********
P.O.V. Ines
3 days before Shawn comes home, Day 1
The little maid lead me as I followed behind her lazily my heels clicking steadily on the tiles
"Walk in a way I don't have to hear all that crap" she snapped at me in an authoritative tone and I looked at her bewildered like I just found a specie of something stupid
I opened my mouth to speak and closed it speechless, she continued walking and I followed her, my pace still the same, she pushed open a door, a laid average size bed was in there, I walked inside and immediately frowned, the mattrass was the only furniture, there was a bathroom though and I walked in switching on the light, there was a lone white toilet and then an old bath tub, that's when I realized I'm in the servants quarters
"In the morning your task will be handed to you by the matron, good night"
"Wait, how about a change of clothes, I can't sleep in this" I asked disregarding her matron nonsense mesage, she must've been talking to the ghost in the room
"If you weren't out being a whore you would have something warmer to sleep in"
I totally agreed with what she said, since the whole kidnap charade this dress had been nothing but a short coming and now I'd have to sleep cold
"I'll take that as a no" I said calmly "Are there video cameras in this room?"
"No" she said and walked away leaving the door open as she walked out, I walked up to the door and found out there was no lock, this should've been 2:00AM by now, I trusted my instinct with time, cause I had no other way of knowing, but by now I knew there was no sleep coming because I didn't trust anyone here and the door wasn't locked, I didn't trust the maid saying there were no cameras, there was probably a camera in her toilet seat that would watch her ass hole shoot a shit, the thought of it made me shudder, I would guard against urinating but I was not gon ease myself on my body
I walk up to the door again and took off my pretty jewelery chain, using it's strength I wrapped the door bolt together about six times so it was difficult to come in without making noise, a little noise was enough to get me alert, for extra protecting I pushed a chair to block the door, then I checked the windows and they were secured, matter of fact they look like they had never been open before, lastly I turned off the lights hoping the red lights of the camera would flow in the dark but none of that happened, with all that in place I inspected the bed and when I confirmed it was clean I slept on it, I don't understand why I was bothered about cold, the room temperature was alright.
The next morning, around what I'd call 7am because the sun just signed in for work, there was banging on my door and I was startled out of my peaceful sleep, groggy from having only half a night of sleep I sat up touching my hair, it was now poofy and I knew it was going back to it's original state, annoyed, I was about to yell but I held back, getting up I untangled my jewelery lock mess and the door opened revealing another lady, tall, strong looking my still a maid
"What's up? is there a war outside?"
"It's time for you to clean up this house" she said begrudginly like I hurt her and I raise a brow
"Didn't your house master tell you guys I was the mistress of this house?"
"Mistress my ass get to work, he said he found someone he wanted us to give hell to, we are just following orders"
"The only part that makes your day right" I said walking out of the room gently, but she pushed me and I staggered trying to maintain my balance
"You bet" she said and it confirmed these women were not girls girls, today was gon be a bad day for me, tomorrow would be a bad day for them if I find out they aren't pretending and they're genuinely this wicked, and next tomorrow if I don't find a way out of this mansion and Shawn meets me here well…
I got down the flight of stair with the witch following behind, she gave me equipments to clean, thankfully I wasn't oblivious to chores since I lived in an apartment and Vivian reasoned that I be the house maid since she's the protector. Down the stairs there were house suppliances everywhere and about four women, the silly one I met yesterday, the one who called me this morning, a scared little leaf and a pregnant one, I stood by them, the woman shared duties, gave the little leaf girl the role of my assistance as punishment, we were clean the whole mansion alone, the pregnant lady was ofcourse excused for her stomach, and as she passed by me she spat on my face, disgusted I turned to her and she said
"It's the hormones" and walked away and the women except the leaf laughed, I dragged her by her maid outfit and wiped my face, I wanted to give her a slap but i'd pass, she looked at me stunned at my move and hissed, then the lady who woke me slapped me across the face, and before I knew it, I was writhing in pain, I was shoxked by a teaser, I was in disbelief as I sat on the floor assaulted
"Who doesn't know you can fight here? that's why we have to take other measures, your fight back is only fun."
