Isabelle’s eyes fluttered around, and the consistent chirping sound of birds disrupted her deep sleep. As she groggily sat up, fragmented pieces of her memories began to arrange themselves, forming a solved puzzle piece. Her legs were weak but she managed to stand on her feet, scanning the bungalow house which almost looked deserted.
“I see you’re awake” a male voice came through from behind which was the exact main entrance of the house. “Good!.. cause I made breakfast”
“Max, where I’m I?” Isabelle, asked, her voice laced with great trepidation, her eyes flashing with wariness as she examined the house. “Why did you bring me here?”
“Relax, Isabelle” Max chided her, a smile plastered on his hypocritical face. “You should eat something first. You’ve been asleep for almost forty-eight hours”
“You have to tell me where I am ?.. how do I get back to my place”
“Well, if you want to know the truth so badly, then I’ll tell it” Max sighed in frustration as he stood on his feet. “I brought you here to live with me. You can’t go back to the city even if you want to, so you have to get used to it”
“No, never” Isabelle shook her head vehemently in disagreement. “I can’t stay with you. You have to take me back to wherever you brought me from now”
Max was getting infuriated by her stubbornness, his patience about to snap as she uttered to Isabelle in an eerie calm voice. “You were never like this when we first met, always wanted to cling to me at every given opportunity… You loved me then, not him.. I’m quite sure he hasn’t done the things that I’ve done to it”
“Pak” The instant he finished his statement, a loud slap landed on his face, causing him to stare at Isabelle in disbelief.
“Don’t you dare compare yourself to Liam ever again” She yelled, her voice laced with anger, her eyes flashing with disgust. “You have to let me go. Whatever happened between us was a terrible mistake which I’m still regretting”
Suddenly, a smile curved on his lips as he remarked. “So, Liam has influenced you to act stubborn… If you don’t want to be like him, you better get rid of that sassy attitude of yours. My patience is limited.”
Isabelle’s aggressive side began to awaken as she glared furiously at Max, “You’re heartless. I regret ever getting to know you… If you cared for me, you wouldn’t have destroyed my life like that” She suddenly broke down in tears. “Love doesn’t hurt like this, love let’s go”
“Well, here is my definition of love. Love helps you claim what’s rightfully yours” Max countered with a playful smirk on his face. He walked over to her spot and crouched down to her level. “I love you, Isabelle… Just let us start something good together. Just me and you, we could stay here forever”
“That’s insane of you to ask of me” Isabelle yelled, spitting into his face. “I’ll never love you. What I had for you then was just a silly infatuation that I’ve gotten over….. I love someone else”
“You didn’t have to spit into my face, it’s quite disrespectful,” Max remarked with a darkened expression on his face that made Isabelle shiver in fear. She scrambled away from him, standing up and running out of the house”
“If you think you can leave, then you’re free to. I won’t stop you” Max shouted after her with sarcasm in his voice. “Just don’t do anything stupid”
Isabelle who ran out of the house, searched the whole place for where to escape. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulders which turned her to face reality. “Oh! No” she exclaimed in shock.
As she stared around the area, the shock on her face increased more as she took in the structure of the Island. It was almost surrounded by water with no route to escape. The only way out was if an outsider came to help them.
“Why did you do this?” She asked again with teary eyes, her gaze pleading as she stared at him. “You didn’t have to do all of this”
“I’m sorry, Isabelle but it was the only way I could keep you to myself” he replied, his tone laced with a hint of pity. “You can take your time, I’ll will willingly give you all the time in the world to love me back”
“But you almost ruined the life of the man that I love” She choked on her tears, her knees shaking until they gave way and fell to the ground. “The only feeling I have for you is the feeling of hatred. You brought me shame, Max. You brought me nothing but shame”
Max was deeply hurt by her words. “Those feelings will change, you’ll learn to love me”
“No, I won’t” Isabelle shook her head in disagreement. “I will only grow to hate you more anything I remember the pain you cost me”
Max was getting irritated by her unsatisfying reply. “Don’t make me force you, Isabelle. I could make you love me”
“You can do nothing” Isabelle fired back. “Do whatever you want, even if you take my memories away, I won’t love you. Over my dead body”
The moment she uttered those words, Max’s last strand of patience was snapped. “If that’s how you want it, you should be ready to spend the rest of your life here on this island. Let’s see how long your stubborn attitude can last”
“You have no shame” Isabelle uttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she gave up on trying to talk some senses into his head, so she went back into the house and reluctantly ate the food. At least, she wasn’t going to charge”
“Now, that’s how I want it. Obedient and submissive” Max uttered, nodding in satisfaction as he watched her eat. “You can do whatever you want but don’t you ever think of running away. There’s no electricity in this place”
“When next are we having another food supply here “Isabelle asked, her eyes flashing with a mysterious glint as she seemed to recall something. “Max, pls excuse me.. I’ll be back”