C6 Chapter six

Chapter Six

I woke up the next morning with a beautiful smile on my face, sitting with Xavier and not being punished made that possible. I was up earlier than I usually am, I wanted to make breakfast for him before he goes to work.

I got down from the bed, put on my flip flop, walked to the bathroom and stripped naked to take my bath. After I was done, I proceeded to the closet and took out what I intended to wear.

I leisurely walked down the stairs and went into the kitchen, brought out all I needed to make breakfast and in no time, I was already setting the table for him.

Just as I stood up from placing the food on the table, the dinning area was suddenly chilly and goosebumps formed on my hands. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and I hastily corrected my posture while waiting for him to walk to the table to eat and rubbing my hands together.

"Good morning, Master. I made you breakfast." I muttered just as he got to where I was.

I noticed he was already dressed for work, his briefcase with him, and his ties in his hands waiting to be hung around his neck.

Him being that close made it possible for me to see his facial features and expressions from where I stood, the cold and distant look was back on his face, and I wondered why, because he was a little warm and welcoming the night before.

He halted his steps, looked towards me and left without looking back. He was back to his old self, I can only hope and pray that I won't be punished for trying to be a good wife when he comes back in the evening.

Isabel felt a sense of unease settle in her chest as she watched Xavier's demeanor shift dramatically. The kindness he had shown her the night before seemed like a distant memory now.

She couldn't comprehend what had caused this sudden change, but she could feel the shift in the air, the palpable tension that hung between them. Not like she could comprehend what brought about the nice act in the first place.

She sat at the table and consumed the food that originally was meant for Xavier, after she was done, she packed the table, did the dishes and went to the living room to continue binge watching her shows.

Soon enough, she was hungry again and requested Kate to bring her snakes. This continued till evening when she was called to eat dinner, went back to the living room to wait for him to come back so she can carry out his command, but later went back to her room to sleep, when Xavier didn't come home as at 10pm.

She was told the next morning that he arrived very late, didn't ask of her, not like that was a shocker, ate and went to sleep, and that he also left the house very early this morning.

She shrugged off the worry that was beginning to form in her mind and sat at the table to enjoy the special delicacies that Kate prepared before her arrival.

Days and weeks flew by, and that was the new chain of activity in the house. Xavier would leave before Isabek wakes and come back when he's sure she's asleep.

Isabel didn't understand why he was doing that, since the house was his and there was also the option of punishing her.

Most times when she sat alone, she found herself reminiscing about the night of his act of niceness, she'd start smiling before she'd caution herself and try to convince herself that it meant nothing and it was just a moment of weakness on his part.

But, curiosity they said killed the cat. Isabel being the inquisitive lady she was, tried to get him to talk.

On that faithful and unfaithful Friday, she went up to her room after dinner, but in reality, she was lurking around in darkness waiting for Xavier's arrival.

As soon as she heard the door open and close, she hurried down the stairs, almost slipping and bumping into a hard chest. Gasping and rubbing her head, she stood up from the body and looked up to see what, or in this case, who she ran into.

It was Xavier with a calm and nonchalant expression on his face. That was a bad omen, she shouldn't carry on with whatever she had planned, but she didn't listen to the rational part of her mind that remained.

"I believe you should let go now, or are you planning to hold on to me forever?" His questioning voice brought her out of her battle with her inner mind.

His voice! It's been almost two weeks since she heard it, since he was avoiding her. She moved quickly away from his body and stood straight while still nursing the little bruise that was starting to be obvious on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Master. Good evening and welcome". She mumbled out.

He only nodded slightly and tried walking away to his room. She knew that was her only chance and she might never be able to do this again, this thought led her to grab his hands and stopped him from going forward further.

He turned, with his eyebrows shot up and a bewildered look on his face, and stared at her.

His stare made her more nervous than she was, and she was compelled to look down the tiles on the stairs.

"Hm, hm, I..I..I.. j j ju" she stuttered.

Amusement laced his eyes for a split second and the next, he was cold again, he snatched his hands from her grip and adjusted his wristwatch before turning completely to face her.

''I don't have enough time to listen to your stuttering, unlike you, I'm very busy''. He complained.

Isabel didn't allow his words to get to her and tried all her best to get rid of her nervousness and tried to confront Xavier, to understand what had caused the sudden dual transformation. She called it that because normally, he was the devil and he was nice to her for a night and back to being one that was avoiding the next day.

She pleaded with him, her voice laced prolly with desperation, and concern.

"Xavier, what happened? Why are you treating me like this? I know I was not your ideal choice of bride, but it was also not my fault that Blair ran away and my parents forced me to marry you''.

''Also, the other night you were all nice and teasing, but by the next morning, you began to avoid me like a plague. Have I done something to offend you?'' She queried.

All this while, Xavier listened patiently to her, with his hands in his pockets and a smug look plastered on his face.

He scoffed, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Offend me? Oh, Isabel, you couldn't possibly understand. Just like you said, you were never meant to be my wife, Blair was. And me avoiding you? Seems you forgot your place here. You're noting but my slave and I your MASTER!" He thundered out.

Isbel's heart shattered at his words and a sob threatened to escape her, but before the tear even made its escape, Xavier had already turned from her and went up to his room.

She cleaned her tears and also made her way to her room to clear her thoughts, she slept off during the process.