They giggled and I wondered what was funny, the dainty girl with me last night I'll call her small witch and I'll call the one I met in the morning big witch, and I'll call the pregnant one, mortality, because I planned to take her pregnancy a step further , so the small witch kicked me hard in the side telling me to get up, I got up slowly this time carefully analysing everyone for weapons, I didn't want another shocking thing.
"Apologise to her" they demanded and i looked at the pregnant lady, and honestly I owed her an apology
"I'm sorry" I said and they felt like I'd finally become docile "For you" I completed 'I'm sorry for that baby even more, and the father of that child should be killed.' I reasoned in my head
"You bitch" she said aiming to slap me, I dodged and the little leaf girl got it, in return I was shocked again but I couldn't help my laugh this time, a laugh that died with the current.
*****
2 hours into cleaning the mansion with half litter of blood I started the day with gone because of getting shocked, half my strength also gone because they did offer a meal but Iwasn't buying their gimmick so I turned it down with plans of visiting the kitchen myself, and also the leaf girl whose named turned out to be Maya being very helpful and quiet, and me mapping every corner of the mansion with which i'd lay me devious traps in tomorrow, cleaning across the rooms I met Hope in the building and as always we had a short insightful conversation
"Hey, sneak in a snake when you comeback today, non-poisonus, and any drug that would induce weakness for me"
"The fuck you need that for"
"You'll see" I said ending the conversation with a slap to show I was not on her side and pissed she came to attack me but I caught her hands holding it behind her back, whispering in her ears I said "Hope, I haven't eaten since morning, if you hit me, I would faint cut me some slack, I'm sorry" I said and nudged her forward slightly letting her go, she huffed and left the room, I heaved and walked up to Maya
"Do tell me you all are just pretending to be wicked to me, you know to spite Shawn, and I can really have a meal safely" when I said it she chuckled
"You shot Trisha in the head, they'd poison you to death if Shawn didn't need you" she responded, stunned speechless I looked at her, Trisha was the second person I ever killed, at the site of my kidnap, and now I didn't know if I had to regret it, it was stupid of me to think her life wasn't important
"So, you feel bad for Trisha too? but then why are they punishing you"
"I have always been maltreated by all of them, this place is a hell hole, I'm quite thankful you killed Trisha, you took one of my nightmares away"
"Aren't you scared of telling me all this, won't they get you, they're probably watching us by now"
"I'm probably going to get killed this evening, and another poor girl from the factory will replace me, you see I can't live up to who they are that's why I'm here, my morals won't allow it"
The more she talked the more confused I got, I stared at her, she was blonde, also a black girl, an albino, her green eye shook like light tremors while she spoke "The women here, all of them are victims, The pregnant one was impregnanted by one of Shawn's men, he took her in and decided to spend on her, now she feels lucky, if she didn't accept she could've been raped, but her choice makes her feel less of a victim and more of an heiress"
"And the rest of them?"
"They're just women who'd do anything to survive"
"And you aren't?"
"I'm not" she said looking down at the rag in her hands "But… if you can please take me out of here" when she looked up, her orbs glistened with the tears that were at the rims of her eyes; I wasn't one to be moved by tears, I had heard enough pleading for the safety of people in my life time; I thought of many things that one she's hypocritic, begging me to help her but saying she doesn't fight for survival, even I would fight for survival, but unlike the pregnant lady I won't be a prideful victim, and also how was I sure she wasn't just cooking up a story, again in my lifetime adult fell at my feet begging on their knees, to help their loved ones get out the grip of my father then with compassion to help them, they turned, around kidnapped me, and tried to kill me, they were never begging for their loved ones to be free their loved ones were already dead, instead they were begging me to be a sacrifice for their closure, to avenge the life that was lost in a mafia procedure; it was sad, but unlike a sailor and their ship I was trained to never be a sacrifice and that's my rule number 4, so to hell with my father's people, I wasn't going to marry a piece of shit for their sake, they were grown men and they could handle their crap themselve, in that I chose not to believe Maya, because although the eyes never lied, there was nothing the mafia didn't master, take me for example scared of Shawn but insulted him nonetheless, that's why I am wicked.
