Forbidden Love

Chapter ONE

- Kate

KATE LET OUT A SMALL SIGH OF RELIEF when the chirpy female voice from the other line on her phone spoke and started saying; “Congratulations, miss William, you have been chosen for the position at the secretarial team at AP Corporation. If you can come someday through this week to sign your contract, give your information, and picture for your badge, then you will be ready to start by next Monday. “

“Thank you, I’ll make sure to be there tomorrow”

“That sounds great, what time do you think you can be there?”

After another thank, a quick plan about the time Kate ended the call with another sigh. Things were looking up for her and her life was taking a turn for the better. It had been relatively easy for her to change back her ID, driving license, -opening a new bank account- into her maiden name. The apartment she moved into was also a catch, a good place to a good price. Maybe a little bit old and rusty, but for now it was the ideal place. The right place to gather her shattered self and put her life back together in a new start. Maybe even because it had been old and rusty, the total opposite of what she used to had, it was what she needed.

Looking around the living room, she couldn’t help the shudder that ran the length of her spine, when she started comparing it to what she used to live in. To the spacious and airy room, with the sunlight that filled it by the big windows. Comparing this little apartment to the house she used to live in, and how many little apartments could be in that house. Comparing it as well to the dread she used to feel whenever she entered that said house or the man she shared it with. The man who was supposed to be her partner, her lover, and her protector, but what he really was, her prisoner, and her terrorizer.

It wasn’t any use thinking about what she used to have and about the man she used to live with. It only brought back dark memories and shudders of fear. It brought her back to those dark places she used to stay in her mind, the depression and the anxiety. Shaking her head, Kate moved on from where she stood and went on with her chores. She started with cleaning, cleaning or any other physical job she did always helped with taking her mind away from whatever she was thinking of and instead focused on what she was doing. 

A couple of hours later, everything in the tiny apartment was spotless, and Kate herself was sweaty and tired, her mind only on a warm relaxing bath, then bed. 

                                                                    __________________________

A slamming of a door had Kate sitting op in her bed, fuzzy and disoriented. She looked around her for her phone to see what the time was but remembered that she had left it on the table in the kitchen. 

Raising from her bed, she headed for the door, while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Once opening the door, she stood still at the noises she could hear. It was like someone was inside her apartment. A burglar? She flattened herself against the wall and strived to listen. The noises were the sound of footsteps, though not of someone hurried by time, not for someone who was searching, but of someone who knew where they were heading, what they needed. Taking a deep breath, Kate moved and walked through the hall until her eyes came locked with dark eyes. Eyes she knew very well, eyes full of anger. Eyes that had terrified her for years.  

A scream was trapped in her throat as she turned around and ran to the safety of her bedroom, though she wasn’t fast enough. While she was trying to shut the door and lock it, it had been forced open again by hard muscular arms. “No, you don’t. You won’t lock me out of the room again, nor are you going to lock me out of your life” the voice was harsh, and the words were gritted between the man’s thinned lips. “D-Derek...” Kate whispered, “please, let me explain...” she said, terrified of what he might do to her, of what damage he could inflict on her. With another shiver, she started taking backward steps going further into the room and creating a bigger space between the two of them. Though her tactic didn’t work, merely seconds later he was standing before her, his hands squeezing on her throat, his breath harshly fanning on her cheek as he spoke. “What are you going to explain to me? Are you going to tell me why you left? Why you lied and cheated on me?”

“I never cheated on you, I..I just needed to get away, you were killing so very slowly, you were torturing me, and I couldn’t take it anymore, I needed to save myself, so I left so I went away”

“Stop lying, you were happy with me, you loved me, remember? Remember how many times you told me you loved me?”

“But you killed that love…please, Drake, let me leave, just leave me alone”

“No, never. If I killed that love, then I better kill you too, because no one else is going to have your love, you can only love me, if not me, then there is only death.”

Kate’s eyes widened, and her throat dried as she locked her eyes with his, seeing that he really had made up his mind, they might have been her last breathes. She saw it all in slow motion, his hands wrapping around her neck and squeezing. Squeezing so tightly, so hard, that no words, no breath nothing came from her, while he kept repeating as if saying a mantra.

