Oops I Am My Bully's Bride

Chapter 11

“Now the condom,” Adrian said. “The top drawer is empty...It seems I finished it last week. They’re on the highest shelf of the bathroom cabinet in the black box. Bring the whole packet.”

Marceline stood still for a moment longer than she should have. Her eyes were filled with unshaded tears.

The idea of walking across the room, opening that cabinet, and bringing the packet back felt heavier than the request itself. Not because she couldn't, but because she was going to do all that for her own husband.

“Adrian, I can't, I am your wife for crying out loud...” She stated, her hands formed into fists.

His hand moved before she finished the sentence. The slap landed cleanly across her cheek , turning it bright red in colour.

The force of the slap turned her face to the side as heat spread under her skin.

“I didn’t ask for a conversation,” he said. “Go.”

She turned toward the bathroom with a heavy heart..... Each step required effort, and especially with the babies shifting with her movement, one of them pressing low and hard against her bladder.

She kept one hand lightly against the wall for balance in the hallway.

When she reached the bathroom she closed the door quietly behind her and leaned against it, eyes closed, breathing through her mouth until the worst of the dizziness passed.

*You can do this. They’re safe. You’re still safe. Two weeks. Maybe less....Your dreams await...After that you leave and none of this follows you.*

She opened her eyes and looked at the tall cabinet. The black box sat on the very top shelf, pushed slightly back. She stretched onto her toes and reached. Her fingers brushed only the wooden edge. The movement pulled at the muscles along her side and sent a dull warning through her hips.

She lowered her heels and looked around the small bathroom. In the corner near the towel rack stood the low wooden stool the staff used when cleaning the higher shelves. She walked over to it, gripped the sides, and dragged it across the tiles. The legs scraped softly. She positioned it in front of the cabinet and tested her weight on it with one foot. It held, but the surface was narrow.

Climbing required both hands. She placed one on the counter and the other on the cabinet door, then stepped up carefully. The extra weight of the pregnancy made her balance feel uncertain. She rose onto the stool fully and reached again. Her fingertips touched the corner of the black box. She stretched farther.

The stool shifted under her.

Her foot slipped. She fell hard onto her right side, the impact knocking the air from her lungs. Pain flared through her hip and shoulder. For several seconds she stayed on the cold tile, one arm curled protectively around her belly, the other braced against the floor. A small, broken sound escaped her throat before she could stop it. Tears gathered quickly. She pressed her forehead to the floor and forced the sobs down, breathing in short, controlled pulls of air.

*Get up. They’re fine. You’re fine. Just get the box and take it back. That’s all. Nothing else matters right now.*

She pushed herself onto her knees first, then used the edge of the counter to stand. Her hip throbbed. Her shoulder ached. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her cardigan and looked at the stool again. It had toppled onto its side. She righted it, checked the legs, and climbed once more—slower this time, testing every shift of her weight. Both hands stayed locked on the cabinet. She rose fully, reached, and closed her fingers around the black box. She pulled it down carefully and stepped off the stool with deliberate care, one foot at a time.

Inside the box were several packets. She took one, closed the lid, and set the box on the counter. Her hands were shaking. She waited until they steadied before she opened the bathroom door.

Adrian was still on the bed. Victoria remained against his side, her hand moving in slow circles across his chest. When Marceline placed the single packet on the nightstand, Adrian picked it up between two fingers and held it directly in front of her face.

He smirked. “So obedient....finally.”

Victoria’s fingers continued their path along his collarbone. Adrian turned his head and kissed her without looking away from Marceline. The kiss was unhurried. Victoria made a soft sound against his mouth and leaned closer. When he pulled back he still held the condom up between them, the small foil packet catching the light.

“See how much simpler everything is when you listen the first time?” he said. “Next time I ask for something, I expect you to move faster.”

Marceline stood where she was, cheek burning, hip aching, and said nothing.