Once Bitten, Twice Broken, Forever Loved

VioletHe’s gazing at my ID to find my name on it.“No, you don’t, sir. I was distracted.” The lie palls the tension hanging over us, breaking the dense, overstretched silence. My heart keeps racing—I’m hoping he doesn’t recognize me, or realize that I lied, which can worsen everything.Letting go of my hand, he strides towards the suit mannequin in a glass case, tossing the handkerchief in the trashcan en route. My eyes trail him attentively. I regret my mistakes.“There are rumors about me being cold and scary.” He takes off his suit jacket. “Cold, I can take that. But, scary?” He slips the jacket on the mannequin and walks to the desk in slow steps. “If you’re not scared of me…”On his feet, he leans down and analyzes the condition of the documents with his fingers.“Then that explains the heavy makeup you’re wearing.”I risk him a glance, trying to grasp what he’s saying.“Women are either afraid of me, or… they’re trying to seduce me.”My brow arches in disbelief and irritation as

Violet I stay quiet through the drive home, reeling in arrays of emotions. Sadness, anger, confusion, fear. I have the driver drop me a few blocks away from my house, and then I walk all the way home.The neighborhood is buzzing softly on the cold night. I slope to my door, only to find out the landlord locked it. Like other times, I jump through the window straight into my bedroom, where there’s a lack of electricity. I’ve been surviving without electricity and water for a few weeks now, seeing as I can’t pay my bills and I’ve exceeded my credit limit.Thinking my new job would alleviate my financial struggles, Ethan unapologetically ruined my chance.I sag to the ground, raking my fingers through my hair while lowering my head in tears.‘I’m so sorry, Peter,’ I cry.‘Sorry for what? Letting your childhood lover ruin our relationship?’‘It’s just three months, and I’ll come back to you.”“Three months of that jerk eating my woman up and then I take you back like nothing happened? No

VioletI sit on the foot of the bed for a flat two hours, anxious, swaying in a whirlwind of thoughts—thoughts centered on escaping whatever plans Ethan has for us tonight. With clammy hands, I fidget with the robe I have on.I've concocted plans, which include asking the lady for a bottle of Tylenol while pretending I have a headache.Six pills of Tylenol will take me straight to the hospital, changing our wedding night to a harrowing caregiving vigil at the hospital. I'll rather be in the hospital than be sexually assaulted.The knife is my last-ditch effort to escape the night, when everything else fails. I'm only hoping I don't get pushed to use it.When the doorknob turns, I jerk up and hustle to the door to collect the pills from the lady, but who comes standing in the doorway when the door opens makes me halt halfway.I shudder with a gasp, recoiling quickly, my heart beating in a rapid cadence as I gaze at Ethan.The fearsome man who hates me and is now my fake but lawfully rea

I crane my neck upward and fix Ethan with a questioning stare, trying to put two and two together, but the further I try, the further his utterance eludes me. There was an extraordinary meeting, and the paparazzi were there by chance and had stumbled across us. Right? “I don't follow,” I whisper, confused.“Don’t worry, I'll spell it out for you. I knew that marrying you would be a lot easier if I put my career on the line. So I somehow followed you to that parking lot and had my ally direct the paparazzi to us.” He laughs victoriously, but I can hear the mockery behind his laughter.His words break me inside. Realizing the whole thing was a scheme to lure me into his inferno and hurt me, sorrow, anger, and fear swell inside me. My eyes mist over and my throat tightens.I succumb to my emotions as body-shaking sobs claim me.I wriggle in his arms to free myself, which makes him tighten his hands around me. “You’re crazy, Ethan. You're a psychopath,” I sob, my voice barely above a whis

Violet On getting to the front yard, Ethan springs up yet another surprise. The driver is a lady, which clarifies what he said about not letting other men see me bare. Through the drive, I curl up quietly in the backseat of the Rolls-Royce, just next to him. There's a good space between us, though. I gaze at the rare mirror, waiting to find the lady’s eyes staring back at me through the rare mirror, but she casts me no glimpse. Not even by accident.We arrive in yet another bigger, jaw-dropping mansion and two housekeepers in black skirts and white short-sleeved shirts welcome us home.They have a warm smile on their faces as they congratulate us on our wedding. Warm but creepy, and it leaves me in confusion. They act like everything is as it’s supposed to be. Can’t they see I’m in my underwear?What’s going on?Ethan cuts them dead.They still keep the smile on their faces when Ethan pulls me into the house like I’m a thief rather than his wife. I can’t keep the confusion out of my