chapter four

**Emily Parker's POV**

I struggled not to open my eyes and realize the grave mistake I had made. Attempting to move my weak body, each inch of it ached terribly. It felt as if I had been run over by a car, yet in reality, I had merely endured a severe beating from my husband.

It took a few seconds to comprehend that I was in a cold, damp place. Slowly opening my eyes, I hoped the sun would shine on my face, but there was no sunlight; nothing illuminated that dirty space. Rising from the cold floor, I walked toward a door on my right. I turned the handle forcefully, attempting to open it, but it remained locked.

"What's happening?" I asked myself, recollecting that I had tried to eliminate Los Angeles's most prominent mobster, responsible for the city's primary betting houses, feared by all.

Observing my bruised body, my heart raced. Completely purple, the image of his once-joyful smile now invoked fear. Trying to kill him, I realized, had signed my death warrant, and I could expect nothing but a slow and painful demise.

The sound of footsteps descending a probable staircase sent shivers down my spine. As the door was unlocked, revealing what I anticipated, my blood ran cold, and I collapsed on the ground, attempting to distance myself.

"Expecting to find me in a coffin?" he said sarcastically, his eyes filled with rage.

"I'm not guilty of this, Tyler!" I murmured weakly, making an effort to speak.

"That's not how it looks!" he growled, pointing to his bandaged arm. "Did you really think you could kill me? Have you gone mad? Forgot what I can do to you?" he shouted angrily.

He approached me, pulling my hair and forcing me to look at him.

"Stay away from me!" I said, trying to push him.

"Look at you, Emily, so weak and useless! Unable to defend yourself!" he spat on my face, throwing me to the floor forcefully, ignoring my injuries.

"Where did the man I married go?" I asked, tears in my eyes, not understanding why everything between us changed suddenly.

"You shouldn't try to understand what's not your business, Emily Parker!" he squatted to get closer to me.

"How is it, not my business? You made me believe that our marriage wasn't just a piece of paper and made me fall in love with you. I believed you would protect me and my family! Every night, I saw you come home with a different woman. We slept in separate rooms, and you hit me. You're slowly killing me in this house, and you don't care!" I cried, wanting to unload all the pain in me.

"If it weren't for me, you and your family would be dead. And how do you thank me? By trying to put a bullet in my chest. You made a big mistake trying to do that, Emily and your mistake is unforgivable!" he said seriously.

"And what are you going to do, powerful Tyler Mitchell? Lock me in this filthy basement forever? Finish this quickly and ask for a divorce, abandon me, leave me on the road alone, or throw me off a cliff. Anyway, I know how to take care of myself!" I shrugged, not caring.

"Letting you go freely, with a divorce letter, after trying to kill me?" he laughed ironically. "That will never happen!"

"You can't keep me here forever!" I tried to get up and run away, but he grabbed my ankle, pulling me. I fell to the floor again, but this time my mouth was bleeding.

He said nothing, just pulled me close, and stared at me for a few seconds.

"Do you want me to touch you again, sweetie?" his hands wrapped around my body, and suddenly his lips touched mine. I tried to break free, but it was useless.

One of his hands grabbed my hair and started pulling forcefully. I felt a tear roll down my face.

"You're not in a fairy tale, Emily. From now on, I own you, and you will obey my rules!" he spoke, trying to remove some hair strands that were over my eyes.

"I will never obey you, Tyler, never!" I spat in his face with force.

"Yes, you will, you know why? I know where your parents are hiding, and to put a bullet in your mother's head and stab your father's chest costs me absolutely nothing, you stupid bitch!" he said harshly, indifferent to my pain.

"Why are you doing this? And what does all this mean to you?" I asked confused, trying to understand what happened to the kind man I married.

"The first rule is: stop asking stupid questions and obey slut. Unfortunately, you've already broken the first rule!" he smirked maliciously. With that said, he began dragging me by the hair across that filthy floor. I felt the worst pain I had ever experienced in my life. I started screaming, and the more I screamed, the harder he pulled, treating me like an animal.

We went up the stairs; I think I had fractured every bone in my body. Tyler pulled me up and stood me on my feet, still holding my hair, took me to the kitchen, and threw me on the floor.

In a matter of seconds, Tyler began throwing all the dishes on the floor. Everything in his path went crashing down. There was glass and food everywhere; the kitchen was a mess.

"You have half an hour to clean all of this, and in case you try to escape or do anything, think about the guards and your parents. Half an hour, sweetheart!" he winked at me mockingly. "I hope you know how to be a better housewife than you are in bed. If it's not clean when I come back, the consequences won't be pleasant."

I wanted to scream; I wanted to run away; I wanted to grab a knife there and not miss this time, but there was no way out, not even death, as he wasn't foolish and had called a guard to watch over me. No matter how much I loved him, now all I felt for him was disgust and fear.

The pain radiated throughout my body, and blood streamed, marking the trail of a hellish night. The security guard, Luke, assisted me in getting up from the floor, but fear immediately made me recoil.

