Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Jeremy was back because he forgot his keys to his office drawer. He saw the three of them getting over the stairs rather nervously. He did pick up on Jerlina acting a bit strange around him. Like, the previous day she was mumbling on the phone with someone. He didn't think much of it then.

But now he could not hold his curiosity back. He peeked in through the media room, and he got what his wife is hiding from him.

His first thought – he felt left out! Why would they not include him in this… viewing?

But he got it. He never expressed the anger he's been repressing for not being the one who killed Emma. He was feeling that he needed her dead to protect his family and would feel sad at times too. He didn't know what he is supposed to feel and he was very confused. 

He watched the big screen playing the screams of Emma… He silently watched. As he enjoyed the screams of Emma, he realized that his anger was greater than whatever guilt he felt for Emma's death.

It was then Bobby caught him. And his wife tried to protect him.

She is very adorable. 

As the screams of Emma rang inside the room, with a smile, Jeremy held Jerlina's hand. 

Jerlina looked at Jeremy to ensure that he is fine with watching it. Seeing his smile only made her confused. 

"It's not a poison per se…" 

The voice of the EMT made her attention to the screen once more. Jeremy pulled her hand and placed it on his lap and she felt like he is pulling her away from Scarlett. Not wanting to be disturbed further, she stood up and sat on his lap. 

"Perfect," Jeremy mumbled as he rested his chin on her shoulder and placed his hand on her abdomen.

His little family is safe and that's all he needs.

Jerlina placed her hand over Jeremy's hand and started to listen to what the EMT was saying.

"Ah… does it even matter..?" the EMT helped out his hand and the woman EMT pulled out a little box from in a little hatch on the floor and passed it to him. 

Emma was screaming so much, her voice has turned soar. "It hurts… It hurts… Someone help me!" She shouted and shouted and no one heard her pleas.

The contents of the box weren't visible in the camera but the EMT was searching for something. And he let out a grunt as if he finally found what he needed.

Is he going to torture?

Jerlina was a little scared and she shifted her position as she was discomforted. Jeremy wrapped his arm around her to comfort her.

Uncomfortable as she is, Jerlina didn't take her eyes off the screen. She saw that man has pulled out surgical scissors and a pair of forceps.

Okay… is he finally going to help her? Or torture her?

"You have a lot of scratches…" that man said looking closely at Emma's wounds. "And it looks like there are fractures…" he picked up a small hammer the doctors would have and started hitting at her wrists, ribs, and legs.

"Ahhhhhh! Noooo!"

Emma let out a blood-curdling scream that came from the pit of her stomach. Her eyes started to roll back with only the whites were visible and she went silent for a moment.

"Come on…" the man's voice was very soft and calm like he was calming a baby. "Don't faint on me… Let me hear you scream."

He knocked on her head and Emma's eyes returned to normal and she started to scream once more. 

"Yeah… that's good…" the man chuckled. "Scream… I don't know why, but I love hearing people scream. It helps me sleep well at night…"

His voice was soft but he kept on hitting Emma all over her broken bones. And as if he was bored of it, he started to scissor the scrapes on her body due to the fall. 

Emma screamed and tried to get her hands free but he held her hand.

"Come on! I know you are feeling a hundredfold pain because I made your nerves sensitive with that chemical… But you cannot move! How else am I going to make it seem like it is not anything other than a scrape from the fall?" he sounded a little annoyed.

Emma looked hysteric with her eyes not focusing on one spot and she was looking around as if there was something around that is scaring her. She stopped screaming but her lips were trembling as if she was holding back.

"That's a good girl… You understand me, right? I've been paid a lot for this. You'll co-operate with me, right?" he placed his hand on Emma's head. 

Emma slowly closed her eyes and he grabbed a couple of hair and pulled them out making her wake up and she started to scream once again. 

"I am doing this for me… I am just doing my job, sweetie…" the guy looked at the woman and she got a syringe and she added the content to the IV in Emma's hand. 

"I was told to give you maximum pain before you die… So…"

"No… stop..." Emma started to plead. "Please… I can't bear it… Just kill me… Kill me!" 

"I am sorry! But who will think of me?" the man smashed the hammer on her abdomen making her scream once more. Before she even finished screaming she started to convulse heavily.

