by J. A. Delese
He was trying his best to treat her well. He offered her a room—basically his room, nice dresses—she didn’t even touch them, nice food cooked by Susan—she rarely ate, but her resistance just got worse. She called him a criminal. She said he was a criminal who kidnapped and raped her. She said he would be sentenced to a minimum of twenty years in prison if people found out. He answered her by saying he would make sure no one found out, and she started to cry again. The worst part, however, was her begging. She knelt down in front of him and begged for her release. She shed tears and told him that she would not tell anyone about this, she could even sign a contract if he wanted. He couldn’t take it, so he just walked out of the room whenever she did this.
He lay down beside her and hugged her tightly from behind. It seemed she was about to wake up, but she settled again.
Must be tired. Cried, yelled, and was raped all night long.
The feelings of guilt started to rise in his heart again.
What the hell am I doing now?
For a second, he thought of sending her back, but shook his head in the end.
I’ve gone too far.
He could not turn back now. He literally kidnapped and raped her. He committed a crime.
What’s done is done. It cannot be undone.
He repeated the words of Lady Macbeth in his head. He already committed a crime and it could not be undone. All he could do now was enjoy what he was so eager to get—her voice.
Maybe I should ask her to read some books for me.
Since today was a holiday, he could finally stay at home and spend more time with her—she was probably not going to like it though.
He kissed her on her neck and shoulder. It sounded like she said something, but he couldn’t hear it. He wanted to make love to her again, but decided to do it after she woke up. He also wanted to sleep together with her. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep and suddenly realized: Strange. I don’t dream now.
Catherine
She was walking around the house. It looked like a four-bedroom house, and each corner had security cameras. She was planning to escape, but it wouldn’t be as easy as she wished. She looked around the whole house and reached the entrance. Even if she made it through that door, there must be guards outside. She came back to the living room and sat down heavily on the sofa. She didn’t know what to do. She still could not believe this. She had been kidnapped in this twenty-first century, and no one had found out yet. She knew her mom would not look for her, but what about other people? There must be someone looking for her.
“Patrick,” she spoke his name. Her eyes filled with tears thinking of him. Was he searching for her? Was he worried about her or had he forgotten about her already and moved on with his life? She was wondering. She loved him much and imagining he forgot about her hurts her heart. She wanted to go back to him. She wanted to go back to her life as a lawyer and as Patrick’s girlfriend. She wiped the tears away with her hand. She had to find a way out. She had to find a way back to her life.
But how?
She’d been trying so hard to convince Tom, but he just wouldn’t listen to her. She threatened him by giving him many possible scenarios, but he didn’t seem to feel frightened. Then she changed her strategy. She begged with tears. She begged for his kindness, so that he would let her go, but this cold-blooded monster wasn’t bothered by her tears. Finally, she couldn’t hide her temper. She started to yell and scream, but all he did was move to another room. As a last option, she seduced him. She really didn’t want to do it, but she did it last night. He was reading something in his study, and she approached him. She was wearing one of the close-fitting dresses he gave her. She sat on his lap and put her head on his chest. She could feel his heart beating. She told him that she felt so frightened at first, but she feels comfortable at his place now. She also told him that she would be much happier if they could go out for a date like other normal couples. He looked impressed, so she hoped to get a single chance to go outside, but against her expectations, he just put her down on the desk and raped her there. She tried to stop him, but he’d just gone crazy again and even ripped her dress.
Why did he buy the dresses, if he’s going to rip them after all?
She sat cross-legged on the sofa and rested her chin on her hand. She was analyzing her kidnapper. Why was he doing this? Why did he have this strange obsession with her? Was he really in love with her? Even if he insisted he was in love with her, kidnapping was not in the normal range of love. This was an obsession.
And also madness.
She clucked her tongue. What was he thinking? He thought he could just lock her up and live happily ever after with her?
Maybe he is expecting Stockholm Syndrome.
She snorted. It was not going to happen to her. She had gotten through all those hardships in her life and still managed to survive. If this guy thought she would be conquered in the end, he obviously underestimated her stubbornness. She always did what she planned to do in any circumstance. She clenched her fists.
I must find a way out!
She thought of what she could do in this house. There was no phone or no wifi. She could open the window and scream for help, but once she did it, the housekeeper would report to him and—Yes! There is a housekeeper!
She turned her head and looked at the lady who was mopping the floor. This woman looked like she was forty-something years old and stayed in the house during the day. Catherine had never heard her speak. Initially she thought Tom asked this lady not to talk to her, but she didn’t talk to Tom at all, so Catherine assumed that she couldn’t talk.
Catherine walked to her and said hello. The cleaning lady stopped mopping and looked up at her.
“Do you need some help? I can help wash clothes!” she said cheerfully. The helper shook her head. She crouched down beside the cleaning lady.
“May I ask your name? I’m Catherine.”
She offered her hand to shake, but the cleaning lady didn’t react. Instead, she looked for something in her pocket and showed it to Catherine. It was a name card and on it was written Susan.
“Hello, Susan. Maybe I’ll help you fold the clothes? I’m quite bored actually. You know, there’s nothing to do here.”
