NFTMB)Chapter 47
Victoria
(It’s My Fate)
“Are you sure you’re okay?”. Valentino asked warily as I gulped down the water he provided that I desperately needed in my system right now.
“I will be once I’m done with this”. I said gesturing to the water before I completely emptied the bottle.
“I don’t mean to pry, Victoria but how did you end up handcuffed to the bed in your condition? Shouldn’t you both already learn to be more careful in whatever thing you’re doing considering you’re pregnant? Extreme practices like this could really hurt your baby no matter how enticing and crazy you both might be for each other”. He said uncomfortably.
Did he really think that I would agree to this on my own?
“I never agreed to this. Alessandro handcuffed me to the bedpost last night and didn’t release me before leaving the house”. I said, wiping my tears that fell.
“Then why the hell do you look like that?”. He gestured to the bleeding cut on my swollen lips, my disorganized dress and my overall flustered appearance.
“I never consented to any of this. Your brother forced me. He was the one that bit me”.
“What?! How could he do a thing like that? This is unbelievable!”. He said in anger while I just sat there crying.
“Is he hurting you?”. He asked me after some time when he had calmed down a bit.
I looked at him suspiciously as I weighed my options and wondered if I could really open up to him.
“Hey, you can trust me, Vic. I can call you Vic right?”. He asked me kindly as I nodded slowly while playing with my hands.
I was too embarrassed to look at him.
“Okay, Vic. You can trust me. I’m one of the good guys or something like that”. He said with a smile and a wave of his hand as I giggled a bit at his mannerisms. “You know you can trust me”. He urged me.
“He has only hit me once”. I said quietly.
I could hear him suck in air before holding my hand.
“Was that why you said you had been hit earlier?”. He asked carefully like I was a very fragile specimen.
“Yes. He hit me across the face and I was already pregnant then”. I cry almost every time I remember that horrible day.
I don’t know why I felt very embarrassed to say all these things to Valentino.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed to say anything to me, Vic. You’re the victim here. If anyone should be embarrassed it’s me, my brother did all that. I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through”. He said.
“You’re so nice that I’m about to cry”. I said, wiping my tears.
“I get that a lot”. He said to me with a killer smile.
I laughed at his flirtations before continuing my sob story.
“He made me break up with my boyfriend, Flynn. Flynn used to be his driver before he fired him and started driving himself.
I quit my job as Matteo’s nanny because he wouldn’t let me be with Flynn in peace. He would always harass and embarrass me every time I was with Flynn just because I slept with him.
It got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to quit for my own peace of mind. Still he didn’t let me be”.
“What else happened, Vic.” He slowly urged me to tell him the details.
“While dating Flynn, I found out I was pregnant and I knew that it was Alessandro’s because I hadn’t exactly been with anyone else except him. I told his most trusted man, Sebastian, that I was pregnant and at that point I was considering giving the baby up for adoption because I couldn’t bring myself to have an abortion.”
“That’s so brave and so kind of you.”
“I did not tell Flynn that I was pregnant because I didn’t want him to leave me. Alessandro stormed into my house one night and demanded and threatened that I tell him who owns the child I was carrying.
Due to fear I blurted out that the baby was his and Flynn heard it and broke up with me. That night was the first time I saw him pull out a gun. He humiliated and insulted me that night after declaring that we were going to get married.”
“My God!”.
“My friend suggested that I report him to the police. He said the police would help me get justice. The police turned on me and were working for Alessandro.
That day was the day he hit me in a fit of rage. Looking back at that moment, I caused it. I made him angry”.
I admit that it was my fault. I made him mad.
“No, don’t ever do that again. Don’t fault yourself for being at the receiving end of a man’s violence.
If you continue doing this, Vic, you will slowly spiral into a severe case of domestic violence and you will still blame yourself even though you’re not the one at fault.” He said.
“I remember him bursting through the door in anger and grabbing me by the hair. I remember saying some very horrible things to him before he retaliated in anger and slapped me across the face.
He put me through so much emotional and physical stress that day that I thought that I almost lost the baby after I started bleeding”.
