Mr. Valentine's Heart

No Pills

~Cherise~

The door opens, but I don’t move from my spot. I’ve been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I hear footsteps around me, and suddenly, the room is flooded with bright sunlight. The footsteps echo throughout the room until they are next to the bed. “Morning, Miss. Mr. Moras asked me to get you ready for the day.” I sigh internally, wishing I could get the hell out of here.

I throw the blankets back and slide out of bed. I walk into the ensuite bathroom and get in the shower. I know there’s no need to rush because she will have clothes laid out for me. He would have requested I wear a particular outfit, and I would have no choice but to comply. She’ll insist that she help dress me, but I won’t allow that.

I walk out of the bathroom with just a towel around my body. The room is empty, much to my surprise. I walk toward the bed to find an emerald green dress across it. It’s a maxi dress with gold flowers along the skirt. Gold gladiator sandals were placed at the foot of the bed. I guess this is the wanted look for today. I swear I can’t remember the last time I actually wore what I liked. Hell, I don’t even know what I like.

I keep my look simple, skipping makeup and keeping my hair loose. I refuse to completely play into his whims. I look in the mirror, the mark on the base of my neck catching my eye. It’s a curious thing; I think it’s a tattoo. He’s always talking about removing it, and I’ve always refused. I don’t know anything about it or why I got it, but something tells me it’s important.

It’s a small heart that’s sketched. There’s a crown on top of the left hump. If you look closely, there looks to be two puncture wounds on each side of the heart, but I can’t be sure. He hates this tattoo and has begged me to get rid of it. I don’t know why it’s such a sore spot, but I will never let it go before I find out what it means.

I pick up my coverage makeup and get to work covering the tattoo. This makes it less of a focal point, and I can get through my days without hearing the whining. I dust the area with a powder meant to seal the makeup. I take another look in the mirror and walk to the door.

When I open the door, she’s standing there with her hand in the air, ready to knock. “Sorry, Miss. Mr. Moras sent me for you.” I roll my eyes and close the door behind me.

“You don’t need to walk me, Cynthia. I’m perfectly capable and getting to the kitchen on my own.” Cynthia opens her mouth to speak, but I hold a hand up to stop her. “I know, you were given orders.” I walk down the hall and down the stairs. The closer I get to the kitchen, the more I can hear voices. Alexi is not alone down there, and my fists clench at my side. I hate when he has people over without talking to me. I always have to act even more than usual.

I round the corner, and the dining room comes into view. I stop in my steps when I see who our guest is. “What’s she doing here?” All eyes are on me as I try to contain my rage. That bi.tch is here, and I know what kind of day I’m going to have.

“Good morning, my love.” Alexi stands from the table and walks over to me. He pulls me into his arms and kisses my cheek. “Be nice, hmm.” Alexi speaks into my ears, I’m sure not wanting her to hear.

“Be nice? What is she doing here?” His grip on me tightens, and I suck in my breath. I refuse to scream, cry, or beg. Alexi pulls back and gives me a look. I know it means that I need to behave. He grabs my hand and walks me over to the table.

“Say good morning to Dr. Reynolds, my love. I thought it would be good for her to observe you since you’ve still been getting headaches.” I keep my eye roll to myself and mumble a good morning as I take a seat on Alexi’s left. He sits at the head of the table, and I sit to his left.

“Good morning, Mrs. Moras. You look good this morning. I just wanted to observe you so we can tweak your medication.” A medication that makes me feel like something is missing in my life. A medication that I’ve been trying not to take, but it always seems to make its way to me.

A cup of coffee is placed in front of me, but its scent is off. I pretend that everything is okay as I stir it. The coffee is discolored, off from what I’m used to. Something was put into my cup as usual, and I hate that. There are these pills that he has me get from the great doctor here. They make me lose time, and when I come to, I feel different. My body feels like it’s been through some work, and I hate that. I have no proof, but I’m sure that the pills knock me out, and he has his way with me when that happens. I try my hardest not to take the pills.

When I first noticed this, I rushed to a nurse in tears. She took pity on me and put her future on the line. She put me on birth control, one of the devices that can’t be detected. I have a feeling he wants to impregnate me, and I refuse to let that happen. I don’t belong here, and that feeling gets stronger every day.

I bring the cup to my lips and pretend to sip it. I feel his eyes watching my every move, and when I put the cup down, he has a smile on his face. I turn my attention to Dr. Reynolds. “It isn’t necessary. I don’t need a change in my medication.”

“Now, love, let the professional look out for you, hmm?” I look down at my plate, trying to keep my hatred to myself.

“I’m fine, Alexi. I don’t need an adjustment.”

“If you are having headaches often, then you aren’t fine now, are you?” Dr. Reynolds chuckles as if this is all a normal thing. I’m being regularly drugged, and I don’t know why that is. I just know I need to get out of here.