| A harsh reality |

"Eve!" He yelled, but not harsh. I groaned opening my eyes and looking at the flowers in his hand. " Sorry I was gone for long. I know it must have angered you that didn't bother calling-"

"No it didn't, Now can I go sleep?" I asked, His frown very visible. There was something wrong with him, I could smell the alcohol on him.

"No-No-I just wanna make you happy. I wanted you to have some time alone. Cool your anger down. Then maybe you can talk to me. These are for you"

"You leaving when I am angry isn't going to help cool it down. And you are no one to give me flowers. It would be an insult to them" I said looking away and grabbing the sheet to fall back asleep very he stood up. His eyes were on the ground as he kept the flowers on the desk near me.

When I thought he was done. When I finally thought he was done.

"You shouldn't make me angry like this Evey," He said. I flinch at the hand coming towards me and I shift back but he grabbed my face in his one hand. The next minute I was kissed without my consent.

I tried.

I tried to push myself. Shove him out my way, kick him and run. But he was too strong. I didn't give up, pushing him back as he threw his clothes away holding my hands while my legs kicked his stomach but he didn't even budge.

He was drunk. But I couldn't even push him off. I was pathetic.

He dug his fingers in my neck and hands, trying to hold me back. It burned, It was painful. His fingers felt like they would break my wrist in half.

"Stop-"I cried as he dug his nails deeper in my neck.

"Maximilian! Do you realize what you are doing !? You are trying to rape me! You have to stop !!!" I yelled the sudden jerk I gave to his chest stopped him in his tracks. As he stared at me. His eyes falling down to my body which was half bare.

I saw that shocked face on him as he got up pushing the sheets on me.

"I am sorry, Evey I am so sorry" I didn't raise how badly I was crying, my voice cried out as the tears fell. All I do was stare at the man who got on his knees near the bed and beg for forgiveness.

"I will leave, I am sorry, I am sorry, I was drunk Eve, I am sorry-" He said looking at the ground. I just stood up walking to the bathroom. I thought of nothing. Said nothing. Did nothing but sit in that bathtub under hot water for what felt like hours. No amount of sorry's could fix the deep red tint over my hands and neck.

Nothing could wash away my memory and those scratches I got from him.

I was falling asleep. I didn't wanna leave, even though I heard the door slam close the minute I walked into this bathroom.

It took me a while, to understand that he at least stopped. He stopped, apologized. That was all that mattered. I would never forgive him. But At least he stopped. I would have killed myself right there.

I wasn't traumatized. I was fine, I was in shock, I was scared for my life because of this. If he could go so far drunk, I wouldn't know what would happen next time.

I didn't see him in the house. As I peeked down the stairs, In the hall. The rooms. The kitchen. I was alone. Opening the extra guest room the house had, which contained a small closet, a large window with a seat, a small couch with some untouched old furniture he didn't change.

Grabbing all my clothes and tossing them in that closet I rearranged the furniture and cleaned that room in the middle of the night till three and fell asleep on the couch.

The house may be my prison, But it was a good house. It was convenient to move around. I had a bathroom right next to me in the guest room. I didn't wish to see anyone. This was my perfect getaway. I planned on going shopping, buy things I would distract my mind with, and stay cooped up in here till I got the courage to face things.

I picked up the cell at the end of the staircase calling the guard outside.

"Is Maximilian out?" I got a yes with the timing.

"I need to go out and buy somethings" I got another yes, soon the front door opened.

"I need to head to the mall" The guard frowned looking at me, "It's okay, I can ask him" I started but he shook his head. "No, we are told you could go out but I will need to accompany you " I just nod sitting in the car.

The week after our honeymoon, he gave me a card asking me to spend it however I wished to.

So something came in handy from him.

I bought a small bed, things I found pretty, clothes. Things I didn't need, things I needed. Hell, I found crayons I liked so I bought a children's drawing book. Anything to get my head off the things that happened to me.

The week after our honeymoon, he gave me a card asking me to spend it however I wished to.

So something came in handy from him.

I bought a small bed, things I found pretty, clothes. Things I didn't need, things I needed. Hell, I found crayons I liked so I bought a children's drawing book. Anything to get my head off the things that happened to me.

The first week I heard nothing from him. He never came back after that night for a week. That turned into the guard letting me know he would be out on a business trip for two weeks and he send a cook to make meals for me.

The first week was me drawing, in a children's book. Like a child. Painting flowers. Decorating that guest room for no reason.

It turned into my cleaning and decorating the living room, the kitchen, Guest bathroom, The backyard. But I didn't dare touch that knob of the room I slept in once.

It was like I was abandoned. But everyone. The loneliness kicked in the second week. The realization that the world I was forced into by my two greatest enemies was never gonna accepted by me. It was never gonna get better. I felt stupid for trying to make it better, me doing that was only gonna make me kill myself more.

I freeze stoping my needlework as I heard the front door open.

"Eve" I heard a voice. It wasn't him. "Where is she?" That woman asked. I gulp walking out to see her on the couch. "What are you doing here?" She stared at me, She always gave me that weird look. " I see he isn't home. I wouldn't be surprised if he is tried of you already"

I smiled leaning on the door looking at Margret, his mother.

"Ya well, why hasn't he divorced me yet then? I was waiting for it, even bought an expensive pen"

She looked away sighting.

"I never wanted you as his wife"

"You forgot I ran away from my own wedding?" She rose her eyebrows staring at her phone screen as she typed away. She then stopped and looked at me. "You have to come to a family reunion today. I suppose my son is out the town so he will make it there himself. I came to get you to cause obviously, you seem like you haven't been given any sort of communication-"

She stopped staring at me.

I rose my eyebrows at her as she kept staring at me.

"I understand you hate your life but trying to kill yourself is another thing" She whispered. I wondered what she meant when the sudden realization of my bare neck hit me. My hand immediately touching the fresh scar which was once red but had turned brown.

I cleared my throat stepping back as she stood up walking to me.

"Pathetic! You think you can taint my family's name by kill yourselves so Max gets blamed!" She said pushing my hand out the way, I was about to yell back at her when as froze.

The finger marks are quite visible to me. I wondered how much pressure that man applied to create marks on my skin. Because all I could think was a death that night. Mine or his.

"Did-" I had finally moved away from her and lost my patience.

"I wanna be left alone," I said. She kept staring at my neck. Never moved.

"Please don't tell me he did this" She whispered. "Fine, I won't" I replied. She stares at me with such disbelief in her eyes. "It did to me, Happy? Your son's reputation won't be tainted. So can I at least get the peace I deserve for all this?"

She cleared her throat looking away.