Three Months To Disappear

Chapter Four

THIAGO

I knew I had just messed up big time. I'm the one breaking the rules I created myself. I stood speechless with the plate of food frozen in my hand.

“I said," What are you doing with my things?”

Her voice came. Louder. I couldn't bring myself to speak. The words weren't just forming.

I freed the glass plate from my grip and it made a loud noise as it crashed and broke into pieces with the food messing up the floor.

My blank expression took over.

“The dogs are hungry. What's the difference between you and the dogs anyways?”

I could see her clench her fists in anger.

I walked out of her sight straight to my room.

That was a narrow escape. I blamed my legs for taking me to the kitchen though and my hands for dishing out the food.

I twisted the door knob to enter my room when I suddenly realized that the knob was unusually wet.

Remembering how damp she was and the towel on her chest made me shrug it off. She was obviously coming from the bathroom.

“But why would she suddenly use the bathroom here when she outrightly refused to sleep on her own side of the room?”

“If she wouldn't sleep here, she shouldn't use anything from this room.”

I made a new rule to counter her.

As I stepped in, I noticed the faint glow of her wet footprint.

I didn't look closely and went to have my seat on the couch, which is a few distances beside the bed.

I took my phone but I hadn't even put it on when my eyes moved back to her footprints.

My eyes trailed the footprints backward to the bathroom. Not her bathroom but mine.

My jaws clenched.

I began to think of the punishment I'd give her.

The dinging of my alarm disrupted my thinking, signalling that it was time to go to work. But here I am, thinking of the punishment I'd give someone not worth my time.”

“She's not worth my time.”

I hissed as I took to the bathroom, though keeping in mind the punishment.

FEW MINUTES LATER

I buttoned up my shirt with my suitcase lying beside me on the bed.

I heard the door crack open behind me and I knew who it was already. I hastened up with the buttoning and after I finished, I took my suitcase ready to go.

I took a glance at her and spoke.

“Rule number four. If you won't sleep here, do not touch or use anything from this room. Also expect the punishment that comes with using my bathroom.”

I spoke to her. Then my stomach made that hunger sound, again.

I could see the way her brows were knitted in anger. She didn't give me a reply so I just walked out of the room.

As I was climbing down the stairs, the discomfort I was getting from hunger had started becoming unusually unbearable.

I've deliberately starved myself for a day without this much pain. Why now?

My eyes locked onto the dining table as I came down the stairs. I could see some covered dishes on the table.

“No. This is for the dogs and the pauper. This is a trap. I won't violate any of her rules anymore after this.” I tried to restrain myself.

It's like hunger knows there is food here as it increases the intensity of the pain. I almost fell down but held the table for support.

Having no other choice,I succumbed to the temptation of the food. I promised myself to take only a spoonful to turn off or at least reduce the volume of the hunger.

I opened one of the covered plates and its content became much more tempting. I took a spoon and scooped out a spoonful of the rice.

Seconds later, I spat out the entire spoonful in disgust.

“What the heck!”

I shouted and I rushed to the nearby restroom to rinse my mouth.

When I came back, I saw Hailey upstairs in the corridor. She had a satisfied smile on her lips.

She winked at me before walking back into the room.

I looked at the plate of rice on the table once more.

I scooped the rice in the plate bottom-up with the spoon and my mouth widened in surprise.

There was raw, uncooked rice beneath the cooked rice. That was what I ate that made me spit it out.

This really took me off guard. I didn't know a pauper can make a fool out of me this much.

I took my suitcase in anger and stormed out.

THIAGO'S ROOM

HAILEY

I leapt in joy as the scene of Thiago taking a spoon from the trap I set for him keeps flashing in my memory and sending a rush of adrenaline through me.

I'm ready for whatever comes after this. I'm sure he wouldn't take this lightly with me.

That was the first punishment I planned to give him for violating my rules. If he thinks he can control me anyhow, he should think again.

There are still more to come.

I smiled.

My smile slowly faded away as I reminisced over what chased me out of the guest room, where I initially intended to take my bath.

FLASHBACK

The hunger in me was becoming insufferable as I nonchalantly left the room’s door opened and entered the room.

I couldn't bear the hunger anymore.

The aroma of the food in the kitchen was so tempting I almost tried to forsake my bath for it.

“I thought the maids cleaned this room yesterday?”

I asked myself as my eyes caught the dresses on the floor.

Then I remembered what made me forget to tell them to clean the room up.

Suddenly, the hunger vanished and my stomach twisted with restlessness.

The three months. The previous wives. The woman in black. The memories became much stronger now.

“Could these clothes be those of one of his wives, living here before?”

I walked closer to one of the clothes as the two pieces of clothing were on different sides of the room.

As I bent down to pick it up, something flashed behind me.

Then I heard the loud creaking of the door as it closed from the outside.

TBC