Hailey’s POV
“My Choice,” he said and I was taken aback.
Has he changed again?
Are we not in the same area-- the one in which both of our opinions mattered equally?
Why is he acting like old times?
Like the dictator-- like the Mafia Boss-- once again?
I lowered my head and nodded.
“Anyways, be ready tonight. Family dinner”
“Huh? Your family! Yeah!”
“But” his stern expression made me shut up. “You wouldn’t behave friendly with them. Don’t try to mingle”
“What- but why?”
“MY. CHOICE”
“Hm,” I said, half sad.
He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“What happened?”
“Nothing” I went to my room but he followed me.
“Tell me”
“Okay” I exhaled a breath; I didn’t know I was holding it. “I don’t want to distance myself from your family”
He looked at me with a question mark and I continued.
“Why do you wanna distance yourself?”
He flared in anger at my question, and I also knew it was a mistake.
He suddenly came to me and I took two steps back.
“S-Sorry”
“You know that the only thing I asked you is to not ask me questions about my family and past, right?”
“I-I… I was not the one who asked you willingly! You asked me to tell you what I was thinking!”
“So!? You don’t have to think that even!”
“You can’t control what I think” I was going crazy over the things he was saying.
“I CAN!” He yelled.
“It is enough, Robert, you controlled me enough!”
He looked at me with rage and the next moment, he chuckled dryly-- the way I hate it. The way, he used to laugh-- the coldest and the cruelest one.
“I” he took a step towards me. “Will” His steps never stopped. “Control” he trapped me between him and the wall. “You!” he yelled at my face and I jerked back as tears threatened to come out any instant.
Why is this happening again?
Hasn't this all happened before?
Aren’t we supposed to live happily now?
THEN WHY AGAIN!!
“R-Robert” I sobbed but he took my wrist and captured it in his death grip.
“Say” he looked at me with his dangerous expression. “You will do what I say”
“NO!” I said as all I did till now came crashing into my mind.
I did so much for him.
I changed him.
But nothing has changed right now.
Even after so much time… he is the same from inside.
He still hates me.
He still wants to hurt me.
Why should I do what he says then?
He increased his grip on my hand and I suppressed a scream.
“P-Please”
“What please, Corazon?”
I was scared as he called me that again-- it is like we time traveled and we are again at the same position-- as we were before.
“S-Stop”
“Why?”
“I-I…”
“You will do what I say, right?”
I didn’t reply. Maybe I didn’t have an answer or maybe I gave up.
“RIGHT!?”
“YES!!” I yelled and he released his grip and laughed.
“Excellent!”
I immediately caressed my bruised hand.
“So, from tomorrow,” he said and I looked at him. “Stay at home”
I was burning with rage.
It is enough.
I have done enough-- of what he says.
I won’t follow him.
“So, it was for nothing?” I asked and I got his attention. “All this year? Now, we are back to square one?”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t like me?”
“No”
His words were like an arrow through my heart-- I didn't know it would hurt so much.
“I won’t do what you say!” I yelled and that is when he caught my throat with his hand.
He pushed me against the wall and started lifting me by my throat.
I whimpered under his grip as I gasped for breath.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY!?”
I started crying as I thought my end was very near. I was all ready to accept my fate when he suddenly let me go.
I was crying… but I was not afraid.
Trust me, after a while, you won’t wanna be afraid anymore.
“I-I don’t care about you” I spoke as I caught my breath. “I now realize… you never said ‘I love you to me. That is the reason. Bye… forever” I made my run to the door and without looking back, I ran away-- away to where the wind will take me.
Robert’s POV
I lost control when she mentioned my family. I knew… I had been holding back for so long-- and I have been really happy. But I have stopped drinking alcohol… and I am suffering from AWS.
I sometimes… I can't control my emotions at all. And that is what happened, right now. I would never try to hurt her-- not to mention, to kill her-- I don’t know what the hell happened to me. I was… just out of control.
I have to find her and apologize to her. Even if she doesn’t listen, I have to find her. There are people out there, who wanna hurt her in their good senses and I have to protect her.
I called Max.
“Hey Robert”
“Max. Find Hailey, now!” I ordered.
“Find?”
“Yes. She ran away… please!” I said.
“Sure thing, boss” the call cut and I waited for any more updates on her.
In the meantime, I checked all of my other Apartments-- she wasn’t anywhere. Not even at her house.
“Boss. Found her” Max reported and the last hope emerged at me.
“Okay, where?”
“At Alex’s house. We can’t do anything right now; she is with her brother”
“How did she even know where her brother was? When he isn’t at her home?”
“We don’t know. But right now, she is mentally broke”
“I am going. Send her location” I said and cut the call.
Fine, I will make things right this time, Hailey.