“Die... you said I killed you... I better kill you for real then... Die, damn you, die…”

“N-nooooo”

“Nooo” 

Kate screamed and screamed before she sat up, her heart beating so fast and hard, it was like it wanted to burst out of her chest, her body was shaking so violently, making her teeth chattering and sweat was drenching her. Wiping some of the perspiration of her forehead, she tried to calm herself murmuring calming words to herself; “it’s okay, it’s okay.. just a dream, it’s just a dream, he isn’t here, I’m safe, I’m alone, he won’t find me, yeah he would never find me”

Placing a hand on her throat, she started massaging it lightly, feeling as if it for real had been squeezed, and that she would get bruises there the next morning.

She took another deep breath, and laid back, closing her eyes and tried to get back to sleep, but the pictures of her dream were taunting her whenever her eyes closed. She turned to the other side, and then on her back, she tried changing position, but nothing helped. She realized then that sleep wasn’t coming back, and she should just get started on with her day. She took her time taking a bath, relaxing her body, and mind as well, then prepared herself a good healthy breakfast, sadly she only could have herself to eat a few bites of it. Then she got on with getting ready for her planned meeting to get everything sorted out, for her new job. The thought of getting out to the world again, working and seeing people again was already lifting her spirit and making her looking forward to what was to come. A couple of hours later she was ready as she could ever be. Her make up light, her attire businesslike and her self-esteem at its best. Looking at her own reflection, a smile started forming on her lips, with satisfaction at what she was seeing. For at that moment, she saw, a strong, beautiful and confident woman, looking back at her in the mirror. Not the frightened, terrified, and lost woman who was shaking in her bed a few hours ago.

Once Kate arrived at the building where AP Corporation was localized, she felt intimidated by the huge building and what it held. When she walked inside, her eyes slightly widened at what she saw. A reception that was sleek, modern, welcoming and at the same time very business orientated, though not as intimidating as the building from the outside. It was spacious too, and there were almost a dozen of people behind those disks, either answering personal attending individuals or trying to help through the phone. Seeing one of the receptionists getting done with a phone call, she headed toward him and asked for assistance. Not a minute later, the woman of the chirpy voice, Kate talked to the day before, was down there, greeting her and taking her up to where she was needed to be.

In that one hour it took Kate to read, discuss and sign her contract, asking any questions she had, seeing where she had to be working the next week, meeting the person she was going to take over from, and who was going to teach and help her through her first couple of weeks, she had almost learned everything there was to learn about Linda – the woman with the chirpy voice –.

Linda was very helpful, friendly and nice too. Kate could see her getting friendly with the other woman, and even planning a meal together, or an outing or something similar. The woman was already leading Kate to the elevator, when she was leaving, talking a mile an hour, and Kate was barely following when she abruptly stopped. She kept looking forward and suddenly a 1000-megawatt smile took her face. Kate followed her gaze and saw two tall handsome looking men walking their way, seemingly to be heading for the elevators as well. “You see those two” she whispered leaning closer, already started gossiping which Kate correctly guessed. “They are Mr. Piselli the CEO of AP corporation and his partner and best friend Mr. Rogers.” Kate merely got to nod her head, when the other woman started once again, not leaving a single gossip going through the company without mentioning. Apparently, every female in the whole company had an eye for either of those two, and both of them were known for their notorious way with women. None lasted more than a week or two with either of the men and if a woman did, she was considered lucky. Kate listened to everything Linda had to say but didn’t lingered on it or paid it any attention. She was simply not interested, neither on the gossips nor on the males themselves. As they reached the elevators, the males on the topic were there too. Linda started the introduction and then went on with what seemed to be her habit of talking non-stop. Kate summoned a smile for the pair, a nod of her head and a simple “pleasure to meet you” and then didn’t spear them any more time and attention. She felt the eyes of who was identified to her as Mr. Piselli on her, eyes that seemed to be intrigued. Whatever because she was a new face, or for the lack of her interest in him she wasn’t sure, and she didn’t care much to try and find out. Instead, she headed for the elevator which arrived at a very considerate timing and pressed the button which would lead her back to the reception area, and from inside the elevator said her farewell to the trio. Mr. Rogers and Linda seemed to be preoccupied with a heated debate, so they didn’t pay her much attention, nor seemed to notice her anymore, but to her dismay, Mr. Piselli rode on the elevator with her. A smirk on his lips as if challenging her to say anything, but she once again failed to deliver to him, with simply ignoring him and keeping her gaze on the doors – that closed them out from anyone else –, and counted the floors they descended.