CH 06|| Once upon a dream

In the comfort of my home, I paced to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of milk which I intended to drink while watching my favorite series 'Rivadale' on my laptop. With the warm glass against my palms, I brought it to my lips to take in the deliciousness of the dairy product before swiveling and padding back to my room.

I got an apartment close to school so I can be away from temptation. Actually I wasn't the one that bought the house, it was Chris. Quite surprising but he did; I mean one would do anything to be free from a bondage right?

As I carefully sat on my bed with the milk in my hand, and clicked on the play button on the portable system, my attention zoomed into the action on the screen.

After about a while of watching the movie, I zoned out. Many thoughts swarm into my head and before you know it, I was thinking of all the possibilities of ruining my life any further with Chris if I wasn't careful enough. I couldn't risk being with him because I had dreams for myself immediately I was done with school. Chris was in his final year while I was in my second year going for a third year. I wasn't even started!

Imagine a sophomore like me in college raising a family I didn't even plan for. I wasn't a family orientated kind of person but I loved the ones I had. The thought of bearing a child was far fetched and if I could remember, was in the bottom of my lengthy bucket list.

I heard he was smart and intelligent, which was many women's dream. Lucky him, he didn't have to read much but I, I read a lot. I spent many hours reading every single day and I was used to it.

As the movie ended, I played another, binge watching until I drifted off to sleep without knowing.

I woke up to a soft shake on my shoulder and a tantalizing tone cooing my name in the softest pitch that had taken me away from la-la land. I rubbed my eyes, trying to make something of the blurry image hovering over me.

As my eyes adjusted, I saw Chris hovering over me, his hands on my shoulder with a smile on his face. I scrunched my nose in confusion. Why would he do that?

"Rise and shine, sleepy head. A new day is awaiting," His tone of voice dangling between playfulness and absurdity.

He never spoke like that.

I covered my forehead with my palm while trying to get up. Immediately I sat with my legs still curled to my left side, I turned my eyes to Chris to speak to him when I noticed he wasn't there instead it was his father wearing the same cloth he was wearing when he woke me up.

My eyebrows furrowed and my mouth parted to relieve myself of that word,

"What is going on?" I asked and tried to get out of the bed when I noticed my wrists were chained.

I gasped and looked around me to notice two long chains that ran from my wrist to a fixed position on the wall. It raised fear and anxiety in me which caused me to look around, now noticing the bed was similar to a hospital bed and the room had an eerie colour of grey with chapped paints and had glass apertures.

I snapped my head back to Mr O'Neil to find him staring back to me with a stoic expression.

"What is the meaning of this? Get me out of these chains." I bellowed, dragging at the chains. I had always hated but feared him at the same time. He had the power to break my family and render us nothing if he wanted or if anyone of us went against him.

He shook his head which was weird, he just stood there watching. Then, I heard the sound of a baby in the distance before Mrs O'Neil appeared from the door entrance holding a baby in her arms.

No.

I stared surreptitiously at her, begging my mind to stop playing tricks on me. As Chris' mother walked into the room with a happy smile on, I panicked and shouted for help while fighting so hard to get myself off the chains. The baby screams became louder as it drew nearer and I couldn't help but try to cover my ears and shut my eyes.

Suddenly..

I opened my eyes forcibly and jerked myself up at the sound of a screaming baby from my laptop. Without wasting time, I punched the keyboard and the movie stopped.

My breath was erratic and I felt weird inside from the dream I just had. The weird feeling was making me develop more irritation towards my new family. Even in another house, they still haunt me. What do they want from me?

---

I took a cab to the main house to get some of my things I left behind, obviously because I couldn't pack all of them when I was rushing to leave. I got inside the huge compound. As I approached further, at a distance, I saw Chris french-kissing a lady at the car garage. I paused for a second as chills ran down my spine. Really?

Of course I told him to have them but I was suddenly feeling jealous a bit, don't know why. Then it clicked and I realized no matter how I take it, I was still married to him and probably will be for a very long time. Just great!

Approaching closer, I got a better view of them both but I think they stopped because they saw me.

Not surprised, I told myself.

She was pretty and was really curvaceous as well, unlike me. I could hardly describe myself. I know I'm dark, average in height and I have a slightly narrow waist. I still honestly didn't know how I actually looked to people. I'm not even vivacious, I wonder what Chris' parents had seen in me. How cruel are they to make their son marry to someone way below their standard or at least his? Didn't they know it would be hard to love that way?

I composed myself so they didn't see me weak. I didn't like the look on her face as I approached them. She held him tight as she leaned against the car, her face really close to his. I don't know if she was trying to make me feel jealous or what. But as for Chris, I saw him look at me with a guilty look but I said what I came for notwithstanding.

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry for the impromptu, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I came here to get some of the stuff I left behind. I hope I'm not bothering?" I was referring to Chris only.

"Nope," he managed to answer, still standing awkwardly close to the lady by his car.

"Chris is this school girl your wife? Please don't tell me she is the one. This is more like child abuse if you ask me. Hey, how old are you? " she asked me in an insulting tone. I internally exhaled.

Another person said it again.

"'marachi that's enough. Look Eddy, I'm sorry... " he pleaded but I cut him off.

"No it's okay " I said monotonously with a weak smile. I then turned to walk away, quickening my steps inside the house.

I felt insulted. I would have talked back at her but I didn't do it because I still had my morals well intact. I can at least proudly say that my parents taught me well.

As I was packing some of my clothes into my suitcase, Chris came in. I don't know what he wanted but I was certain of what he was going to say since his face said it all.

As shy as I was, I stepped back, giving a good distance between us.

"What do you want?" I asked.

He rubbed his trousers then slid his hand into his pockets.

"Eddie... I.. Um.. I'm so sorry about what happened earlier... It's just... " he demonstrated with a single hand.

I cut him off. " I told you I'm fine. I don't need any apology."

"I know you think I am hurt by what she said. Look, I know the truth and the truth is that I'm small but I have accepted that fact a long time ago." I said rather angrily but respectfully.

" it's not just that, I apologize... " he didn't finish, giving the impression that I should understand what he meant.

"But I told you before, you are free to do as you please, I'm not restraining you. But if you keep on repeating this apologizing routine of yours, I think it's gonna make me start feeling jealous." I blurted.

"Right. But about what you say earlier, just please don't tell it to parents." he said, leaving as he closed the door behind him.

What the..

Why did he apologize, what for? I thought that guys don't usually feel remorse after cheating.

"Knock it off Eddy, he's just pretending so you don't think of him as a tainted image. Or maybe he's trying to cover his mistakes so you would like him " I thought to myself, packing as I did.

He thinks he can win me, what a silly mistake he's making.

When I left the house , I didn't see them again anywhere. I just wondered why he would do that.

So irritating. I thought to myself.

…….