TAKE ME, RUIN ME: CHAPTER 7

TAKE ME, RUIN ME: CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7: THE CHOICE OF EVILS

ARIA'S POV

"So?"

The word feels like a bomb blast in the small, quiet hallway. I stare at Selena, my mouth hanging open in shock. She stands there, looking back at me as if she is absolutely certain that I am the dumbest person she has ever met. I can’t believe she’s being so casual about this. My entire life is currently balanced on a razor's edge, and she’s acting like I’m worried about a rain shower.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, my voice cracking with a mix of fear and confusion.

She lets out a long, frustrated sigh and crosses her arms over her chest. "I am done, Aria. I am so done with attending to you and watching you worry so much about your husband. It is actually killing me to watch. Just let it go. Tell that man you call a husband that you ran late because of work. Tell him you had something important to do with your new boss. It’s the truth, isn’t it?"

"He is not going to listen! Don't you get it?" I cry out, the desperation finally boiling over. "He is going to kill me, Selena. He just doesn't care about the truth or my job or anything else. He only cares about his own rules."

I suddenly feel the urge to cry, and it is so incredibly strong that it physically hurts. I turn my back to her and grit my teeth, trying to force the tears to stay down. My chest feels tight, like a giant hand is squeezing my lungs. "He won't listen," I whisper to the wall. "He never listens."

Selena remains silent behind me for a moment. The only sound in the hallway is the distant hum of the office and my own jagged breathing. Soon, I feel her moving closer. She reaches out and hugs me from behind, resting her chin on my shoulder. It’s a small gesture of comfort, but I’m too far gone to really feel it.

"Relax," she murmurs. "Breathe, Aria. All will be well."

"All is not going to be well," I argue, shaking my head. "Why is he torturing me like this? Both of them. I have a feeling that my stay at this work will no longer be as good as I imagined it. The boss just wants to punish me. He wants to see me suffer."

Selena sighs again, her breath warm against my neck. Before she can say anything else, my phone pings in my hand. The vibration feels like an electric shock. I look down at the screen. It’s Daniel again. My heart does a sickening flip.

"I can't do this," I say, pulling away from Selena's hug. I start walking past her, my mind finally made up.

She turns around, her eyes wide with surprise. "What are you doing, Aria?"

"Does it matter?" I ask, not stopping.

"Aria, stop!"

"I am screwed either way, Selena," I say, looking back at her for one last second. "I am in trouble if I stay, and I am in trouble if I go. But I’d rather pick the one that doesn't end with me being killed. I am going home. Tell the boss to find someone else to take my place for his 'important obligation.' You can take my place. If he fires me tomorrow morning, then so be it. I have to survive the night first."

"Aria!" Selena calls out, her voice echoing down the hall. I don't stop. I don't even look back. "You are making a very big mistake!"

I practically run back to the main office. I grab my purse and my coat, ignoring the curious looks from the few coworkers who are still at their desks. I don't look toward Adrian’s office. I don't want to see him. I head straight for the elevators and press the button repeatedly until the doors slide open.

When I reach the parking garage, I find my car and peel out of the space. I rush toward the exit, my hands gripping the steering wheel so hard they hurt.

God, I am so screwed, I think to myself as I glance at my wristwatch.

Daniel said five minutes. Just five minutes to get across the city. It was a wicked demand, an impossible task designed to make me fail. But a small, naive part of me hopes that if I can make it home as fast as possible, he might spare me. Maybe he’ll see that I tried. But as I look at the clock again, I realize it has been way past thirty minutes since he called.

"Oh God," I whisper, tears finally blurring my vision as I swerve onto the main road. "Please, just let him be in a good mood. Just this once."

I finally pull into the entrance of the large, gated estate. My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears, a rhythmic thumping that matches the ticking of the clock. I park the car in the garage, but I’m moving so fast I almost forget to turn off the engine. I step out and rush into the building, my heels clicking frantically on the marble floors of the foyer.

The silence inside the mansion is torturing. It is deathly quiet, which feels completely wrong. Usually, when Daniel is this angry, I can hear him before I even see him. He should be shouting or cursing or pacing about visibly. The stillness makes the hair on my arms stand up.

I gulp, trying to find my voice. "Honey?" I call out. It comes out raspy and weak.

No response.

I swallow again, my throat feeling like it’s filled with sand. "Babe? I'm home."

Still no response. The house feels cold and empty, yet I know he is here. I can feel his presence like a dark shadow lurking in the corners.

"Why did it take you so long?"

His voice takes me completely off guard. I spin around immediately, my heart leaping into my throat.

He is seated on one of the long velvet sofas in the shadows of the living room. The light from the hallway only hits half of his face, and God help me, he does not look pleased. His eyes are dark, fixed on me with a cold, steady gaze that makes my blood run cold.

I gulp, trying to force a smile onto my face. I take a slow, hesitant step toward him. "Hey, babe," I say, my voice trembling. "I... I came right away, just like you asked. I moved as fast as I could, but the traffic was—"

"On your knees."

My heart drops. Shit. I hate it when he says that.

The command is quiet, but it carries a terrifying weight. I know exactly what it means. It means trouble. It means retribution. It means I am going to pay for every second I was late. I look at the hard floor and then back at his face, seeing no mercy in his expression. I just know I am doomed.