"It won't help much if you stay sprawled on the floor!" said Luke, trying to support me, while Emma rushed to call a doctor.

I stared at him. His features revealed advanced maturity, around thirty years old. "Go run and tell your boss that I can't get up! He's beaten me so much that it probably won't hurt anymore," I retorted, pulling my arm with the little strength I had left.

"The others were right; you're too spoiled and arrogant. Even in an unfavorable position, you can't stop challenging me," he commented, grabbing a first aid kit.

Why was he helping me? The question echoed in my mind, but Luke began to tend to the wounds on my face before I could ask. "Tyler can't force me to stay here. I'll pack my things and run away!" I announced, trying to stand up angrily.

"What are you going to do? Sleep with your husband's security guards so they let you pass? Believe me, no one in this place would betray Tyler Mitchell for absolutely nothing," he replied, blocking my way.

"Would you betray him?" I asked, suspicious.

"Emily, you look horrible. The last thing you should do now is try to seduce me. Your face is a mess," he chuckled, his expression betraying disappointment.

"I'm not going to stay here waiting for him to arrive. I know how to defend myself. I just need a weapon!" I grumbled.

"Sure, especially since your aim is excellent," he mocked, handing me a broom. "Here, take this and start cleaning. In case you're not afraid of your husband, even after he nearly beat you to death. I am."

"How do you expect me to clean all this? I can barely stand..." I pushed the broom aside.

"I'm trying to be nice, Emily. Take the broom and clean it. In case you're not afraid of your husband, even after he nearly beat you to death. I am," he concluded, his sarcastic tone echoing through the room.

I began to sweep the shards of glass on the floor. Every step I took felt like my body would collapse. I realized that the security guard had started to help me, and I wondered what had motivated him to do so; perhaps he felt pity for my situation.

"I heard your parents are in Mexico; why didn't you go with them?" he asked curiously.

"It's complicated!" I swallowed hard, regretting my decision a few months ago when my parents asked if I wanted to join them on a vacation trip. I should have gone with them.

"You loved him, didn't you?" he asked again, raising his eyebrows.

Before I could answer, my body shuddered when I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. I only returned to normal when I saw Emma with two more women.

"Take the girl for a bath!" she said.

"Ma'am, I can't do that!" he replied honestly.

"Your boss won't know, Luke; take her!" she insisted.

"Come on, Emily!" Luke picked me up and we left the kitchen.

"Aren't you afraid of bathing your boss's wife?" I asked curiously.

"I'm afraid of the housekeeper; everyone says she's a witch, a disgusting sorceress..." he mocked, and I laughed for the first time.

We started climbing the stairs, but I couldn't get past the first step, so he carried me to my room.

"Go into the bathroom and be quick. I'll wait for you here!" he said, sitting on the bed and turning away so as not to see me naked. As I undressed, I avoided looking at myself in the mirror again. I knew I was destroyed, and at this moment, only the hot water in the bathtub could make my body able to relax.

After a relaxing bath, I descended the stairs with Luke's assistance, awaiting my husband's return in the living room. It was already late at night, and Tyler still hadn't arrived. A part of me felt relieved and secure, but another part wanted to die knowing that he was probably enjoying himself with some stupid bimbo. Luke and I were sitting on the living room sofa, watching a movie that I wasn't paying the slightest attention to.

"I can't believe it!" Luke exclaimed, observing my expression.

"What is it?" I asked, grumpy, rolling my eyes in annoyance.

"Are you jealous because Tyler hasn't come home yet and is probably having fun with some stupid bimbo out there?" he shrugged, indifferent.

"What? Of course not!" I snapped, irritated.

"Be honest, Emily. Even after everything, you still love him!"

When he said that, I tried not to take it to heart, but it was impossible. I married Tyler and became interested in him from the first moment I saw him, and now here I am, covered in bruises, while he takes a bullet to the arm. I never imagined my married life would be like this.

The pains in my body had subsided with the various medications Emma gave me, but there was one pain that didn't go away and was only increasing; it was like a cramp, only stronger.

"Emily, are you okay?" Luke asked, noticing that I looked a bit pale.

"I think not. I have a very strong cramp, and normally, I don't get cramps," I said, trying to get up, and that's when I realized I was bleeding, bleeding a lot.

"Oh my God, you need a pad!" Luke said alarmed at the amount of blood coming from between my legs.

"No, you idiot, I need a doctor!" I said, sitting back down, feeling dizzy and weak.

"Emma! Mrs. Parker is feeling unwell!" Luke shouted desperately as he saw me almost fainting in his arms.

"Emma, I need to go to a hospital urgently!" my voice came out faltering, and I almost had no strength left to speak.

"I know, girl. Hold on, I'll call Tyler immediately!" she said, picking up the phone from the table.

I can't believe I heard that. I was losing a lot of blood, and she would ask Tyler for permission to take me to the doctor, even knowing that I was about to have a hemorrhage.