Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Jerlina couldn't understand what was happening. One moment she was holding the scissors to kill him and the next moment she was pinned down by him on the floor. He said he didn't despise her and she figured he was searching for a stronger word than 'despise'.

He got mad when she mentioned Gerard and then she opened a conversation to negotiate for her freedom and after that, he became weirder.

What's with that...smile? Is that even a smile? Or is it something sinister? Is he trying to scare me? Oh, Jerlina! You must have had balls of steel to suggest an exchange when he threatened to damage your baby's grave just moments ago... And there is a cut in his chest that is bleeding because you stabbed him with frigging scissors.

There was silence for more than a minute and Jerlina's brain went overdrive thinking of the possibilities. Her excitement gradually turned to anxiety.

And what's with the position we are lying? Why isn't he getting up?

As she was trying to read his face that was covered with hair, she saw him slowly pulling her hand towards his mouth. Maybe her fear made her more sensitive, but his beard hair pricking on her palm made her hand sting.

She had lost her rationale when she was about to plunge the sharp tool in his chest, but just as her hand reached his chest, she got her senses back. She didn't want to kill him. No matter how much she resented him, she didn't want to turn into a murderer.

He is not worth it!

She tried to pull back, but in her effort to not stab him, she had her hands get hurt and even his chest got a slight slash. Seeing him pulling her hurt hand, she thought he's going to make her hurt some more to retaliate for hurting him.

And after the ruckus she caused trying to kill him and realizing she didn't want to kill him, she felt some calmness in her heart. She didn't understand what that was about. She was in no mood to think about it either since she was focusing on his reaction.

"You're..."

She looked at him in the eye as he was about to say something and he said nothing and stood up. She got relieved that he's going to leave. But...

But he pulled her up, holding her hand. Her head started spinning as blood rushed to her head by the sudden movement. She staggered and the next moment, she was lifted from the floor.

Jerlina shuddered for a moment not knowing what he is going to do to her, and was surprised when she was carefully placed on the chair.

She watched him walk across the room and took a little box from the drawer in the nightstand. She stood up slowly and wanted to escape whatever torture he's going to put her through.

She was willing to die, yes, but pain? She's not good with pain. And she was so hungry since she skipped dinner last night.

"Sit!" he commanded and she immediately sat back in the chair.

"...bathroom..." she was ashamed of herself for obeying his orders like a dog and tried to cook up an excuse to escape.

He didn't say a word and stared at her and she bowed her head unable to meet his baby blue eyes. His grey flannel shirt had a tear and blood was smudged around the tear courtesy of her attempt to murder him.

'If they make one of us bleed, we'd make ten of them bleed!'

The words Babyface Bobby said a long time ago came to her memory right at that instant.

Great! Will they hang me upside down and slit my throat? Will they lash me? I'd rather prefer execution with a bullet to the head!

She was racking her brain when she felt warmth near her legs and the next moment her hurt hand was grabbed.

That box was a first aid box and kneeling in front of her, he started to clean up her wound while Jerlina froze not knowing what to do.

"You would have had a better chance to succeed if you stabbed me here," he pointed at his throat and Jerlina felt a shiver passing through her spine.

"You wanted to kill me, right?" he asked with a very serious expression. Jerlina could only gulp.

What am I supposed to say to this?

"You have no experience and it shows. You can't even hold a weapon properly. You can never hit the heart with a small weapon like this. Whether it is a box cutter, pocket knife, or... screwdriver... Your best chance is to hit the arteries in the neck. Or go for the abdomen... the best bet, a kick between the legs. I'll get you something to practice on... First, you have to..."

As he was cleaning her wound, he gave her the 101 on "how to kill someone with a knife". Jerlina was confused by everything he did. She is getting treated for the wound she got for trying to kill him and getting advice on how to kill him properly.

Why is he doing this? Do ganglords use reverse psychology on their enemies these days?

"Get changed and come to the first-floor kitchen," he said and left her room.

Jerlina went entirely blank for some time before she gathered herself and went to the first floor. She was very hungry and she didn't want to suffer from her ulcer pains along with her other abdominal pain.

She was hungry and very skeptical of Jeremy's behavior. If given a choice, she would have stayed in her room, but she was very hungry and so she decided to eat.

As she walked through the hallways, she noticed there was a kitchen on the second floor too.

Guess rich people have more than one kitchen in the same house!

That seven-foot-tall Bobby, that beguiling woman with the ample bosom, the pretty child, who for some reason didn't like Jerlina and Jeremy... They all had breakfast together.

She thought TJ would talk to her about her company, but he never brought that up. Sitting at that big solid wood table, Jerlina was told a lot of other things.

She was told that the beautiful plate of breakfast was prepared by Scarlett – the wife of Bobby.

Wife? How does Bobby have such a beautiful wife?

She was told that Baby Cia is Bobby's daughter.

He even has a child?

And the most unbelievable thing Jerlina was told that made her alarm bells ringing – Bobby is Daisy's son... Like real son – he carried half of the genes of Daisy.

How did Daisy who is not even five feet tall, give birth to Bobby? Bobby, who is seven feet tall?

Poor Jerlina in her bewilderment forgot that even Bobby wouldn't have been seven feet tall when he was born.

After breakfast, she returned to her room and fell asleep after taking her medications. She thought for real that she was being lied to and getting manipulated; she felt they are conducting some sort of psychological experiment on her.