Chapter 7

I woke up feeling my eyes heavy and a with slight abdominal pain. I yawned and tried to stretch my hands when something tugged at my hands. I winced when a sharp pain radiated on my wrist region when stretched. I looked at it and rubbed it carefully to not hurt myself anymore. I tried to recognise the familiarity of the room around me.
It was Benjamin’s room. What shocked me even more was the fact that I lay comfortably on that monstrous man's bed. Very slowly, I tried to sit by leaning back at the headboard.

‘Was I drunk to end up in the devil's room? Or am I dreaming?’ I tried to recollect the events from the previous day. Gradually, my mind started recalling everything that happened before I fell unconscious. Fresh tears started to cloud my eyes. I remembered each of the torture that I had undergone for the past three months. Not to speak of the last three days, I was thrown in the basement without food and water. Thinking of it, my throat felt dry and I had a strong urge to puke my stomach out. I plucked the needle ignoring the shooting pain at my wrist and rushed to the bathroom. I fell on my knees near the sink and emptied my stomach with a loud retching sound. All of a sudden, someone held my forehead and started rubbing my back which comforted me greatly right at that moment. I was carefully lifted of the ground after I was done and was embraced in someone's warmth. I did not have to look at the person to identify him. His very familiar manly cologne filled my nostrils. I snuggled more closer to his strong pectorals feeling safe and homely in a long while. I held on to his toned arms for support. May be it was all because of my fatigue, that I found this new comfort in his hold. I felt that I was placed back on the bed and my mouth being wiped with a towel or so. I tried to open my heavy eyelids and noticed a very strange expression on Benjamin's face. His look was no longer terrifying and dangerous, rather it held gentleness. He was just wearing his track pants revealing his broad shoulders and well chiselled abdomen. May be if I had married him under any other situation, I definitely would have fallen in love with his breathtaking, handsome face but only I knew that he was plain evil masked under this beautiful face. His gentleness was bone-chilling to me at first and I felt more scared than ever before.

‘Was it the calmness before the storm?’ I lay there motionless not daring to move even my limbs.
“Sleep. You need to get plenty of rest. I will send Sheila to get you lunch.” I stared at him dumbfounded, my jaws wide opened, almost touching the ground. 
‘Did the hell break loose? What the hell is happening around me? I am definitely dreaming or I have completely lost my bloody marbles to imagine such things.’ With that, he left me alone in the room.

After a few minutes of waiting, Sheila came in with the biggest grin on her face, carrying a tray with piping hot meal, which included shrimp and tomato soup, steamed broccoli and roasted beef with red, yellow peppers on a bed of boiled brown rice. Freshly cut apples and bananas were arranged neatly on a separate bowl. A scowl formed on my face immediately after I glanced the food in front of me.
‘Is it poisoned? So, he is done torturing me and now he wants me dead, I guess.’ I thought to myself. Sheila placed the tray on my legs with a gentle smile.

“What's with the meal? Why am I suddenly being treated like a guest?” I asked lifting the spoon. I tried to smell the food for any poison. The food looked really appealing. I wouldn't mind even If it is poisoned and I devoured half of the meal in just a few bites. I enjoyed it's rich taste in every bite since I got to eat such a delicious meal after so long but I couldn't continue any longer when I suddenly felt my bile rise at the back of my throat. I dashed back to the bathroom, throwing up again and stood there thinking with a worried expression. ‘Why do I keep throwing up? May be it's because my stomach couldn't handle so much food all of a sudden after being empty for so long' I kept thinking, while making my way to the bed.

“Sammy, don't worry. It's completely normal to throw up a few times for the first three months of your pregnancy.” Sheila spoke, sensing my confusion and I just nodded. Then it struck my mind like a lightening. 
‘What did she just say? Pregnant!’ I was baffled and turned sharply to look at her. “Who is pregnant?” She laughed at me, 

“Oh my child, sit here. It's you who is pregnant. I used to throw up too.. when...” my mind couldn't process any of her words after that. I was blank, staring into nothing specific.
‘Is that why he was so gentle towards me? Am I carrying his child? How can I even carry his child?’ I felt disgusted at the very thought. ‘ That beast, how could he do that to me? I know I can never love that child. It was not conceived out of love. Should I give up on the child?’ My mind started thinking of all possible questions and my eyes wandered around the room aimlessly.

“I do not want to keep this child, Sheila.” I said without feeling any remorse, tears trickling down my cheeks.
“No, no, don't say that, Sammy. I know what Benjamin did to you was wrong and you hate him very much for that. But the child is innocent. You should know, that children are blessings from the almighty...” The door was suddenly pushed open with a bang sound. We both sat there frozen when we saw Benjamin enter the room with the homicidal look back on handsome face. He clutched his jaws tightly and fisted his palms making them white as sheet. His nostrils flared as he breathed out anger.

I gulped loudly and my brown orbs stared at him in utter shock. My hands started shaking and fear pulsed violently throughout my body. I remembered all the cruel ways that he could torture me for what I had admitted to Sheila. It was obvious from his stubborn features that he had over heard the conversation taking between us. 
All of a sudden, he yanked my body by gripping on to my throat tightly blocking of the air supply and trashed my head hard on the wall. My eyes started filling up with unshed tears, making my vision blurry. I started panting loud with his grip tightening around my throat. I clutched at his hand trying to make him loosen his hold around my neck but he did not bulge. I started seeing black spots and slowly my hands felt weak, collapsing to my sides. I felt something like a cold metal being placed under my throat and heard a clicking sound.

“Think twice the next time you decide to talk like that, you bitch.” He literally screamed at my face. “or else I'll not regret to blow your fucking brain out of your skull.” He immediately shoved me off before I fell down gasping for air. He propped down in front of me, fisting my hair harshly in his right hand and held the pistol on his other.
“If you ever speak of giving up on my child, or you even think of it again, I will burn you alive, remember that clearly. ” With that he hit me backhanded and my silky brown hair sprayed all over my sweaty face.

“Oh Benjamin, for goodness sake. She's carrying your child. Leave her alone for once.” Sheila pushed Benjamin away and sat beside me tucking my hair behind my ears and wiping my tears away.
“That's the only reason I am leaving her alive. She's dead the next time she talks like that about my baby.” He paced up and down the room, breathing wildly.

“If you kill me, your damn child also dies along with me, you jerk.” I said in a strong tone, not knowing where the sudden courage and strength came inside me. May be the child in me was the cause for making be talk so bravely in front of this evil man.
“What did you just say?” He strode towards me, pointing the pistol at me.
“That's right, If you kill me, your child dies as well, so you...” I pointed my finger ast him, “think twice before placing that fucking pistol on my head next time.” I yanked the colt with much force that it landed on the bed. Benjamin's jaws tightened further and he punched on the nearby wall making me flinch slightly. His knuckles started to bleed and he swore inaudibly, pacing restlessly. I understood that this baby was my only trump card against Benjamin and I would definitely not terminate the child. I knew that as long as I carry his child, I am safe. I squared my shoulders, raised my chin and levelled my eyes to meet his.

“Now get the hell out of here.” I spoken loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.
He turned away slumping his shoulders slightly in defeat and slammed the door loudly before walking out. For the first time I felt strong against him and a sinister smirk plastered on my lips. I clutched my stomach tightly. May be I can keep this baby and learn to love it in order to manipulate it's father. I buried myself deep into the soft mattress, occupying the huge bed to all myself and stretched out my arms, feeling the velvety silk sheets under me. I slowly fell into a deep slumber like never before.