You can't be the daughter of a mafia man and be kind, that's stupid.
The door opened with the big and small witch walking in, the big witch grabbed Maya by her golden bun and dragged it, her yelp sending me out of my thoughts, what was going on?
"The walls have ears you know?" the big witch said and I itched to ask if it was the microphone just pinned unnoticeable at the right corner of the wall but I didn't say nothing
"So if I didn't kill Trisha, you guys would've been girls girls?" I asked playfully
"A bitch is a bitch, what's different with you is you proved you were one" The small witch said "You see Maya here didn't kill anyone, nevertheless, we will kill her"
"After torture ofcourse" Mortality said walking in "A victim? you think you're better than us and that's why I have fun breaking every shit in you" she said moving to Maya "Bring her" she said to the two as they dragged scared Maya out
"Wanna watch a trailer of what you're next in line for?" Small witch said and I thought to myself, this was only just a planned charade, now they'd be distracted, I'd rather cook a meal
"I'll pass" I said picking a hair pin that fell on the floor from Maya's neat bun in the midst of the crisis
"She doesn't like spoilers" the little witch joked; a good one i'd say, and they left with Maya who gave me a last 'help me' glance, shutting and locking the room from outside
'What an outstanding performance' I thought sacrcastically, sighing I got up from the floor after a few minutes, picked the lock and left the room, heading down to the kitchen I locked myself inside and with the ingredients I made the most aromatic meal ever; I dared! a few moments after I was done cooking, there was a light knock on the door I opened the door so casually I berated myself for being so stupid, luckily for me, it was just Hope walking in with a black bag and I knew she got all my booby traps for me, soon, on the other door there door handle was twitching violently to open and when the person at the other side met a hindrance they started banging, it was the witches; all of them, I rolled my eyes
"How dare you idiot?" They screamed as I rushed to gobble my hot food, it tasted like crap but I was hungry, the aroma was right, but the taste was evident of my lack of culinary skills. Hope looked at me amused, as I emptied the pot and dumped everything hot in cold water, cleaning the place hastily, and saying softly
"Hope you know Maya?"
"Yeah?"
"Please help her, oh, and open the door" and she did, walking out; something I adored about Hope was that she had no presence, she was the sneakiest person alive.
I was now face to face with the witches, I didn't know what to do but fortunately or not another prim and proper lady walked in from the door I had opened for Hope, a hero?
"What's going on here?"
"Just speaking to the house mistress" they said and i nodded
"House mistress?, leave. All of you" she said and they left, it was just me and her and I sighed
She chuckled and I knew at that moment, I had one more boobie trap to set, i perceived a moron situation coming up
"Who do you think you are, what's in your body that i don't have, why should Shawn look at someone like you?" My hate for k dramas put me in one
"How much are you willing to give me to leave him" I said
"You don't need to, in no time he will shove you to the side, look at you, you look poor, like a slave, whose dress did you borrow"
"I see, you're his mistress" I said matter of fact "strutting into someone's matrimonial home without shame, go girl!" I cheered her with a big smile
"Is this how you cope with jealousy? Have this" she said reaching in her purse and taking out notes, throwing it at me she said "do buy a new dress, and leave Shawn"
"What is your name?" I bothered
"Veronica, if you do well I could employ you in my mansion or when Shawn and I get married"
"You know what Veronica" I said staring down at her money, "I'll give you 15,000 dollars monthly if you continue to keep his bed warm, make him so intoxicated with you so much that he'd forget my existence okay?"
