Echoes In The Silence

The lake house disappeared behind them like a fading nightmare, swallowed by trees and shadows. The ride back to the city was long and quiet. Kendrick drove in silence, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping a rhythm against the leather. The car was sleek, expensive, and quiet—too quiet. Every soft hum of the engine was louder than the thoughts spiraling inside Bekky's mind.

She sat in the back seat, staring out the tinted window. Her reflection stared back—pale, distant, unfamiliar. The bruises had started to heal, but the ache inside hadn't. It was like her soul had been hollowed out and left on that cold bed back at the lake house.

Her fingers clenched tightly in her lap, nails biting into her palms. She hadn't spoken a word since they left. Kendrick hadn't expected her to. He liked his silence. He liked knowing she was too broken to speak.

But she wasn't broken.

She was thinking.

And in her silence, her mind screamed.

What if I get pregnant?

The thought sliced through her like a blade. It had haunted her in the quiet moments..those nights he came into the room with cold eyes and cruel hands. She had lost count of the days. Of the times. Her body had been a battleground, and now, the idea that something might be growing inside her..this made her stomach twist in horror.

A child?

His child?

She couldn't bear it.

What would she do? What if she already was? Would he keep her even longer? Would he chain her to him forever with a child? Or worse… would he get rid of it, like it meant nothing?

A shiver rolled down her spine. She wanted to throw up.

She pressed her forehead against the cool glass and closed her eyes.

I'll take care of it, she told herself, if it comes to that. I'll fix it.

But the very idea left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Then another thought crept in, darker this time.

What if I poison him?

It was the first time she let herself really think about it. Not just a fleeting fantasy, but an actual plan. He trusted her now. At least enough to leave her alone sometimes. She made tea in the kitchen. She could add something. Just a few drops of something bitter and final.

She imagined it,him clutching his throat, gasping, eyes wide with confusion, with fear. Just like she had feared him. Dying slowly, painfully. Just like he deserved.

But then the fear hit her.

What if I get caught?

She'd be blamed. Of course she would. The young assistant. The victim who snapped. He was a billionaire. Respected. Powerful. Even in death, he'd win.

The thought was enough to make her chest tighten.

She hated this,this power he still held over her, even in her imagination.

The car pulled into the underground garage of Kendrick's penthouse building. Bekky sat still, frozen, until Kendrick came around and opened her door. He didn't offer his hand, didn't speak. He just waited, like she was some obedient thing he'd trained.

She stepped out slowly.

The city's air smelled different. Sharper. She hadn't seen the skyline in weeks, and for a second, she almost wept at the sight. But she didn't cry. Not for him.

Not anymore.

The elevator ride up to the penthouse was suffocating. She stood beside him, their bodies not touching, but his presence wrapped around her like barbed wire.

"You'll find your things in the guest room," he said smoothly. "I had the staff bring them back."

Guest room.

It was a joke. She hadn't been a guest since the day he laid hands on her.

The door opened to a space too polished, too pristine. White walls, marble floors, gold accents. It looked like something out of a magazine, not a home. It was cold, soulless just like him.

She walked inside and sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room, hands trembling. Everything looked untouched. Like she'd never left.

Her purse sat neatly on the dresser. Inside, her phone was gone again. Her access was limited. No freedom. Not yet.

She went to the bathroom, stared at herself in the mirror. The same question echoed: What if I'm pregnant?

She pressed her hand to her lower stomach. She didn't know how to tell. It was too soon. But her body had already betrayed her once. Could it betray her again?

Her mind spun with possibilities. Clinics. Pills. Escape routes. She needed answers. She needed to take control.

Back in the kitchen, Kendrick poured himself a drink.

"You should eat something," he said, not looking at her.

"I'm not hungry," she replied, her voice dry but steady.

He glanced at her then. A faint smile. "You're stronger than I expected."

She didn't respond. She only turned away and went back to her room.

But that night, as she lay awake, eyes wide in the darkness, she made a decision.

She wouldn't be his forever.

No matter what it took she'd find a way out.

Even if it meant becoming a monster just to survive him.

Even if it meant using poison.

Or lies.

Or seduction.

She'd play his game.

And one day soon, she'd win.