Thoughts of seeing that red liquid gushing down my legs made me shudder in fear of what could have happened had I wasted any more time.
“Wait, he beat you to the point of bleeding?”. He asked in absolute shock.
“No, he only slapped me once. He was straddling me and was shouting at me while I was yelling for him to stop because I was feeling pains in my abdomen but he didn’t listen till I started bleeding out. He didn’t do it intentionally”.
“And after that?”. He asked.
“After that he took me to the hospital, got me treated and forced me back here to live permanently. The day I almost lost my baby was the day I knew that I wanted to keep it and I wanted to hold it in my arms and see it grow”.
“So, you really didn’t want to be here?”. He said but mainly to himself like he was having a conversation with himself.
“No. Left for me I would rather choose for me and my baby to be as far away from him as possible”. I said cradling my little bump.
“My brother is a real nut job and I’m sorry that you have to go through all these alone. You really don’t deserve any of these. Nobody does”.
“Well, that’s my fate now. If I try to leave or go contrary to his instructions, my friends will pay for it with their life and I’m sure that I’ll definitely not see my baby ever again”. I said in tears as Valentino looked very guilty.
“I don’t know what to say to you except I’m sorry”. He spoke after some time.
“It’s fine. I’m used to it”. I said showing him my red and bruised wrists as an example of my predicament and present condition.
“You should never be used to something like this”. He said before opening the first aid kit he brought with him along with the water.
“What’s the point of treating it when I’ll just go back to that same position”. I laughed ironically.
“At least for the meantime. Let me help ”. He said before proceeding to wipe both my wrists with an antiseptic towel.
“How did you get this?”. He asked, pointing at my lip before he wiped it with the antiseptic towel.
“I got it this morning after he kissed me. Very forcefully”.
“I’m sorry, I should not have asked”.
“No, it’s fine, Valentino”.
“No, that was very inappropriate. Forgive me”.
“I’m not offended. It’s fine. He’s done worse to me”. I said with a sad smile.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”. He asked again.
“I will be. It’s not that bad. If I do as he says then there won’t be a problem”. I shrugged
“And you’re okay with him cheating?”.
“I would have said yes if he lets me rest and stays with his mistresses but then even after staying with them, he’ll still come to make my life a living hell.
I’d give anything for him to be with them and I’ll be on my own. At least I won’t have to deal with a bleeding lip and his wandering hands”.
“This is terrible”. He said.
“I’ll be fine, Valentino. He’s not going to kill me. I’m carrying his baby”. I reminded him.
“That’s your life insurance. Keep it protected and secured”. He laughed.
“On it.”
“You’re good as new now”. He said placing a band aid securely over my bruised lips.
“Keep your things close because once he arrives, I’ll be needing your services”. I tried to crack a joke.
“Vic, does he force you?”. He asked carefully.
I know what he was asking.
“Not really. He didn’t. Once when it almost got to that, Sebastian saved me by distracting him. So no, he doesn’t. When I slept with him for the first time, I don’t know what to call it but it wasn’t exactly forced. I never told him to stop”.
“You need help, Victoria”. He sounded concerned.
“No, it’s not that deep. I’ll be fine. Right now, I’m more focused on staying in one piece and in good health till my baby arrives”. I said, patting my belly happily.
“I can’t wait for that as well”. He said with a very sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
I smiled widely at him, noticing my vision getting blurry due to the tears that threatened to fall.
“Now please get me back in these”. I said, showing him the handcuffs.
“You really want to do this? This isn’t good for you or the baby, Vic”.
“I know but maybe if I beg him more nicely tonight then he’ll release me”.
“Ugh”. He said, rolling his eyes.
“Come on, it’s not what you’re thinking”. I said, shoving him playfully. “Help me put these on”. I gave him the handcuffs.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this”. He said before fastening it around my wrists and onto the bedpost.
“All done”.
“Thank you”.
“Don’t thank me. It makes me feel weird. I feel like an asshole for this”.
“You’re not. I begged you to do it”.
“It’s still the same thing”.
“No, it’s not”.
“How are you okay with all this?”.
“It’s my fate. I have to deal with it”. I sadly responded.