She said nothing raising a brow at me
"But if you sleep with him and he comes to disturb me for any reason whatsoever." I ended there and walked out of the kitchen, happy one of them could keep their hands to themselves, when I entered my room the black bag Hope brought earlier was in there, while cleaning and assessing all the rooms, i figured where all the cameras where which was quite few, this place was new and that was good, I stayed in my room undisturbed till dawn, at dawn I snuck out of it spreading poison with every step of the way, I added poison in every cooking utensil, every spice in the kitchen and in their water source after that I went to meet Hope where she directed me to where Maya was.
In the dark of night, all we had to see Maya was a dim flashlight, the witches and the guards had gone for meal in the servants quarters or for whatever
"Is that what she said" Hope asked after I reiterated everything Maya said and I responded with a yes
"She's telling the truth, there's a factory I don't know about because it's top secret, but Maya has been maltreated here tones without number, so I just made a fire in one of the staff lounge that's where everyone is, it will buy us a little time"
"Okay" I said standing in front of her body, fresh wound marks decorated her skin quite literally, the razor marks were figures of leaves or a star or a stick figure, I was convinced now that it wasn't shenanigans "fuck, she's like a piece of art" I remarked
Maya hearing my voice started sobbing
"don't cry girl, I'll deal with them for you, and I'll get you out of here okay?"
"you don't even know how you're getting out" Hope said, her name didn't match her personality honestly
"True" I said "let's begin" we started rubbing a solution on each and every part of her body, it aggravated her wounds but she just had to bear with it, Hope had to cover her mouth, the solution could last for days and it stank! but then it repelled snakes
"Maya, next tomorrow we will come and get you, in the meantime try not to be scared, hold this" I said giving her the whole bottle of concoction "You're going to be the bravest you've ever been okay?" and she nodded , we poured a large circle around her with the solution then I gave a quick hand to her neck, knocking her unconscious when I was sure she was, I let out about 15 species of snakes and ran out of the room with Hope, closing it behind us, going to my room I bolted the door and slept like a baby, dreaming of a room that was previously infested with cockroaches but when you spray insecticide, you'd expect to open the door to see them dead and that's what I wanted.
*****
DAY 2 in Shawn's mansion
8am had pass and i rolled like a happy earthworm off my rickety bed, there was a knock on the door and i opened it to see Mortality
"The rest weren't around to wake you up so i thought i would, you've stayed in far too long"
"and you're not even scared" I said and giggled, "you've not thought, oh what happened to them?"
"They were torturing Maya all night" she said proudly
"I'm so glad to hear that!" I said with a wide grin "Shift aside" i said shoving her out of my path
"Are you nuts?" she yelled
"if your friend realized that sooner maybe they'd have tied me up with Maya, but you tied the harmless one and set the vile one free, is Maya a bad person I asked"
"Maya says she's a Christian, so we've been torturing her for every no she says, it's been a ride, but you!" she said pointing her weak fingers at me then suddenly bringing out the taser from behind her, but i was prepared so i got it from her, I pushed her into my room and locked her in there
"You see when you mentioned Maya was a Christian I got interested, cause I love me a Christian!" I said thinking of my date , I went back to the torture room opening the door, the snakes were on the floor probably dead or weak, also the witches were on the floor weak from poisons, I packed up the carcass of the animals killed by the solution i rubbed on Maya, and when i was done i dragged the weak bodies of the witches out and kept them in the living room, Veronica was on the couch, Mortality beside her, when she saw the bodies she screamed and Mortality was mortified
"What haven't you seen bodies before?"
"What the fuck is going on?" Veronica screamed again but i didn't respond instead i stared at the glass of water on the table
"Mortality, who did you drink from that glass of water?"
