Chapter 12
ROSALIE
I could barely breathe as the tension in the air seemed to choke me, suffocating me with each passing second. Damien’s presence behind me, his sharp eyes boring into my back, sent waves of cold dread down my spine. His footsteps were deliberate, calculated, and with every one, my anxiety grew.
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I could feel his anger radiating off him, even before he said anything. The air seemed to thicken around us, making it harder to catch a proper breath. His voice, when it came, was low but laced with venom.
“So, what’s this, Rosalie?” Damien’s words hit me like a slap. “You think you can cheat on me with your little friend, Jake?”
I froze.
How did he know his name? My pulse shot through the roof, a knot of panic forming in my chest. I spun around quickly, my heart thundering. “What are you talking about?” My voice was strained, but I couldn’t let him accuse me without fighting back. “Jake’s just a friend, Damien,”
Damien scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “A friend?” He stepped closer, narrowing his eyes. “I saw you with him, Rosalie. I saw how you laughed with him, how you danced with him, how you looked at him with so much admiration. Like he meant the world to you. Do you think I’m blind?”
What? I never did any of those things!
I shook my head vigorously, my voice trembling as I tried to keep my composure. “Damien, you don’t understand. It was nothing. Jake is just a childhood friend. There is nothing more to it!”
“Nothing?” His words sliced through me like a blade with his hand gripping unto mine. “You think I’m stupid? You really expect me to believe that?”
I swallowed hard, desperate to make him see reason. “Damien, you really have it all wrong. It wasn’t like that. We were just catching up. Nothing happened between us.”
But Damien wasn’t listening. His eyes blazed with fury, his jaw clenched so tightly I feared it would snap. “You think you can get away with this, Rosalie? Do you think I won’t find out everything? You’re mine, and you’ll stay mine. No one else gets to have you like that.” His grip tightened on my arm, his fingers digging into my skin, and I flinched at the sudden pain.
“Damien,” I whispered, my voice shaking, “Please, you’re hurting me.”
But he didn’t seem to care. He dragged me out of the restroom and through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances of the people around us. His anger was palpable, and I could feel the weight of his rage pressing against my chest, making it hard to breathe.
“Where are you taking me?” I gasped, struggling to keep up with his forceful pace.
His lips curled into a sneer. “You’ll see, Rosalie. You’ll see what happens when you lie to me.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong Damien. Why are you acting like this?” I already had lone tears trickling down my cheeks at this point, faint sobs escaping my lips.
Just then, Charlotte appeared in front of us, a curious look on her face as she glanced between us. She stepped closer, her eyes scanning my tear–streaked face. “What’s going on? What did you do to her, Damien?”
Her words hit me like a punch. I hadn’t expected her to show any concern, not after everything she had done to put me into
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this hell of a marriage. But there was something about the way she looked at me now, the mock sympathy in her eyes, that made my stomach twist.
Damien snapped, his voice dripping with venom. “Mind your business, Charlotte.”
“But she’s crying!” Charlotte’s voice was loud, her face filled with false concern. “What’s going on, Damien? Why is she crying?”
I bit my lip, trying to stay calm, but the fear and frustration were bubbling over. “Charlotte,” I whispered, desperate for her to let it go. “Please. Just… just let it go.”
But she didn’t listen. She stepped in front of Damien, blocking his path. Her voice was insistent. “What did you do to her, Damien? Tell me. Why is she crying?”
I felt the knot in my stomach tighten, a surge of helplessness rushing over me. Why couldn’t she just let it go? Why did she have to keep pushing? She was only worsening the situation and I wasn’t ready to deal with her, not like this, not in front of Damien.
Damien’s grip on my arm tightened even further, and I could feel his anger building. The tension in the air crackled. “Move,” he growled, his voice cold and dangerous. “You have no right to question me. This is between me and my wife.”
But Charlotte wasn’t backing down. She stood her ground, her gaze flicking between Damien and me. “Your wife is my sister. I want to know why she’s crying. What did you do to her, Damien?” Her voice had a slight edge to it now, the fake concern slipping into something colder, more mocking.
I whispered again, pleading with her, “Charlotte, please… don’t make this worse.”
But she was relentless. “No. I’m not going to let you walk all over her.”
Damien’s fury exploded, his words a low growl that sent a chill down my spine. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Charlotte. If you don’t move, I’ll make sure you regret ever knowing me.” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Don’t test me.”
Charlotte’s expression faltered, the mockery fading for a split second as something like fear flashed in her eyes. But just as quickly, she stepped back, giving Damien the space to drag me away.
I didn’t dare look back at her. I kept my head down, tears streaming down my face, knowing I had no choice but to let Damien take me. His grip on me was unrelenting, each step he took dragging me closer to whatever fate he had in store for
- me.
We reached the car, and Damien practically shoved me inside. I sat there in stunned silence, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I had tried to defend myself, but he wouldn’t listen. He never did.
Once we arrived at the house, he dragged me upstairs with that same fury in his eyes. I stumbled, trying to keep my balance, but his grip on me was unyielding.
“Damien, please, just let me explain,” I begged, my voice breaking. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Jake is just a friend. You’re overreacting.”
But he was past reasoning. He shoved me into the room, and I fell to the floor, the impact knocking the breath out of me. My hands scrambled to push myself up, but I couldn’t stop him as he advanced toward me.
“You think I’m overreacting?” His voice was ice–cold, his eyes dark with rage. “You danced with another man, Rosalie. In that dress. Do you think I’m going to just let that slide?”
I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “It meant nothing, Damien. It was just a dance. Just a little dance, nothing
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more. In as much as I hate this marriage I’ll never cheat on you.”
He stepped forward, his movements quick and aggressive. “Well, I’m not buying that rubbish lie” His voice was low, deadly. “You’re going to take off that dress. I’m going to burn it. You won’t ever wear it again.”
My breath hitched. “What? No! Damien, stop!”
But he didn’t stop. His hands were already pulling at the straps of my dress, his fingers rough and unrelenting. “You won’t wear this dress again. I won’t stand for you flaunting yourself in front of other men.”
I tried to push him away, my hands shaking. “Please, Damien, don’t do this.”
But he didn’t listen. He was too angry, too consumed by whatever twisted thoughts had taken over his mind. Before I could stop him, he had stripped me of the dress, leaving me in nothing but my undergarments.
“Stop! Please!” I screamed, struggling to push him off.
But he wasn’t listening. His grip tightened around my arms, and he shoved me against the wall. His lips crashed onto mine, his kiss rough and punishing, as if trying to break me down completely.
I gasped, my lips aching from the force, but Damien didn’t care. His hands gripped my hair, pulling me closer, kissing me fiercely, even as I pushed against him, trying to break free.
“Don’t you ever do that again,” he hissed against my lips, his breath hot and furious.
And then, just as quickly, he pulled away, leaving me breathless, my body trembling from the assault.
“You can never run from me Rosebud. I’ll make sure you feel every step I take behind you,” he muttered darkly, before storming out of the room, leaving me alone in the silence.
I collapsed onto the floor, my body shaking, tears streaming down my face. I didn’t know how much longer I could endure this.
All I wanted was to escape. To be free. But I knew that wasn’t an option. Not with Damien. Not with everything he had taken from me.