The next morning was hell, Xavier was done avoiding her and was back to behaving as the king of hell.

As days turned into weeks, Xavier's cruel treatment of Isabel escalated to new heights. His heart, once filled with fleeting kindness, had hardened into a callous indifference. He took pleasure in inflicting emotional pain upon her, relishing the power he held over her fragile emotions.

Xavier would berate Isabel relentlessly, belittling her dreams and ambitions. He tore down her self-esteem piece by piece, mocking her every attempt to assert herself. His words cut like daggers, leaving wounds that went far beyond surface level.

Isabel found herself trapped in a vicious cycle, desperately seeking Xavier's approval even as he pushed her further away. She clung to the memories of the little glimpse of a nice person he once was, desperately hoping that somewhere beneath the layers of cruelty, a trace of kindness remained.

But Xavier reveled in his dominance over her. He reveled in breaking her spirit, deriving sick pleasure from her suffering. Remorse was a foreign concept to him, as he saw no wrong in his actions. In his mind, he was merely asserting his superiority, reminding Isabel of her supposed inferiority.

With each passing day, Isabel's light dimmed. She withdrew into herself, her vibrant spirit eroded by the relentless mistreatment she endured. The once-strong-willed woman who had vowed to protect herself from Xavier's toxicity was now a shadow of her former self.

Isabel's life had become a bleak existence, her days filled with fear and anxiety. The loveless arrangement she had entered with a glimmer of hope now seemed like a never-ending nightmare. She longed for an escape, a way to break free from Xavier's suffocating grip.

But little did Xavier know, Isabel's spirit was not completely shattered. Deep within her, a smoldering ember of resilience remained. It flickered with defiance, refusing to be extinguished by Xavier's darkness.

One fateful night, as Xavier launched into yet another verbal assault, Isabel met his eyes with a newfound determination. She shocked both herself and him bu speaking up, her voice, once quivering with fear, now resonated with strength.

Deep within her, she was terrified to death, but she tried her best to not allow it show on her face. She craved peace for that night, heaven knows she's fed up and tired.

Physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically tired. Exhausted from making his food to his taste, but not later being to his taste, causing him to start his verbal assault.

She had had enough for the night, he could continue tomorrow or not, but all she wanted that moment was the comfort of her bed and pillows.

"No more," she declared, her voice quivering at first, but later becoming steady. "No more, please. I did everything in accordance to your commands and still you delight yourself in trash talking to me. I know I'd probably be punished tomorrow, but all I ask for is to be allowed to sleep this night".

Xavier's cruel smirk faltered for a brief moment, but he quickly recovered, dismissing Isabel's words as mere defiance. He scoffed, his voice dripping with pure hatred and scorn.

He stood up gallantly, walked closer to her and chuckled wickedly.

''Wow, the timid girl gets angry, didn't know that. You're being delusional, Isabel. You're mine, from the moment your dad walked you down the aisle to my side, you became my property''. He paused to catch his breath and continued.

''Mine to yell at, mime to lock up, mine to scold, mine to fuck even. But, who would want to put their sperm in something as disgusting as the Connel's bloodline,definitely not me!" He spay out.

His vulgar words brought tears to my eyes and my feet almost lost their last strength, but I stood with determination and sniffed.

''You've definitely grown some balls, probably because I have only been verbally abusing you and not putting you away in your special room, I'm very sure your friends in there missed you so much".

As soon as the words fell from his mouth, I knew I had funked up and I stood no chance of sleeping in my bed tonight. Only if I had kept my mouth shut,though might be late, I'd have gotten through with it and be allowed to sleep peacefully for some hours in my bed.

And it was just as she imagined, Xavier locked her up in the basement again for a day and half, only commanding Kate to bring her a little portion of food once. Her whole stay in the basement was traumatic as she was reminded of the type of childhood she had.

As Xavier's relentless maltreatment continued, Isabel found herself retreating further into the depths of her own silence. Her timid nature and reserved demeanor made it difficult for her to speak up against his cruelty.

Not like she would ever try speaking up for herself again, even if she was given the chance, she learnt not to ever go against him in the most cruelest way ever. She felt trapped, her spirit gradually suffocating under the weight of his words and actions.

Xavier's actions and words made her believed she was destined to endure this torment indefinitely, her voice silenced and her spirit broken.

In the days that followed, Isabel withdrew even further into herself. She became a shell of her former self, her spirit dampened by Xavier's relentless maltreatment. Kate and Mrs. Miller watched helplessly as she retreated deeper into her own world, unable to reach her. Not even their jokes could make her crack a smile.

She'd only go down to eat when called upon, be at the door waiting for his arrival, make his food and withstand his incessant abuse and later go up to her room to lay down. That was her life in words, she cried to sleep everytime, the sounds of her tears muffled by her pillows, and waking up the next day with dark eyes.

She was left in a state of quiet desperation, she wanted nothing more than Blair to appear and laugh the whole situation off with claims of her eloping being a prank, but a girl can only hope. Deep within her, she knew it was all thoughts that could never happen in reality.

Her journey toward healing and self-discovery remained uncertain, obscured by the shadow of Xavier's dark cruelty. But deep within her, a tiny ember of hope still flickered—a glimmer of possibility for a future where she could find her voice and reclaim her worth.