She purposely spoke more miserably and it seemed worked. Susan nodded her head. She even typed something on her phone and showed it to her.
“Thank you for helping me.”
Catherine answered her by smiling.
No, Susan. You are helping me.
Tom
He was looking at her. She was a mess. Her eyes were so red and that told him how much she had cried. Mr. Macson had put tape on her mouth, so she couldn’t make any sound. He removed the tape from her mouth and untied the cord that held her hands.
“What were you thinking?” he asked, but she didn’t answer. She wasn’t looking at him.
“You thought you could run away like this.”
She still didn’t answer. He felt annoyed, but suppressed his anger.
“I thought I was kind enough to you.”
She still was not looking at him, and her mouth didn’t move at all. He couldn’t help but stoop down to face her and held her chin roughly to make her to look at him.
“What the hell were you thinking? Call the police? Ask for help?”
She slapped his hand off and looked at him straight fiercely.
“I wasn’t thinking. I was just RUNNING!” she shouted.
Away from me, he completed her words in his head. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like that he almost lost her.
“Maybe I was too kind to you,” he said and stood up.
She lifted her head up to look at him. He could feel her anger.
“IT DOESN’T FUCKING MATTER IF YOU ARE KIND OR NOT!”
She started to yell at him. “What matters is you KIDNAPPED ME! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? You think I’m some kind of animal? You think I would be happy if you brought me food and shelter? I’m not a dog! Sufficient rewards? ARE YO
U FUCKING KIDDING ME? I’M NOT A PROSTITUTE, YOU CRAZY PSYCHO!”
He couldn’t take it. He gripped her throat with his hand.
“You are a fucking whore. Don’t you remember what you said? You said you had all those surgeries to find a rich man. THAT’S WHAT WHORES DO!”
He loosened his hand and she fell on the floor. She coughed and breathed hard for minutes.
“Now you do have a good customer, don’t you think so? I’m a rich man and you should be happy that you found THE ONE YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!”
He yelled at her. He grabbed her arms and pushed her to the bed. “Maybe I was indeed too kind to you. I forgot that you are a whore and men can do whatever they want to a whore.”
He undid his belt as he talked. She turned her face up to him. He could see her shock and terror, but he didn’t care. He was going to teach her what kind of punishment she would have if she tried to leave again. He grasped his belt firmly and started to hit her with it. She shouted out in pain but he didn’t stop. He just kept whipping her. He didn’t know how many minutes he hit her. He stopped when he couldn’t hear her screaming. She just lowered her head on the bed and cried. He looked at what she was wearing. She was wearing Susan’s clothes. That made him angrier. He climbed up on the bed and ripped her clothes off. It seemed that she realized what he was doing. She cried out through her tears.
“Please stop it! Stop it!” She said, waving her hands, but he didn’t care what she said. He climbed onto her body and ripped her underwear. She lay completely naked beneath him, and he felt himself stiffen as he looked at her naked body. He grabbed her legs and spread them. She started screaming.
“GO AWAY! GO AWAY, YOU MONSTER! GO AWAY!” she screamed so much and tried to stop him. She crawled across the bed to get away, but he stopped her by pressing down on her body with his.
“Go away! HELP! HELP ME, SUSAN!” she screamed again and her words angered him more.
“NO ONE CAN HELP YOU! NO ONE CAN SAVE YOU FROM THIS! YOU CANNOT RUN AWAY FROM ME! YOU WILL STAY HERE AS MY WHORE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!”
He grabbed her body from back and spread her legs. He pushed himself into her roughly. She cried out in pain. He moved his body harshly inside her, and with every move he made, a groan escaped her lips. He heard her sobbing, but he didn’t stop. He bit her back and shoulder, and she screamed again.
“Stop it! PLEASE!” she sobbed loudly, and he paused for a moment.
“Why are you doing this to me? I didn’t hurt you or harm you. Why do you need to do this to me?” she asked, putting her head down on the bed.
He could see tears falling from her cheek. He didn’t know how to answer to her question. She was right. She didn’t do anything wrong to him and yet he was doing this to her. He could give her the real answer, but he was still upset with her. He wanted to irritate her more.
“Because I can,” he answered shortly, and it made her turn to face him. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“You are sick. You are just a crazy pervert. Let me go!”
She jumped out of the bed and ran to the door. He ran to her quickly and threw her to the bed again.
“Didn’t I tell you? YOU CANNOT RUN AWAY!” he yelled at her, and they stared at each other in anger for a while.
“I won’t stop trying,” she said.
“You will.”
“I will leave this place and go back to the man I love. No matter how much you stop me!”
The man I love.
She was talking about Patrick. Tom remembered the photo of Patrick. He was buying a ring for her. He planned to propose to her. It reminded him of David. He said he would marry Liz once they reached the right age. He said he would give her a beautiful engagement ring. Tom felt his blood rise up. He grabbed the belt again.
“You won’t see him again. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you here.”
He stretched the belt tight menacingly. She looked frightened, but she didn’t move at all this time. He climbed onto the bed with the belt. She tried to get away, but he wrapped her neck with the belt and pulled it from behind. She held the belt with her hands to stop it, but he put more strength into it.
