The Broken Songbird

CHAPTER THREE

My hands trembled and a scream sat lodged at the back of my thought but I couldn't get it out with Victor’s hand clamped around my neck.

My lungs burned as I clawed at his wrist, trying to loosen his hold, it wasn't all that tight I could breath almost perfectly but enough to keep me in place.

My face twisted with regret and I couldn't help but feel like I should have just retired to my room when I had the chance. When Sophia had yelled at me I was so scared I thought of running to my room like always. But my curiosity won. And now I am here with him.

I rained light slaps on his chest in hopes to get his attention. I opened my mouth to beg, but no sound came out. Trust my voice to betray me when I need it the most. I was left hoping he'll see the silent plea in my eyes.

He stopped to stare at me for a while and i swallowed not taking my eyes of him. Something was off his hair looked damp and sweat slid down his face but what caught my eye was the look in his eyes.

That’s when it hit me. He wasn’t drugged. Sophia had given him an aphrodisiac. As if to prove my point he leaned in and I felt something hard graze the low of my tummy and I froze.

I tried to shake my head, to pull his hand off my neck gently, hoping the movement would ground him. Instead he leaned in until his nose brushing the side of my neck as he bit hard.

A gasp left my lips and I squeezed my thighs trying to ignore the heat blossoming within. I hated this but for some reason, my skin tingled. Slowly Victor began to grind his hips against mine, and the warmth between my legs grew so hot I could feel it sliding down.

A moan left my lips before I could control it but that was more than enough to bring me back and I went back to trying to push him off me but Victor already seemed like he had other plans.

His hands grazed my shoulder and slowly he tugged on my dress strap pushing it off. My eyes widened and I tried to push him away but he grabbed both hands planning them above me.

Victor slammed his lips against my kissing me hard like he needed me to survive. My eyes remained wide open and at first I had tried to fight him off but slowly I could feel myself melting into him.

“Victor?” My mother’s voice called me back and alarms rang in my head again. “Victor, are you okay? Are you in there?”

My heart drummed against my ears and I broke the kiss, trying my best to push him off without making a sound. Arousal still lingered between my thighs and shame clouded my head.

"Oh my God mom what if something's happened to him," Sophia asked, wailing and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. She was such a terrible liar.

I tried to push him off and the thought of maybe kicking his balls filled my head but I didn't even have a good leg for that.

Suddenly it all went quiet and just when I thought they had given up. I heard footsteps again, the door jiggled and it dawned on me. The maid was back with the key.

"Common hurry up, who knows what's going on with Victor." My step father snapped and the lock jiggled faster. I paused, frozen under Victor’s weight, heart pounding.

I felt my body shaking as cold sweat ran down my back. My movement became more random but for some odd reason he started to look like the drug was beginning to wear off.

For a second I expected him to let me go but he only leaned in grazing my lips again. This asshole was going to be the cause of my untimely death today.

With all my strength I pushed him off and we both fell to the bed with his arms still wrapped around me for reasons I couldn't fathom. By the time he had let go of me it was too late and the door creaked open.

My mother, her husband and Sophia all stood at the doorway staring at me like I was some kind of ghost. No, like I had just killed someone.

I hurriedly got off Victor trying to find my cane but my mother marched towards me without hesitation. My eyes widened and I stepped back thinking she would ignore me but her hand landed on my right cheek.

The sound of her hand against my face echoed in my ear for a while and I held onto the dresser. I barely had time to get over it when she held a fistful of my hair and dragged me by it, throwing me out.

“You are so disgusting!” my mother screamed. “How did this even happen?!”

She turned to Sophia, her face twisted with rage. “Sophia ! How did you let this thing get her hands on Victor?”

"I swear I don't know. He asked for water and I left to get him some only for the door to be locked when I got back." She wailed, her eyes filling with tears.

Liar.

She was the one behind all of this. It was obvious that she was scared when she had run out and I was the stupid one who walked into her trap and she took advantage of it. A part of me whispered that it wasn't his fault but I was way too upset to care.

This was all part of her escape plan to dump the fault on me, that was why she had locked the door from the outside.

Victor was standing now, steadier than before. He looked around, his face etched with confusion but he looked better?

“She poisoned his food! I saw her! That’s why he felt sick!” She said, her face already red with anger and scorn. I tried to sign, to tell them that this b***h was lying but my hands trembled so badly that all i could do was shake my head.

Victor turned slowly, his glare cutting through the room like glass. “She wasn’t the one in my room,” he said. “You were. You tried to… you tried to assault me. I remember it. The room was dark, but I know who walked out and who came in. It wasn’t her.”

Sophia ’s mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. "She also didn't serve me nor was she anywhere near me. You were." He muttered with a calm but deadly voice.

Sophia swallowed and I could feel the fear coming off her. Victor turned to me with a softer look and I sucked in a shaky breath.

"Was it you? That drugged me and tried to assault me?" He asked, turning towards me. For some reason his face only made my rage increase but I forced it down.

I wasn't looking at my mother but I could feel the heat of her gaze enough to know that my life was over if I told the truth. My hands shook as I started signing, each motion more frantic than the last. "I did it. It was me. I wanted to touch you." The lies spilled from my fingers as tears streamed down my cheeks.

Victor seemed to understand and he stared down at me like he knew I was lying.

But I kept going, forcing the words out with my hands, my shoulders shaking as I tried to hold back a sob. Sophia stood behind them, smirking.

Victor let out a tired breath and said, “You know what? I’m done with this rubbish. Since you want to take the blame for someone else… fine. You’re going to work it out. She'll be my maid, from now on.” He announced facing my stepfather.

My stepfather stepped forward. “No. You can’t take her, she helps her mother and she's disfigured.”

Victor stared at him, not even flinching. “If she doesn’t come with me, I’ll file a harassment case against your daughter."

He turned to walk away but I grabbed the hem of his pants in a hurry. "Ple....p..ple...no." I tried to plead but I had not said anything in so long that even I was shocked by how hoarse my voice was.

Everyone stared at me in shock and just when I thought he would reconsider he shrugged me off. "I'll send a driver to pick you up. Be ready.”