Surviving My Fate

Chapter Two Meeting Carter part one

Ian barges in the door slightly after midnight drunk and reeking of the alcohol he had consumed. I quickly put my laptop away hiding any trace of the school work I was completing and make my way out to the living room to greet him.

“Evening baby” I purr. He always expects me to be obedient, acting as his slave when he is home. The last night I had fallen asleep and not greeted him things got ugly. I suppress the shivers that threaten to arise at the memory.

“Bend over” Ian barks. No greeting on his end. But I obey, Alex needs his rest so I don’t fight back knowing it’ll only cause an uproar and my son could be woken. Ian has changed drastically from the boy I had given a tour to my senior year. I hardly recognize him anymore. From my courses, I’ve come to realize he’s a textbook narcissist and so I’m determined, the sooner we can get away, the better. To Ian, I am property, his property, and he had earned me so I was his to do as he pleased.

I make my way to the end of the couch and bend over placing my palms on the worn cushion. Ian wastes no time in the race to rip my shorts from my body. He spreads my legs by kicking the inside of my ankles and then he undoes his belt, soon I feel the leather around my throat and know it’s going to be a rough night.

I try my best to block out what is about to happen and imagine the future I’m building.

Even as I do so I feel Ian slam into me eliciting a whimper of pain which causes him to tighten his reign.

I regain my composure sealing my lips closed and biting my tongue to keep from making another sound. I picture myself standing on the porch of the cabin breathing in the crisp fall air while I watch Alex run through a pile of leaves but that vision is cut short as the belt tightens once more. The spots I’ve grown used to dance in my eyes, I couldn’t breathe. I keep taking shallow breaths holding onto my consciousness for as long as I can as Ian pleasures himself with my body.

The first time he used me this way had broken something in me. Whatever delusion of him that had still stood faded at that moment. Yet 3 years later I am still his toy. I feel my battle for consciousness end as I black out.

…

I slowly regain consciousness only to find myself still bent over the couch, Ian didn’t even have the decency to move me or cover me. I should know better than to think he would.

It’s a little after 3 am now according to the light on the stove meaning I’d been out for almost three hours. I quietly make my way to the bathroom to clean up. Wetting a washcloth I begin cleaning the remnants of Ian’s session from between my thighs. His c*m mixed blood stains my ivory skin. When I feel I’ve scrubbed away all traces of him I throw the rag into the laundry basket and make my way to Alex’s bedroom to check on him. I peer through the doorway sighing in relief that he’s still asleep. I pull the door closed and go to face my next battle. Walking as softly as I can I make my way into the bedroom Ian and I share.

The room is dark aside from the minuscule street lamp casting small tendrils of its light through the old sheer curtain. I make my way around the bed surveying the man I once loved, he’s sprawled out on the bed one heavily muscled arm draped over his eyes, his mop of blond hair a tangled mess sticking up here and there around his head. Ian had never let his hair grow this long before, the edges were starting to curl as the tips barely brushed his shoulders in its disheveled state. The sight made him look more like the madman he had become over the years.

I had been in a constant state of panic and alarm for the last few years, these last six months being the worst. My body was constantly tense, utterly on edge but as my head hit the pillow and my mind raced through tonight’s events everything went blank allowing my body to relax into immediate darkness. That’s when the dream starts.

I’m standing in the forest surrounded by the trees and scenery I’d been staring at so much in pictures, this is the place I would call home in just a few short weeks. I can almost smell the humid summer air and feel its sticky dew coating my skin as I unwittingly take a few steps forward leading me into unknown territory. My subconscious must’ve constructed all of this as I hadn’t seen much past the cabin. I’d be lying if I could deny its beauty though. The trees loomed 100 feet high and it seems as if they are brushing the clouds above. The wind shifts and I feel my hair brush across my shoulders as the first few leaves began to fall. I hear a branch snap in the not-so-far distance and turn quickly to my left where I find a massive Silver wolf staring at me. I should be panicking, should be full of fear but the only thing I can muster is pure awe as my eyes meet the most beautiful green orbs I have ever seen. I feel myself taking more steps forward completely mesmerized by the amber-gold flecks swimming in the depths of its emerald-green pools. I can’t break my gaze away. The wolf pushes closer studying me intently and then the world starts to faze back into place as the ringing of my alarm blares through the oh-so-vivid dreamland I had manifested.

