Chapter5
1399 Words
TIFFANY.
I had a horrible night and the next morning I looked like a zombie so I decided to feign indifference to what I saw last night.
It's better I keep these feelings to myself until I can fathom the meaning. Leila came in as usual and I bathed before dressing up casually in a T-shirt and jeans.
I tied my hair in a ponytail because I didn't want to impress anyone today. I wasn't expecting to see the woman from last night sitting on the dining table with Theodore.
My lips trembled but I took a deep breath before forcing a polite smile, "Good morning" I greeted and the lady smiled at me.
She was quite beautiful with long ginger-colored hair, and an oval-shaped face with a slender curvy body. I see he has a type.
Oh did I forget to mention she's wearing his T-shirt.
"Good morning dear, you didn't tell me you had a little sister, she's so pretty" She gushed and I averted my gaze towards him, but his eyes were already on me and I furrowed my brows wondering why he was staring intensely. He wasn't dressed for work today, just a casual long-sleeve sweater and navy blue joggers.
"Why didn't you let your hair down today?" He asked and I blinked in shock that he even noticed.
"Umm because I didn't want to..." I replied and flinched as he reached out to touch my hair, I just froze as he loose my scrunchie and my dark brown locks cascaded down my shoulders.
Then he pulled away wearing my scrunchie on his left wrist then he covered my scrunchie with the edge of his sweater, "That was my favorite" I mumbled in a small voice.
"So um... What school does your sister attend?" The lady asked with a confused look on her face.
I was also confused about his usual acts.
"She is not my little sister" He replied and the smile wiped out of her face.
"So she's your cousin?" She forced an awkward chuckle.
"No," He answered coldly.
I could see the look on her face morphing into something else, she was thinking about what kind of relationship we have.
"Your relative?" She asked without a smile this time.
"No," He replied blankly.
"Then who-"
"Stepsister, you forgot about that one, huh?" I smiled at her and she giggled with her hand on her chest.
"Right! I forgot" She chuckled and the rest of breakfast was spent in awkward silence. Maybe I overreacted. She doesn't look like a bad person.
And Mr. Theodore is a man with needs, needs I can't fulfill even though it makes me feel useless. I still have to wait until I'm old enough.
I left them and headed out to find my friend only to be told he didn't come today. I was disappointed and dejected I couldn't go back to my room.
I will start thinking about how Mr Theodore and that lady looked good together, or how he was kissing her last night. A foreign feeling settled on the pit of my stomach as I recalled how he was devouring her mouth.
What if--
"Little dove?" I heard someone call me and I turned to see him standing there.
I noticed a car driving towards the gate and I figured she left, "I was just taking a walk" I scratched my nape nervously.
I hope he doesn't bring up last night.
"I'm so sorry about last night, I didn't mean for you to see that" He apologized.
"Oh it's nothing, your girlfriend is pretty by the way, you should invite her over again sometimes" I faked a smile.
"She's not my girlfriend, she's nothing to me" He replied coldly.
Is that supposed to make me feel better?
"Why will you say that? She's funny and charismatic, I like her" I lied trying to sound angry.
"Really? Then how do you feel about her being your mother?" He asked.
"What? I do not need a mother! And you are not my father" I countered flustered by his remarks.
"Who am I to you little dove?" He questioned.
"You are Mr. Theodore, the benevolent man who took me in, out of the goodness in his heart," I said mockingly and he chuckled.
"My parents are dead, Mr Theodore" I interjected.
"It's Theodore, call me by my name" He ordered and I pressed my lips into a thin line.
"Okay, Theodore" I mumbled.
"Yes, little dove?"
"Why do you refer to me as a bird? My name is Tiffany, Tif-fan-ny" I pronounced so he would get it.
"I prefer little dove, the name suits you perfectly well. Very docile and gentle like a dove" He said and I rolled my eyes before walking past him heading upstairs.
"Are you angry at your Step brother?" He asked after me and I giggled.
"You wish, my friend didn't come today" I replied.
"That lanky boy?" He asked and I stopped and turned to face him.
"He is not lanky, his name is Jerry and he is my friend" I pouted.
"That's no friend! Have you seen the way he looks at you? I warned you to stay away from him, didn't I?" He glared.
"But he is my friend, my only friend" I countered close to tears. He is being overprotective right now.
"Leila can be your friend not a teenage boy with zero self-control" He grouses.
"Leila is an adult!" I yelled.
"She has other matters to attend to and she cannot be my friend" I argued.
"So you really think it's best to be with that little fucker?" He scoffed.
"What? Why do you hate him?" I asked.
"You want friends right? How do you feel about going to school then?" He asked and my eyes widened.
"I will be glad to go to school" I replied in a calm tone.
"Good. Then stay away from him," He said.
"That is almost impossible," I retorted.
"Why?" He inquired.
"Because I want to attend his school, I need someone I'm familiar with so I won't get bullied," I replied.
"You are one stubborn little dove." He sighed and I smirked before leaving for my room.
I don't know why he hated Jerry so much, I remember the first time he saw us hanging out he almost hit Jerry with the car he was driving.
Countless times he warned me to stay away from him, but I didn't want to die of boredom so ignored him. I don't choose whoever he warms his bed with so he shouldn't choose my friends.
****
After hours of debating if I should talk to him about my insecurities about going to school, I decided to have a discussion with him.
I have a very petite body and I'm often mistaken for someone younger than my age, and from what Jerry told me school would be very stressful for me.
I put on my flip-flops and got out of my room, while climbing down the stairs I noticed that all his men were in the living room.
I heard muffled screams of agony coming from the dining area and hastened my footsteps because it sounded like a man crying, the other men were too busy watching so they didn't know when I climbed down.
My feet came to a screeching halt when I beheld the gruesome sight of a man bound to one of the dining chairs, a duct tape was on his mouth and his palms were flattened on the table.
There was blood everywhere and I noticed he was missing two fingers, Theodore stood there in his black long-sleeved button-down and black slacks.
He was holding a sharp knife that reflected on the walls, covered with blood.
"Let me repeat what I said, one finger for not understanding just like the last time. We could do this all night long Casper and trust me. This isn't even stage one and there are six stages in torture, I'm not even getting started it's just a warm-up" He grinned sounding like a devilish fiend from hell.
This isn't the man I know.
This is a monster.
Then as if he could feel my gaze his eyes caught mine and I turned to stone frozen to the spot.
I was spared that night but am I going to be spared again for the second time?
- Writer
