บท 13: He is a Snake

Skyla's throat dried up like sandpaper and she jerked her head up to stare at her husband. Why did he care? Didn't he say he didn't want an intimate relationship with her?

No way in hell she was ready to tell him about that wild night. She had acted impulsively, feeling betrayed by him. But it was still cheating, though she had promised she would not do it again.

Marriage was sacred to her and no matter the conditions, she would remain loyal to him.

"No, I am not," she answered truthfully, holding his gaze. The look in his glacial eyes intensified, mirroring the raging storm she had brewed inside him with her words.

"Who?" he contained himself and simply asked. His hands itched by his sides to grab her.

"I had a life outside of you. Besides, you don't want a sexual relationship, so why do you care?" she blatantly answered.

Her answer didn't please him. His hand shifted and he seized her chin, leaning closer Doran dictated in that condescending tone.

"Only I am allowed to cheat in this relationship, not you. If I ever find you with another man, I will break your pretty legs, both of them. I only need you alive, it doesn't matter what state you need to be in," he jerked her backwards and she fell, hitting her head with the divan's headrest.

A slight 'eh' escaped her as she rubbed the back of her head and scurried away from his raging self. Bewildered and bracing herself for more hits she covered her face with her arms, taking on a fetal position.

He loomed over Skyla like a dark cloud and jerked her arm away from her face. Her body shook in fear as her heart thumped loudly in her ears like alarm bells.

"Do I make myself clear?" his voice hit her like cold splinters, bruising her. She only nodded her head, too afraid to speak. As he kept tightening his hold against her wrists.

Skyla didn't want to be hit on her wedding night. These were supposed to be moments of pure bliss. Time to be cherished and feel loved. And here she was cowering away from her husband and his abusive approaches. She didn't understand his mindset at all.

"Sleep on the couch," he finally jerked her arm away and distanced himself. She cowered further back on the divan as away from his grasp as possible.

Raking his hands through his damp hair, he grabbed his cigarettes and zippo from his nightstand.

Flicking open the lighter he cupped his hand against the wavering flame that illuminated the angry contortions of his handsome face. Doran's cigarette lit up and taking it between his thin lips he took a deep hit.

His zippo clicked shut as he threw it on the nightstand and it landed with a loud thud. Closing his eyes for a second the man with the blue eyes tried to calm the tempest wreaking havoc inside of him.

"Why couldn't you just remain oblivious to my external affairs, Skyla? You could have led a protected life as my perfect little wife. But no, you had to interfere and you had to act stubborn. And you wanted to play businesswoman. You know what I do to strong-headed girls like you?"

He turned his head to the left and sternly gazed at her. She was watching him wearily but with unyielding eyes. He amusedly scoffed at her before taking another puff of his cigarette. The rings of smoke rose higher and higher, swirling under the soft blue light of their room.

"I break them and I am going to enjoy breaking you," an uncontrollable shiver scuttled down her back but she didn't break eye contact with him, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her falter.

"Try if you must, you will never break or own my soul," she derisively scoffed at her husband, who was so tempting from the outside and yet seemed rotten from the inside.

"You are only 21 years old, it will be in your best interest if you comply or your life will become excruciatingly painful. Believe me when I say, I don't want to hurt you," the smoke from his cigarette was filling their room, suffocating her along with his words.

"I find that very hard to believe. You are not the charming man I got engaged to. And I will prove to you that I am capable enough to handle my father's company," she boldly declared and he mirthlessly laughed. A dry laugh before openly declaring.

"I am not charming. I am a snake always ready to poison and bite."

Skyla felt like a wingless bird, trapped in the mouth of this deadly serpent.

His cigarette half ended and he finally shifted and opened the balcony window, before stepping out he faced her again and said.

"Sleep, I don't want to see you awake when I return," he ordered, eyeing her up and down.

Standing at 5'8 she was taller than most girls but delicate like a butterfly. Her skin bruised easily. The first time he had hit her made that abundantly clear to him.

His conscience nagged him as he stood on the balcony and let the gust of October wind hit him in full force. The month of change they say, had brought a huge change in his life. He had a wife now and couldn't unleash his animalistic urges on her. That's why he needed other women.

Skyla was stubborn though, she would never give in. He knew she would be testing his patience more than he possessed. Immersed in deep thoughts, he took a last inhale and squished the cigarette against the railing. Standing with his elbows resting on the metal surface of the bannister, Doran contemplated his life for a while. All he saw was the darkness that swirled around him and buried its tentacles in every inch of his skin.

That darkness had tainted him and now he was about to do the same with an innocent girl. Unable to fight the inner battles anymore, Doran returned inside and found her sleeping. There was this untapped innocence about her and yet she was wild like wildfire and he knew one day she would engulf him completely.

"Either you will be the end of me Skyla or I will be the end of you. There is no other way," he whispered before returning to bed.