Janet POV

There was a knock on the door. I stayed quiet.

The door opened. A maid walked in, she carried a black dress. She didn’t look at me, she just placed it on the bed, then turned to me.

“Mr. Chris wants you down for dinner.”

I said nothing. I just stared at the floor hopelessly.

She waited a moment, then left. I still didn't move. Let him wait, let him eat alone. I didn't care.

A few minutes later, she came back and was surprised to still see me lying on the bed. She looked scared.

“Please,” she whispered. “You must dress up and go now, before Mr. Chris gets angry.”

I turned and looked at her and then looked away, like I didn't care about what she was saying, because truthfully, I didn't care.

She dropped her voice. “Please, you don't want to make him angry, because when he gets angry… It's really bad, things break and people get hurt.”

My heart sank. I became a little bit afraid.

“You have five minutes Ma, to go downstairs,” she said. “It is your choice.”

She opened the door and left again. I stared at the dress, It was soft and black. But on me, it felt like chains.

Fear made me move. I changed slowly, my hands shook as I unzipped the gown and put it on. I opened the door to walk down, but my legs felt heavy.

I moved through the house, with my footsteps tapping on the marble. It was silent, as though nobody was in it.

At the foot of the stair stood a guard. He looked at me as I went down, but I did not look back.

The dining room was candelit. There was meat and bread and wine and fruit on the table. It smelled rich, but my stomach hurt... maybe from fear.

Chris sat at the head of the table. He was calm. He was holding a glass of wine, and without looking up he said, “You are late.”

I said nothing, I only stood there looking at him.

He pointed to a chair. “Sit.”

I hesitated a moment, thinking whether I would obey him or not. Then at last I sat down. My hands were clasped on my knees.

He commanded the servant to pour me some wine, but I did not drink, I gazed at it only and turned my face away.

He continued to eat quietly, slowly. Like this was normal. But It was not normal.

How can anyone stand someone like this? This man is a monster.

But it's not his fault, it's life that has kept me in this condition. If life had dealt me a better card, I wouldn't be here.

All my life, I have never experienced love. My father never loved me. He wanted a boy, not me. “You are no use,” he would say. "You are just a waste of energy and space." He disliked everything about me, and he never hid it. He saw me as a thing, something of no value. When my mates were in school, I was working to bring money to the house.

My mother on the other hand, left when I was little. I barely remember her. Obviously, she didn't love or want me either. No mother who loves her child will ever leave.

When I turned 18, I met James. He was everything I dreamed of. He showed me love, attention, and care. At that same time, my father made a deal with Mr Chris, selling me off for his business.

When I heard about it and told James, he suggested we elope. I didn't even argue, I agreed immediately. That night, we eloped and started living as husband and wife.

Only if I had known...

“You are not eating,” Chris said calmly, cutting through my thoughts.

“I am not hungry," I replied rudely.

He wiped his mouth slowly, he leaned back on his chair, and just stared at me for a while, and then finally he spoke “Eat.”

"I said, I'm not hungry," I screamed, rolling my eyes.

"You will eat when I ask you to," he ordered hitting his fist on the table.

I looked at him and yelled, “You do not control me," my eyes widened like I could fight him.

He stood up gently and walked around the table. His steps were quiet but strong.

He stopped at my side and then leaned close to me, his hand gripped my lower jaw. “Nobody. I repeat nobody defiles me. Now pick up the fork, open your mouth, and start eating. You don't want to test me." With that, he yanked his hands off my jaw.

His eyes were cold, I was afraid of what he was capable of doing to me. I instantly grabbed the fork and began to push myself to eat. I felt like crying but tried as much as I could to hold it. I cannot cry in front of him, I cannot show him that he is destroying me.

He grinned, "Good girl, it wasn t that difficult, was it?"

I wanted to scream, scratch his face, but all I could do was to eat, just fill my mouth with food.

I felt humiliated, powerless. I felt like a toy. "Was I really just a thing? Did Chris truly own me?" I thought silently.

When I was done, he ordered me to go to my room, saying, "Tomorrow is going to be very busy for you. Get all the rest you can tonight."

I stood up quietly like a puppet, I didn't cry, I just...moved. I was shaking inside, I walked so carefully not to fall from fear

Once I got back into my room, I closed the door, fell on the ground, crying. I believed I was strong, I believed I could resist him, but I felt like I was losing myself and I did not know what to do.

I felt insignificant at the dinner table. I knew he was dangerous, but I did not know how dangerous Chris could be, and the look he gave me when I defied him, as though he would hurt me.

I need to toughen up, if not this monster will just consume me. I need to learn how to fight for myself. I'm tired of everyone trying to use me.

I thought I just needed to survive this one year, but now I know I need to fight. And for me to win this, I needed to be smart, I needed to act the fool.

I stood up and paced around my room. Then I froze, replaying his last words.

"Tomorrow will be very busy for you."

What did he mean by that?

What exactly is he planning?

And why… why did he buy me twice?