PLACED ON THE HOOK

Chapter 2

“What are you doing here Ethan?” I stammer out my fears visible on my face. He is the last person I expect to see.

“Ethan, what are you doing here?” I stammered, my voice shaking with fear. I couldn’t hide the terror that was written all over my face. My heart was pounding, and my breath came in short, gasping breaths.

“I should be asking you that, Olivia,” he said, his voice low and intense. “Where have you been all these years? I’ve looked for you everywhere, and I never gave up hope of finding you.” He fixed me with a piercing gaze, and I felt as though he could see right through me.

 “I went to your old house so many times, hoping you’d come back. I even left a note on your door, asking you to wait for me. I never stopped believing you’d come back,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion.

My eyes darted around the room, my mind racing as I tried to find the right words to say. I couldn’t speak, as if my mouth was paralyzed by a force I couldn’t understand. “Where is our child?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

I couldn’t answer him. I had no words, no explanation that could possibly make sense of what had happened. I felt like I was drowning, and his question was like a stone around my neck, pulling me deeper and deeper into the abyss.

 “Please, not now, Ethan,” I said, my voice trembling. “I promise I’ll tell you everything later. Right now, I just need to be with my husband.” I tried to sound strong and resolute, but I could hear the weakness in my voice. I knew I couldn’t hide the truth from him any longer, but I just wasn’t ready to face it.

 “Your husband? You can’t be serious!” he said, his voice incredulous. “Don’t tell me you are married?” His tone was sharp and accusing, as if he couldn't believe I had betrayed him in such a way.

“I’m married to Ryan Fitzgerald,” I said, my voice breaking as tears welled up in my eyes. “Or will I say betrothed,” I added, feeling the weight of my words.

“Wait, you’re engaged to my brother?” he said, his voice cracking with shock and disbelief. I could tell he was struggling to process the information, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

I stood there in silence, unable to speak or even breathe. The revelation was like a punch to the gut, and I felt the ground shifting beneath my feet.

“You’re the woman we have awaited all these years?” he said, his voice rising in pitch. His voice was trembling with anger and disbelief. “How could you do this to me? How could you betray me like this?”

“Where is our child, Olivia?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “The child you were carrying when we parted ways?”

I felt my heart sinking, knowing that I couldn’t avoid answering him any longer. I had to tell him the truth, even though I knew it would break his heart.

“I aborted the child, I didn’t want to do it, but my parents threatened me with violence if I didn’t,” I said, my voice choked with emotion.

"What happened to the love we shared, the promises we made?" he asked, his voice breaking. "I thought we were going to be together forever. How could you do this to me?"

I could see the pain in his eyes, and it broke my heart but this isn’t a time to catch feelings, I need to be alert.

"Ethan, please stop," I said, my voice cracking. "I'm still trying to process all of this. You have to understand that I didn't want any of this. I had dreams and plans for my life, and they didn't include this. I'm just as upset and confused as you are." I wiped away the tears that were now streaming down my face.

"If you still care about me at all, then please leave me alone," I said, turning away from him. "If you don't, I can't be held responsible for what happens next. I won't be a pawn in someone else's game anymore." I walked out of the room, not knowing where I was going or what I would do next. All I knew was that I couldn't face him any longer.

“Can you please tell me where your master room is?” I asked the first maid I saw, and she smiled at me in a way that seemed to lighten the heavy weight I’d been carrying.

“I’ll take you to his room,” she said, and I nodded, allowing her to lead the way. I felt like a prisoner being led to the gallows, my heart racing as I followed her down the hall.

……….

As we approached a golden door, she said “You can go in, just knock first,”

But as I started to walk towards it, she grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “Are you a virgin?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern. I could feel my heart racing, and I was suddenly aware of how cold the air felt against my skin.

“No, I’m not,” I said, my voice shaking. She released her grip on my arm, and I could feel the blood rushing back into my hand. I flexed my fingers, feeling the pins and needles of numbness as the circulation returned. But even as the sensation returned to my hand, I could feel a cold dread settling into the pit of my stomach.

“Shit!” she said, and I jumped at the sound of her curse. She looked at me with a strange mixture of fear and anger in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“I can’t tell you,” she said, her voice firm. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. You just need to trust me.”

“Just go inside,” she said, her voice tinged with urgency. Before I could ask any more questions, she turned and ran down the hall. I stood there, frozen in confusion and fear.

My eyes fix on the door in front of me. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the sound reverberating in my ears. I took a deep breath and placed my hands on the wood, feeling the grain beneath my fingers. All I could think about was the maid's question - "Are you a virgin?" - and the strange look in her eyes when she had asked it. I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering my courage, and then knocked on the door.

“Come in!” a deep, dark voice called from within the room. The voice had an otherworldly quality to it, and I could feel a chill running down my spine. My hands shook as I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. I took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

There he stood before a huge mirror, a white towel draped around his waist. His hands were buried in his damp, curly blue hair, wringing out the water. His well-defined chest rose and fell with each breath as he reached for a bottle of lotion. His back was to the door, and he didn’t seem to have noticed me yet. I stood there, frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

“Stop staring like a hopeless fool,” he said, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror. His dark eyes were piercing, and I felt myself shrinking under his gaze. His pointed nose and full, pink lips made him look almost otherworldly. His skin was taut and smooth, like marble, and I could see every detail of his face reflected in the mirror.

He held my gaze for a few moments, his expression unreadable. Then, he turned away from me and walked over to the bed, his bare feet making no sound on the floor. "You're not a wife to me, just a puppet," he said, his voice cold and hard. "My rules are the only ones that matter here, and anything you see or hear in this house stays between us.

“I can play with you however I want,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “You’re my puppet, Olivia. I own your body and everything in it.” His eyes bored into me, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

“Do you see that box over there?” he asked, pointing to a small, red box sitting on the dresser. ”You must never, ever touch it,” he said, his voice low and serious. His gaze was intense, and I couldn’t look away. I nodded in agreement, afraid of what would happen if I didn’t.

"Are you a virgin?" he asked. His question sting me off guard, and I felt my heart skip a beat.