"Who the fuck are you calling Mortality? are you cursing me"
"its a blessing you don't know, no one needs a mother like you, that last woman who gave birth to a child in insanity was my mother, and look at me now playing with people's lives, now, did you drink that water?" i asked again
"So" she said and i smirked, "call the father of your child, or you and that baby will end up dead, it takes 2 hours for the drug to kick in"
"drug?" she said and started ventilating, soon she fumbled and made the call, the next thing three men came in the house, I recognised one as the man who frowned at Trisha's death
"What is the meaning of this?" he came in the room and roared, i was sitting on the couch crossing my legs
"You see, your wife there is on drugs, the kind that will take your babies life and hers respectively"
"You killed Trisha and now you want to take my woman, you bitch!" he said walking up to me but on his way he met with the obstacles of bodies on the floor
"Daniella, Crystal!" he said and the other men walked in pointing a gun at me "a life for a life"
I chuckled, my heart was beating the human nature is flawed afterall and they could kill me and disobey their bosses orders but I would still talk boldly
"They're not dead, here's the antidote for the kids on the floor, they started the torture first, electrocuting me, we've all had our fun" I said and paused observing one of his men drink a bottle of water and pass it to his friend who drank too
"Oh and for those two you'll need an antidote too, but there's no antidote on the table" I said imitating Dora the Explorer and the men behind paused
"You see every food and water here is contaminated, and the ones on the floor were bitten by snakes, and I've got the antidote for the snakes, gave it administer it to the small witch and big witch" i said rolling their saving grace roughly along the table as he caught it and rushed to administer it to them, they looked fine after a while the room enveloped in silence.
"Times ticking for you and your men, so listen carefully, that antidote wasn't everything and they'll be weak, I'll keep that with me to guarantee my safety, i want to be free, you'll have to lead me out of here" i said
"There's no such thing, all of us could die and the rest of the gang wouldn't care, instead they'll put you in a dungeon, we can't sneak you out the security is too tight and we will be caught"
"Okay, is there anyone watching the cameras now?"
"No we were in the control room"
"So you want to keep the lives of your comrades right"
"Yes" he said
"i understand you can't take me out of here because i am a VVIP, but how about Maya, if you tell me no, their lives should end today don't you think?"
"That damn Maya" Mortality said and i gave her the side eye
"Maya is the mafias toy, we can get her out of here"
"I'll give you an address, secretly drop Maya there and comeback with something big as a confirmation that you've been there, the faster you are the better, Maya is in the torture room, carry her out, i also need video evidence" i said and the man moved immediately, i gave him the location of the university, he would drop her in the garden were Vivian frequent, Maya was still unconcious while she was carried out and after an hour he came back with a flower
i confirmed it was from that garden, this flower grew were dead bodies were beneath; at least that's what Vivan told me, i gave him the antidote for his girlfriend and men, as much as they recovered immediately, Mortality was rushed to the hospital to do a whole body check up
Everyone was docile in the house now, Maya was gone, Hope was in God knows where, and I sat watching the witches and Veronica across the couch sitting obediently, I permitted them to watch Tv, suddenly I was truly the mistress of the house.
Day 3.
Shawn was coming back, I had eaten a few things I had kept away from the poison, the rest of them either starved or went to the servants quarters i didn't give a fuck instead i was wondering of one thousand ways i could die.
What smart thing would I do today to avoid Shawn come home and try to rip my dress open, my heart was filled with anxiety and dread for the hour that was to come, at this moment my brain was chanting murder him, I was sitting on the luxurious couch in Shawn's home, the servants tried pulling, that cliché oppressing the violated wife who can't speak for herself nonsense, but after what I did to them, they look at me with fresh fear liked they'd take any chance to poison me , Shawn must've heard of my passive-aggressive nature, so he'd come ready this night to defend himself if I tried killing him, and offend me all too terribly, so I didn't bother hiding a pin, a pen knife or a pen, at least I was wise even under this immense pressure, but how would I save myself? I thought looking at the dark decorations around me, the serenity that surrounded me, felt like this would be the last moment of peace I'd ever get, what would my father do as a mafia man? Why didn't he train me like a gang member, at least I would've been certain if there was really no hope for the hour to come.