“I WILL NEVER LET YOU GO! I asked for a single chance and you always refused me! I visited New York just to see you, JUST BECAUSE OF YOU! But all you did is FUCK THAT OTHER GUY!” He shouted as he pulled the belt harder.
She struggled for breath and suddenly stopped moving. He dropped the belt. He turned her body to him harshly and found that she was unconscious.
“Catherine!”
He shook her brutally, but she didn’t open her eyes. She looked like she was dead, and then he realized what he had done to her. He came back to his right mind and saw how much he had hurt her.
This is not what I wanted!
“Catherine!”
He shook her again, but she still didn’t move. He held her in his arms tightly.
I didn’t want this. I didn’t want this. I DIDN’T WANT THIS!’
* * *
“She fainted. Probably become conscious within a few hours,” Dr. Colin said after examining her. He put her on a drip. He also checked her bruises and teeth marks on her body.
“Did you do this?” he asked in a calm tone, but Tom couldn’t make a sound. He just nodded instead. Dr. Colin didn’t speak at first. He packed his things up quietly.
“You’d better to pay her well. Once she opens her mouth, it’s going to be very noisy,” Dr. Colin said.
“She’s not a whore,” he shot back immediately, and Dr. Colin stopped packing to look at him.
“Then, is she your girlfriend?” he asked in a disbelieving tone. Tom didn’t know what to say again.
“Alright, but whatever you two are playing, don’t do it again. She’s not strong enough.”
Dr. Colin grabbed his bag and left the room. Tom followed behind him. He stopped at the entrance and turned back to Tom.
“Then, hope to see you again in different circumstances, Thomas.”
“Thank you.”
Dr. Colin smiled awkwardly at Tom and walked to the door.
“Uncle…,” Tom said. His uncle turned back and looked at him.
“I hope they are not aware of this,” Tom said.
His uncle looked at him for a while. He felt so shameful for what he did, but if his parents found out about Catherine, he wouldn’t be able to keep her here.
“I’ll try,” his uncle answered shortly and left the house. It would take some time, but his parents would definitely find out. He sighed heavily. He didn’t know what to do when Catherine fainted, and he thought it would be safer if his uncle treated her.
One thing after another.
He climbed the stairs to second floor.
At least he didn’t know she’s been kidnapped.
At least, they wouldn’t freak out about this yet. They’d think it was extraordinarily special that he had an Asian girlfriend. He was just going to tell them that it was casual, if they asked about her.
So casual that you strangled her, he told himself.
He came into the room and saw her lying on the bed like she was sleeping or dying. He walked closer to the bed and sat down on the bed beside her.
“Catherine,” he called her name, but she didn’t respond. She was just sleeping. He held her hand.
“I’m so sorry for what I did. I really don’t know why, but I can’t take…,” he couldn’t finish the words. He choked with sadness. I can’t take rejections from you. I just cannot accept that you don’t want me. I know it sounds crazy. I know you can’t understand why I’m doing this to you.
He looked at her. She looked so peaceful. He stroked her cheek and found the horrible bruises on her neck. He couldn’t believe he had done this. He held her hand again.
I won’t hurt you again. I will never ever hurt you again. So promise me you won’t leave me. Promise me you will stay with me, he said in his head. It was so strange that he couldn’t say all these things whenever he tal
ked with her in reality.
Doesn’t matter. She’s not going to listen to you.
No, she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t listen to him regardless of the things he said. He lay on the bed next to her.
“Catherine,” he called her name in a low voice. He put his arm under his head and looked at her. Then he realized she was moving her mouth a bit. It seemed that she was trying to say something. He couldn’t hear it, so he put his ear near her lips.
“Honey….”
It was quite soft, but he understood what she said. She was calling him honey. He thought he had heard wrong.
“Catherine, are you calling me?” he asked softly, suppressing his excitement, but she didn’t reply. He felt his heart beat faster. She called him honey! He kept his beady eyes on her.
“Honey…,” she called him again.
He held her hand with his two hands and answered, “Yes, Cathy. I’m here.”
“I love you,” she said it with half-opened eyes. He couldn’t believe his ears. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. She said she loved him. She said it! He felt his eyes moisten. He leaned close to her ears and answered, “I love you, too.”
Catherine
She heard him leave the house. He didn’t try to wake her up. He just left quietly. She woke up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She took a hot shower. She wanted to wash her hair and thought of calling Susan for help, but decided to do it alone. Her neck still hurt, but it had been more than two weeks, so she thought it would be okay to wash by herself.
It wasn’t easy without bending her head. It took almost half an hour. She came out of the shower stall and stood in front of the mirror. She could see the bruises on her body in the mirror. She especially checked the one on her neck. She felt pain when she tried to twist her neck a bit. Her eyes turned red as she remembered what happened that night. She didn’t like to cry or weep, because she knew that would never solve anything, but she couldn’t help it.
She didn’t know why this was happening to her. When she was young, her father had hit her every day. She told herself that she wouldn’t suffer anymore once she grew up. When her father committed suicide, she didn’t even cry. She just breathed a sigh of relief and thought that there was no monster in her life anymore— now here she had another.