Chapter Three: Quiet Smoke

I sat quietly in my room, tossing pictures of me and Throgan inside the fire. This wasn't the first time I have been fooled by a man and it won't be the last time. Most of the others didn't really hurt, but this one did. I actually did love Throgan. I loved his fire, his passion and his looks. 

I wanted him and I knew it deep down within me. It was hard to get any action if you were a cripple and it was even harder to love anyone. A salty tear dropped on the picture I was holding in my hand, it felt like I should at least keep this one. 

It was a picture we snapped with an older couple's mobile phone who thought we were taking pictures of them, but it was just a selfie of both of us. I looked silly in the picture and he was rather mischievous. I didn't even know he had it printed and I still remember my surprise when he brought it to me. 

I tossed it into the fire and  I watched it all burn up. I turned away from the fire and then rolled myself to the table, a pack of cigarettes were lying there. I took one and  glanced at it for a while before tossing it into the fire too. 

I don't smoke, but I always had cigarettes with me. It served  as a reminder of what I was in the past and what I am now. Neither wasn't what I am proud of, but I already resigned myself to fate on that matter.  

It has been five days after the meeting and I have ignored all of  the sixteen calls from Throgan and all the thirty three messages. I didn't need them, so I ended up blocking him. I frowned, however, as I heard a quickened footstep heading for my door.

It swung open and Throgan was standing at the door, his eyes were red, his suit was disheveled, the tie hung loosely from his neck, he staggered inside. 

“You damn bitch!” he roared. “Do you know what you have done?” I backed away. “You don't even understand the forces that are coming for your family. You could have been just a dumb bitch and this would be over, but no, you had to put me in the crossfire,” he coughed.

“Throgan, what are you doing?” I glared at him. “Get out of my house right now.” 

There was  no way I could protect myself from him. The Andolopus manor was big and I only occupied a version of it that was laid at the far corner. I literally would have to walk seven minutes to reach the gates, which meant no one would hear us. 

He fished a small transparent bag from his pocket, and he sniffed twice, trembling as he poured the contents into a white paper. He rolled it up and then flicked the lighter off. I bulged my eyes, realizing he had been smoking. Is this how Throgan would take a loss? 

What did I love about this goddamn loser? “Oh, Throgan,” he chuckled. “A fancy name for a man who should be able to get things done. However you goddamn bitch got in his way,” he coughed from taking in too much smoke and trying to talk at the same time.

“Throgan, you are not in the right state of mind,” I said gently, trying to de-escalate his emotions. “You can't touch me. My father might have discarded me, but he will wreck the entire planet before he would let anyone touch what he owns!” 

“Your father,” he let the word dance on his tongue before he took another quick puff. “Andolopus and Hardy, wolf gods,” he laughed, staggering and using the wall to support himself. “They both don't know what's coming for them, do they? Old arrogant bastards, believing they can do as they wish. The Conglomerate don't even care how they run things anymore. Well I am good as dead anyways so why don't I let you in on a little secret.”

“Throgan, calm down, you are saying a lot of gibberish.”

“Haha, dumb bitch!” he smiled. “Your father will die, so will his beta and both their families will be torn asunder, it isn't a prediction it is a fact!” he paused. “You are so fair,” he moved towards her.

“Throgan!” I yelled but it didn't do anything. He advanced towards me, his tongue licking his lips. 

“You are so clean, so beautiful and yet he locks you away and in that darkness…” he trembled as he spoke, bending down to view me, his breath was dangerously close to mine now and the stench of weed filled my nostrils. 

“Stop,” I whispered. 

“...you have grown into a little psychopath haven't you?” he ran his hand along my face and I shifted away. “Oh, don't run from me little Hailey, all I want is to make you happy,” he threw his weed away, his eyes darting around like a dog eyeing a pile of meat.

“Stop touching me. You are not yourself and you are making a grave mistake,” I said. 

“I am not,” he chuckled. “I am dead anyway, but you are so full of life, so beautiful. I don't know why they all see you as fragile… “ he paused as I pushed myself back from him. “In a way, you are fragile and I think that's what makes you really alluring,” he drew my wheelchair towards himself and ran his hands along my thighs. 

His cold hands grabbed them hungrily and I could feel as he reached underneath my skirt, his fingers holding the edge of my panties. I realized he wasn't going to stop, so I had to fight back. I put my leg up and placed it against his chest and I used the force to push him back.

“Get away from me you bastard!” I screamed as my wheelchair was also pushed in the other direction. It skidded sideways and I fell to the ground.

My heart was racing. “Brittle bones?” He glanced at me. “You had enough power to shove me backwards, so that was a lie too!” I glanced at him in fear. He’d discovered my secret.

It was easy for everyone to believe in the small fragile girl, but the truth was I have been  coming back to it after my father introduced me to a doctor who claimed he had just the cure.  However, I still had aches, but I was far from weak. In fact, I didn't need a wheelchair.

I scrambled forward, trying to get up, but he grabbed my leg. “I was going to be gentle with you,” he yelled, unbuckling his belt. “But now that I know you can take it, this will be the ride of your life!” 

I  pushed myself forward but he caught me again and this time he sat on me, restricting my movements. His hand ran towards my shirt and he tore it open, revealing my fair chest and my bra. He dug his hand against my neck, choking me. 

I coughed and felt pain snake throughout my body. I, however, stopped thinking about it. I closed my eyes, I stopped struggling, but my hand was underneath my bed, searching for something  buried beneath the woods.

His lips brushed my mouth hungrily as he cupped my breasts in his hand. All I felt was disdain. My hand found what it was looking for and I pulled it from underneath my bed. 

His eyes flashed as he saw the .45 in my hand. He whisked forward to knock it off, but I squeezed the muzzle!

A loud bang escaped, then another. Then the entire wing went deathly quiet.