"I'm home Ines" I heard that familiar taunting voice call out, shocked I snapped my head up wondering how I didn't hear him come in from being deep in my thoughts
"Shawn" I called out softly lying with a smile, as I got up abruptly rubbing my hands together in nervousness
"You look so happy to see me" he said coming fully through the door and a small witch holding his case behind his back; I would bet you a million euros that it was fetish, kinky kinds of stuff in there, this idiot was never out for anything deep; I stared at small witch blaming her for not telling me of his arrival but she cowered lowering her head and leaving "But before we get on whatever, I need you to meet a guest of mine" he said walking closer as I stepped back, I was in flight and fight mode
"I see you're aware of the things you've been doing lately" he said seeing my fearful demeanor, he snatched my wrist holding it tightly "Don't be scared, follow me, the time to deal with you is yet to come"
He sounded like a creep, I was disgusted with what he said, it was just; sick.
"Whose here?" I asked trying my best to mask all the emotions I let out earlier, as I followed his lead
"You will see, behave or I will kill you" he warned, I could've scoffed but he had the upper hand here; who was here to see me? I thought as he opened the door and my heart flipped.
"Mr. Christian, meet Ines" he said, introducing my savior to me as I gave him the brightest welcome smile
"Leave me to speak with her" he commanded and Shawn looked at him hesitantly but reluctantly left
"Crest baby!" I called like his name was fresh air "Welcome to my fiancé's house" I turned back to my goofy nature, it was a default of happiness, did he come to save me?
"Thank you" he said and chuckled "Come and sit beside me" he invited and I was beside him in no time
"You're two-timing, you know that," he said staring at all of me intensely; I knew he was talking about our date
"I know you know Shawn kidnapped me" I say and he chuckled "Please take me out of this hell hole" I begged
"I will if you do something"
"What?" I asked
"sign these papers" he said whipping out a few papers stapled together, and I glanced at the heading that read Matrimony, I frowned and I asked again like a fool
"What?!" …
"you heard me" he said
"So if i don't sign them you won't take me with you" I said taking the papers slowly to read them
"of course not" he said "but then it's something business related with Shawn, do it for me will you?"
"Christian Crest marriage is a big thing, you don't know me well and i don't know you"
"But do you trust me?"
"kind of" I said and he chuckled, he patted my head and said "Do you want revenge?" and in that second i imagined my eyes turning vermillion "Yes"
"Sign this, he messed with the wrong woman" he said and that's all i needed to sign and wish i could add my blood as a stamp
"Great, now we are husband and wife " he said smiling and I looked at him lost "Walk outside through that door and my men will take you to the car okay?" I wanted to argue but he said 'be good' and trembling i walked through the entrance he guided me, nobody stopped me i expected someone to but no one did, i saw the familiar Rolls Royce and I walked up to it the car door opening automatically and i sat in front nobody was inside, i sat for about an hour jittery waiting for someone to take me back into the mansion.
*****
"5 percent all yours" Christian said signing as Shawn stared at the gold plate
"What did you take in return?" Shawn asked excitedly
"My wife" he responded looking at nowhere and Shawn raised a brow, "your wife in this mansion?"
"Not anymore" he said "I shall take my leave" he walked out of the room as Shawn stared at his back, he looked on the table and saw two bottles that said, for the poisoning, he chuckled and walked back inside the house saying
"Ines where were we?" not seeing her he thought she was playing hide and seek
"Ines left with Christian" Reuben walked into the room saying Hope trailing behind him
"Excuse me?" Shawn said
"His wife is Ines" Reuben said and left with Hope again, Shawn angry went on a rampage, and when he saw Veronica cowered scared of his act, he took her and had angry sex with her
****