I awaken shaking the night's mysteries from my mind quick to shut off my alarm. Ian hates when I allow it to wake him.

As if walking on eggshells I make my way out of our bedroom and back to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Ten minutes later I'm staring at myself in the mirror, a small amount of makeup covers the purple rings that had formed below my eyes and my auburn locks are pulled into a tight bun atop my head. Ian left bruises last night so even in this hellish heat I’m wearing a black cropped turtle neck which I’ve tucked into my high-waisted black slacks, they come in tight at my ankles and create a nice slender silhouette. I grab my black flats finishing the look before I throw on some mascara and head out of the bathroom.

Next up, Alex.

I open his door slowly hoping he’s still sleeping.

“Mommy” he squeals excitedly.

“Good morning my little man,” I say as he throws himself into my arms. “How long have you been up” I question my mini-me when he squirms to get back down to his toys. He doesn’t reply just goes about his business playing with toys while running wild. “What do you want to wear today baby,” I ask.

“Spider-Man” he squeals extra emphasis on man. I smile at my boy's infectious laughter as I make my way to his closet to find something Spider-Man related which isn’t hard as all his new clothes were either paw patrol or Spider-Man themed. I pull out a black T-shirt with a large graphic of spidey and friends then grab a pair of his black shorts to match before turning back to my smiley boy. He’s already pulling his pull-up off and throwing it in the trash and trying to put on his shoes, they grow so fast, and sometimes his independence astonishes me.

“Let mommy help,” I tell him as I make my way closer a new pull-up in hand.

“Thank you” Alex mutters stopping his current tug-of-war with his shoe. Together we finish getting him ready for the day.

The rest of the morning goes smoothly with Ian never getting out of bed. Alex gobbles down some breakfast and before I know it I’m dropping him off at the in-house daycare my work provides.

My primary job is at a law office, I’m a secretary for the head attorney. “Bye bye mommy, I love you!” He says as he runs off to his friends. “Bye baby I’ll see you soon mommy loves you too,” I tell his retreating form.

After making my way to my reception area I place my blazer on the back of my chair before getting comfortable on it. I begin checking emails for the morning to make sure all the meetings are still in place. It usually takes a few hours to catch up on a Monday so I’m not surprised it’s already noon when I get an incoming call from Ian on my cell.

“Hello” I answer knowing better than to ignore him.

“Where the f**k are you?” he spits, venom dripping off every word.

“I’m at work Ian. Do you need something?” I ask him my tone calm and measured trying to get him to be reasonable.

“Don’t get smart with me b***h” he spews.

I take a deep, calming breath adding a bit of honey to my voice as I reply “I’m sorry Ian, I really am working, I need to prepare for the next meeting” I tell him hoping he’ll understand.

The next sound I hear is the dial tone. He hung up. I place my phone back in my desk and continue on with preparing documents for the clients coming in at 1.

The rest of the day goes by without a hitch and the last of the junior attorneys are leaving the office as it rounds 5 pm. I stay behind to finish up some files that are due and head down the hall to the copy room with a stack of them in hand. I finish what I need and make my way back to my desk just as the door opens to my boss's office. A tall gentleman in a perfectly tailored black suit steps out. My office handles a lot of corporate takeovers and high-end investments so seeing someone of this man’s wealth isn’t uncommon but damn does he wear that suit better than any man I have ever seen. I find myself staring clearly distracted by the mountain of a man, he has to be at least 6’4 and his jet-black hair looks soft and bouncy as the lights cut through it. As if he can feel me staring he turns and his eyes capture mine… they’re the same eyes from my dream only they belong to this man not the silver wolf from the woods.

I break eye contact grabbing my blazer off my chair. I pick my purse up from my desk and turn around preparing to leave. There he is through the mountain of a man standing right behind me. Feeling my personal space being invaded I take a step back adjusting my purse on my shoulder as I lay my blazer over it.

“May I help you Mr.” I stop realizing I don’t know who he is or why he was in such a late meeting. All the meetings we set to be over by 4 pm. Mr. Allen must’ve set this one himself.

“Mason” he fills in. Taking my hand and sending tiny electric shocks through my palm.