Clarissa

I woke up in a spacious room. Everything was plain white and there was no door that I could see. The whole place was as sparkling as snow.

I darted my eyes around confusedly, and immediately, one edge of the wall opened, revealing a well-hidden door. Barry walked into the room, casting a contemptuous glare at me.

Sitting on the bed, I retreated and folded myself by the edge, avoiding eye contact with him. I watched in silence as he sauntered towards me like a predator about to devour its prey.

"You stupid girl!" He roared and pulled my hair, causing me great pain.

He pulled me closer, his gaze feeding off my fear. I trembled at the terror in his eyes and my lips began to quiver.

"You think you can escape after all I've done for you huh? I think it's about time you get locked up for good," he growled.

I had grown terrified of him, so I dared not say a word. I prayed silently that he wouldn't force himself on me again because I may not be able to stop him this time.

"Don't you dare try to run away again! If you do, you'll have yourself to blame for whatever happens to your sick mother. Do you understand?" He threatened, and I swallowed hard, whimpering like a scared little child.

He let go of my hair and pushed me against the wall. I watched in silence as he smacked his lips, staring back at me.

Without another word, he walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him, startling me. I shook heavily and lay flat on the bed.

My mind drifted off to my parents and I felt hot tears bubbling up in my eyes.

The door opened again revealing Barry in a different outfit.

"Hey," he called out to me in the softest tone I had ever heard from him.

"You want some sandwich?" He asked, and I paused.

I stared back at him in silence wondering if I was supposed to answer. Could it be a trap again? Why would Barry care about what I eat?

For the past 2 months since we got married, he had never asked about my needs or what I wanted to eat.

I maintained my silence, and seeing that I wasn't saying a word, he plodded towards the bed. I readjusted myself.

My heart started beating fast but I pretended to be cool so as not to provoke his anger. The fear I had for Barry was second to none. At this point, he might have succeeded in breaking me.

He bent before me with a tender smile that exposed his perfectly arranged white teeth. I swallowed hard, staring at his blue eyes. Those seductive eyes were my weakness.

He sat me up on the bed gently and I obliged. I couldn't take my gaze off him as a sense of wonder kept me thinking, why was he suddenly being so gentle to me? He just threatened to kill my mother a few minutes ago.

What kind of a beautiful monster is he? I thought inwardly. He held my jaw in his index finger and raised my face.

"I'm sorry, Clarissa. For everything. Please forgive me," he whispered, his breath all over my face, and my jaw dropped.

I opened my mouth agape, staring deep into his eyes unsure of what to say. He took my hand and led me out of the room gently, and as I followed him, I couldn't get my eyes off him.

We got to the dining, and I was surprised to see the table well arranged. He ushered me to a seat and dished out dinner.

I couldn't eat. My mind couldn't rest as I kept wondering what had gone wrong.

Why the sudden change? My instincts were telling me that something was wrong, but what? Why now?