Ethan gave me a confused stare, like he had no idea what I was saying. “I saw it all, Ethan. I know what you do,” I said, glaring into his eyes.
“What are you talking about?” Ethan wondered, still pretending not to know.
“Don’t lie to me,” I yelled, swinging my hands as water from the tub splashed at Ethan, and he moved slightly.
“I saw it, videos of how you kill and torture people, how you are the so-called King of the underworld, doing illegal things,” I said, watching his eyes widen.
“What kind of monster are you?” I asked again.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were such a monster?” As I spoke, I felt a little relieved I didn’t have a child with him.
“Is that the kind of life our baby would have had, having a father who murders people? Is that the kind of life Jake had? No wonder he thought it was okay to attack me,” I continued to berate Ethan, whose eyes softened as he looked at the ground.
“That was not my plan for us,” Ethan explained, and I rolled my eyes.
“You are my peace, Emily. You are the one person who makes me forget all the violence in my life,” Ethan started, but I cut him off.
“I don’t care,” I yelled, getting up from the tub.
“I know you have William and Ian here. I want to see them,” I said to Ethan, who immediately started shaking his head.
“No,” Ethan said. Wayne had told me that he kept them at sea to prevent them from escaping. I was certain it was somewhere on this massive ship.
“I want to see them, Ethan,” I insisted, starting to feel cold as I got out of the Jacuzzi, picking up a towel on the rack close by and wrapping myself with it.
“I can’t let you see them,” Ethan refused, following me as I walked out of the bathroom into the room.
“If you don’t let me see them, I will never forgive you,” I said, a ridiculous threat but the only one I could think of at the moment.
Ethan sighed, staring at me. “These people hurt you, Emily. They are getting what they deserve,” Ethan tried to explain, but his words just irritated me.
“What do you mean ‘what they deserve’? They deserve to be in jail, not tortured by you,” I yelled.
“You hurt me too. Would you torture yourself the way you are torturing them?” I asked, as tears began to fall from my eyes.
“I saw the video. I saw how you hung them on a rack like animals, almost lifeless.” The thought of it made me sick.
“And you are saying you are doing it for me? I would never want that,” I cried. I hated being the reason other people suffered. How could he say he was a monster for me?
“I am sorry, Emily,” Ethan said, walking to hold me, but I pushed him away.
“Don’t touch me. I just need to see them,” I yelled, and he nodded.
“But you know I can’t let them go,” Ethan said, and I nodded. I knew that already; they were better off dead.
“Fine, get dressed and I will take you to them,” Ethan said.
I got ready in a rush, with Ethan providing me with something to wear, a very simple plain cream gown that was slightly too big.
“I am ready,” I said as soon as I was done.
“Are you sure you want to see them?” Ethan asked, and I nodded. I just needed to see them to be sure.
Ethan nodded, walking slowly as he guided me to the stairs, the lowest part of the ship, the coldest and dimly lit part well underwater.
The section of the ship was highly guarded, more so than the top. I watched him pass through several security checks with almost five automated doors that only opened to him after a face scan.
“Are you…” Ethan was about to ask me if I was sure again when I cut him off.
“Let me see,” I commanded, and he opened the door to what looked like a torture room, a room with blue lights that smelled like iron.
The room was filled with tools even a butcher wouldn’t have. Again, tears began to fall from my eyes.
He walked inside the room, opening what looked like a cold room. The cold breeze from the room made me shiver as I peeped into it.
There they were, William, Ian, and two other men hanging and slowly bleeding.
I gasped at the sight. It was one thing to see it on a video but to see them in real life was horrific.
I quickly looked away, asking, “Are they alive?”
“Barely,” Ethan replied, sounding uncomfortable.
I felt my heart break instantly, and a sudden hatred for Ethan grew, I suddenly felt my tears dry up and my heart harden towards Ethan.
“Please end their torture,” I said. Ethan’s eyes widened.
