The truth is, is that you could slit my throat and with my last gasping breath, I'd apologise for bleeding on your shirt.—Unknown

[10]

fright when I hear the front door open and close. My hands shake as I stand in the kitchen with my back turned away from the door. The heavy footsteps of David's draw closer and I shiver in anticipation.

"I'm home!" He shouts and opens the French doors that lead to the kitchen. Suddenly, the footsteps stop. I heavily sigh in frustration before turning around to meet a smirking David.

"Miss me, Princess?" I grab onto the counter to keep myself from collapsing, my body still shaking in absolute fear.

I shake my head but pause and instead nod, not wanting to anger him.

"Well that's good," he starts, "because I missed you so much. In fact, there was this real bitch that kept bugging me. She just kept coming at me and I got really angry. I was this close to breaking her fingers..." I wince at the thought. He's done it to me before.

"You're so annoying!" David shouts. "You've ruined my life, you ruin everything you horrible whore!"

A punch is thrown to my stomach but that is soon followed by more. I'm in so much pain that I can't even talk.

"Talking to Peter, aye? Thought that maybe if you left hints about me hitting you, he would save you?"

I shake my head. No.

"Oh really? Because he came up to me asking if everything was okay at home, said you showed him one of your teeny, tiny bruises." David spits on me in disgust and grabs my hair, slamming my head into the wall repeatedly.

Pain travels its way up my neck making me gasp loudly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I hurting you?" David asks sympathetically. I nod my head, tears falling down my face.

"Here," David says offering me his hand. I freeze and contemplate. David looks awfully sorrowful and pitiful for the pain I'm in. I take his hand.

Worst decision I've made in a long time.

He roughly grabs a hold of my fingers and brings them back towards the front of my forehand. I scream in pain but that doesn't stop him. He keeps going...until they just...snap. My three middles fingers break.

I let out a high, deathly scream. My hand feels like it had snapped into two, but really, in reality, it had.

"You're such a worthless piece of shit."

David walks away leaving me and my broken fingers behind.

"It's kind of sad that she was annoying, I mean, she did have a nice ass - " David pauses before looking me up and down in disgust, "unlike someone."

I inwardly smile. I didn't appeal sexually towards David and I've never been so happy in my life. Literally.

David grabs hold of my arm. I didn't really realise he had gotten this close. His nails press further into my skin making me hiss in pain, but then, he stops like he'd remembered something.

David lets go and walks away.

I stand frozen in my spot, confusion flooding my mind. Did David really just stop? I breathe out in absolute shock.

Why?

"Isabelle, we're leaving!" Kelly shouts from the front door. I shake my head clear of any wondering thoughts and stroll towards the front door. I've been to only one party for Gary's work before in my life.

That ended really badly with me messing up and almost costing Gary his job. I may have brought up the fact that Gary drank. A lot.

He lost his old job anyways...

I shuffle into the backseat of the car and shut the door. David plops himself next to me, smirking in the process. Is there something happening tonight that I'm not aware of?

Kelly and Gary follow suit after. I feel like all eyes are on me. Every so often, someone would look my way like I was about to do something bad. I hate this feeling. The constant feeling of being afraid.

The rumble of the car engine comes alive and I shiver slightly. I'm so antsy tonight. When am I not?

Ten minutes into the drive is when Gary speaks up.

"I'm going to set some ground rules up for you, Isabelle," he says eyeing me through the rearview mirror. I look away instantly and instead look out the front window instead.

"No talking to unless we address you. So that means that if someone comes up to you and talks, you excuse yourself," he begins.

"You also must stay by either David or my side the whole night. If you try to even escape - well you know what happens there. That's all, just don't fucking piss any one of us off tonight as well. Is that understood?"

I nod my head. "Yes."

The drive seems to take forever. All the houses around here are nice and pricey, though. Finally, we arrive at a beautiful house.

The lawn and bushes look freshly groomed as well as the paths. Little garden lights lead us through the garden to the front steps where the main doors stand. The house seems to be two stories give or taking some floors like the basement. The house is a white creamy colour which contrasted well with the greenery that surrounded the house. Most of all though, the house looks like a home. Not just a posh house where people live.

It looks like a house where not only people but a family lives.

Gary knocks on the door. After a minute or so of waiting, the door opens revealing a man who seems to be in his mid-forties.

"Gary! A pleasure to see you again and you brought your family as well, excellent! Mind introducing me to them?"

Gary smiles proudly looking at David and Kelly. "These two lovely people are my fine wife and son. David and Kelly, this is my boss, Mr Brian Harley." Brian smiles widely at the two and shakes their hands.

"Pleasure to meet you," he pauses and looks behind them to me. "I think you missed one," Brian states to Gary, pointing to me. Gary frowns and looks behind Kelly and David.

"Oh right..." Gary scratches the back of his head awkwardly. His eyes flash with frustration but that soon vanishes when Brian looks back at him.

"That's, Isabelle."

Brian nods slowly before reaching his hand out. I hesitantly look around. Everyone is looking at me expectantly. Reluctantly, I shake his hand but avoid eye contact.

No eye contact.

Brian stares at me for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Sorry, you just look like someone I used to know. Please, everyone, come inside."

Gary, Kelly and David step inside. Mr Harley leads Kelly and Gary away before David looks back at me.

"Dirty sluts don't belong in places like this," he says before slamming the door in my face. I stand there for what seems to be minutes before clearing my head and reopening the door.

The elegance of the house is amazing. I look around in utter astonishment. It is beautiful. A massive staircase leads up to the grand floor, not to mention the house itself smelt wonderful. I look around, not realising I have entered the party room. The room is full of people. I can't find David nor Gary.

Stay by our sides at all times.

Finally, I find Gary and make my way towards him, but then stop.

"Isabelle!" A loud feminine voice squeals with excitement. I turn around praying it isn't who I think it is.

Lily, Adam and some other guy I don't recognise, stand in a group staring at me.

And Adam doesn't seem happy one little bit.