"It burns! It burns! Help! Help!" she started to shout. "Ahhhh!"

"Yeah… a little rehearsal for your stay in hell… My final gift… You appreciate it, right, sweetie? I was very much appreciative of you too…" he kept talking over Emma's scream and fixed everything around. 

Jerlina checked the time and saw that it has been seventeen minutes. Emma's ambulance took twenty minutes to reach the hospital and she was dead by then.

That means, she only has three minutes left…

Jerlina gulped. It was hard to watch. She closed her eyes at times and didn't watch her skin getting peeled, but she did watch here and there; well, most of it.

Emma was screaming non-stop and she pulled out the IV attached to her hand. She became hysterical and started to scream out. The woman tried to get the IV in her other hand. Blood started spraying as Emma's hand got cut as the woman tried to stick in the IV.

Jerlina watched this intently. She remembered the day she lost her baby she was acting the same way and tried to escape the clinic not believing that they are trying to save her. She was hysterical and only sedatives made her stay on the bed. Otherwise…

You deserve this Emma… I am glad I watched this… I feel vindicated!

Jerlina closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as Jeremy's hold on her tightened.

"F*ck you, Jerlina! I…" 

Emma's hoarse scream reverberated inside the room and Jerlina opened her eyes to look at the screen. Emma didn't finish her sentence but Jerlina saw the big screen showing Emma's face.

She watched the life leaving Emma's eyes slowly. Her screaming stopped. Her eyes turned blank. Her hands fell to the side. The spraying of blood reduced velocity.

She's dead!

The ambulance came to a stop and the doors opened. The video ended. And the screen played the white noise fuzzy thing that would be seen on analog TV screens.

There was silence in the room for some time as everyone composed themselves. Bobby let out a long sigh and Scarlett leaned on his chest, hugging him. 

Jeremy's hands wrapped around Jerlina. "Till the end, you ruled her thoughts," he said. He then let out a sigh. 

"Good riddance, Emma! Rot in hell!" he said in a cheery voice and stood up after helping Jerlina get up. Jerlina turned at him to see the relief on his face. She held his hand and he pulled her closer and kissed her. 

"I do love you more than anything and anyone, my Luna…" he said. 

Jerlina held back the tears in her eyes. 

That is the case, isn't it? 

She didn't believe it when he said that on the day of their wedding but he has proved it. She was lost for words. She never thought what she did to deserve this love. 

"And I know you do too, love…" he kissed her again. 

She has been his strength and stayed in every tough situation. When everything turned tough around him, she stayed with him, silent, like a rock, and gave him abundant strength. With little acts of love, she overcame him. 

Be it her smile, or her consideration, and standing stern on her principles, her love is the purest and he would at times be amazed by how he got to receive her love. 

He's someone who hurt her a lot. He had part in the sufferings she endured, but she could forgive him so easily. And she is showering him with love. 

What's not to love about her?

Bobby looked at the couple looking at each other just like they looked at each other at their wedding ceremony and a smile crept up to his lips. 

Be happy, Jerry! And rest well, mom… Your death had been avenged!

He bowed and kissed Scarlett in the head.

My wife… she's gone through a lot…

He sensed her tensing up when the box was dragged. After what Harold tried to do, watching this must have been stressful. 

He wasn't that angry at Gordon for putting Scarlett through that just to get the Harrison family's claims invalidated. He has been selfish. He didn't even understand her wishes to carry the child to term.

It is their child! And yet he acted as if… 

"You should let me build a crib from scratch this time, Pussy," he whispered in her ears. "Our baby deserves the best. I will get good wood…" 

Scarlett sat up straight and she looked at Bobby with shock apparent on her face. This is the first time he is mentioning the miracle baby as his.

"Bob~" her throat closed and she jumped on his lap and hugged him. "Thank you… thank you…" she sniffed in her snot.

"Don't go leave me with two babies to look after, Pussy… They'd end up as orphans, I  swear. You better survive… Otherwise…I too will-" his eyes welled up.

"I will!" Scarlett kissed him. "We'll live happily. And... the crib... I won't trust you with such an important task..." she chuckled. "Unless you ask Jerry's help!"

Everyone laughed and went out.

The pen drive was forgotten along with the evil woman who cursed till her last breath.