don't worry, Missy. Be glad the heavens were gracious enough to not let you get tied with him for life and got you a better husband," he patted her head and pulled a stool for her to sit. "Sit down and collect yourself."

Uncle Pat walked out and Jerlina stared at his back. He was walking with a slight hump. After returning from hospital, he immediately started to work again, against her protests.  As long as she remembered, he was reliable as a tall oak. 

Uncle's gotten old. It is good Nick is here to help uncle.

'get tied with him for life'

She wondered what he meant by that. 

Marriage?

No... marriage can be broken. But if we had a child together, we'd be tied for life through that child... So did he mean...

Ah, uncle... you can say cruel words too, huh?

"Son, that's enough... We don't want him dead now..." Patrick seemed to be speaking to Charlie and Jerlina took in a deep breath.

She now understood what her uncle meant before. Gerard is Jeremy's brother-in-law and his funeral would take priority if Gerard dies and the wedding will get postponed. 

She was surprised at how calm and collected her uncle is as if he is used to violence and how indifferent he was towards Gerard's life. 

But it is because he cares for me. Maybe this is fatherly love. Even gentle people will turn violent if their child is threatened.

And she was surprised by her lack of sympathy for Gerard. She didn't even want to go out and stop Charlie from hitting Gerard. 

Well, Charlie won't listen to her... probably. But he was mad at Gerard for hitting me... 

Gerard actually raised his hand against me and hit me!

She couldn't believe she got hit. This is the first time she was slapped and never in a million years would she have thought Gerard will hit her.

He hit me just because I shouted at him this once... What would he do if I shout at him again? Will he turn abusive? 

Maybe... it is better that we have nothing to do with each other anymore.

Covering her face with her hands, she took a deep breath. Her heart was troubled, but then there came a stillness. She realized one thing.

I have a lot of people around me who genuinely care for me. I am not alone.

She sat by the window and blankly stared as they started working. Nick told her that Gerard is brought to the hospital by Charlie after three of his ribs "broke" and she didn't want to think about that.

Sitting with her hands holding her cheeks, she saw a couple of chipmunks chipping around and foraging in the woods behind. Since winter is approaching, they were busy. She saw one of the chipmunks having its mouth filled with acorns and it looked funny.

"You don't look hurt."

She heard that familiar voice and turned at him, surprised.

"Jeremy?" she looked at him. She didn't expect his arrival. His face looked troubled and his eyebrows were knitted. Kneeling in front of her, he grazed her cheeks with his big, rough hand.

For Jerlina, this all seemed familiar. That day, after he pulled her out of the car, she begged him to take her to the hospital. He said those exact words and started patting her.

Did he have the same expression then too? Was he checking to see where I was hurt?

"Where?" he asked. His voice was gentle and judging by his knitted brows, he seemed to have repressed his anger.

"Ah... this side looks a little redder..." he softly touched her left cheek.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore," she held his hand and placed it on her lap. His hand on her cheek made her feel weird.

"Hmm..." he stared right at her eyes. His mouth opened and she thought he was going to ask something, but he didn't. 

"You should be at the barber's," she said checking the time.

"Yeah... I am here," his face softened. He got his hand out of her hold and placed it on her hurt cheek once more.

His thumb gently ran over her lower lip and Jerlina felt her lips getting hot.