“What?” he exclaimed, and I nodded.
I didn’t say another word until I was out of the horrible room. Before I turned to Ethan, I said, “I know you wouldn’t let them go; they are as good as dead already. Instead of letting them go through this much pain, just end it,” I said, and Ethan sighed.
“I beg you,” I pleaded, and Ethan nodded.
“Take me back to the room,” I instructed Ethan, who nodded again, guiding me back to my room.
As soon as I got back to the room, I was certain about what I wanted to do.
“Can I get a phone? I need to call my father. I am sure he is worried sick,” I lied, and Ethan nodded, pulling out a phone from his pocket and handing it to me.
I took the phone from his hands, before staring at him with a frown.
“How long am I going to have to stay here?” I asked.
“Not too long. Once I am sure there is no threat to your life, you are free to go,” Ethan said, and I nodded.
“This is a lot,” I sighed, trying to find tears but they just wouldn’t come. I was too shocked and appalled to cry.
“Can you please give me space? I need to internalize it all,” I said to Ethan, who nodded, getting out of the room and the apartment.
As soon as he left, I pulled out the SIM Wayne had given me from my hair, removing Ethan’s SIM and inserting it.
I called the only number on the SIM, praying Wayne hadn’t been caught by Ethan’s men.
“Emily,” Wayne said as soon as he picked up the call.
“Did you see what you were looking for?” Wayne asked, I could hear his smirk over the phone.
“Yes, you are right. I saw it with my own eyes,” I said to Wayne. ”
Tell me what you want me to do. I will do anything to help you bring Ethan down.”
**CLOSURE:** (before Ethan rescued Emily, after Wayne showed her the video.)
Tears streamed down my eyes as Wayne showed me the video of Ian and William, guilt-eating me up.
“Is Ethan really a monster?” I thought to myself, staring at Wayne.
“This is the man you love,” Wayne said, his words piercing my heart and I instantly regretted my love for Ethan
“And you think killing me would help you stop him?” I asked. I understood why they wanted to kill me, but I didn’t think it was the best way to stop Ethan.
“Yes, we have to hurt him too,” Wayne said, and I shook my head.
“What you have to do is destroy him, ruin everything he has worked for, and get him arrested,” I said, feeling upset and used. At that moment, all I felt for Ethan was hatred.
“I see,” Wayne smirked. “And how do you propose we do that?” Wayne wondered.
“I can help you. Just tell me what to do, and I will help you,” I said to Wayne, and he smiled, shaking his head.
“I am not saying this because I want to live. I am saying this because I want to see him pay. He hurt me too, and he is a monster,” I said to Wayne, I meant every word of it, after watching the video all I could think of was stopping him.
I could see a hint of doubt in Wayne’s eyes.
“If you kill me now, Ethan will come after you. You know he has seen us together. He will just kill you like everyone else and move on with his life. But if we destroy him…” I said, pausing as I saw him nod.
“What’s your plan?” Wayne asked, and I shrugged.
“I heard you and Gloria say Ethan tracks my phone?” I asked, and he nodded. ‘Sick bastard,’ I thought about Ethan at the moment.
“Just turn on my phone and let him come find me,” I said to Wayne, who looked confused.
“I would help you find his weakness, pretend to be with him and destroy him, All you have to do is tell me how. You know him better than I do,” I said to Wayne, who began to nod smile peaking at the edge of his lips.
“Fine, here you go,” Wayne said as I watched him type something on his phone before pulling out his SIM.
“This is an untraceable SIM, and the only number in it is mine. Call me,” Wayne said. It shocked me how easily he trusted my words. Could it be that he saw the anger in my eyes too?
“But wait, I can’t hurt Ethan until I am sure he is everything you say he is” I said to Wayne who just chuckled.
“That’s alright, when he saves you ask him to show you the men he tortures, when you have found what you are looking for call me” Wayne said, moving towards me and tucking the sim in my hair.