Chapter Thirty seven

I slammed the bathroom door behind me and leaned on it, breathing heavily. I walked over to the the sink, put my hand under the running tap and sprinkled some water on my flushed face. My mind went over to what just happened. How was I going to face Damien's mother after what she just saw?! She had caught us in a compromising position and it was absolutely unexpected.

What was I doing? I was not supposed to be allowing Damien get this close to me. The make out session we had was not supposed to happen and it would have escalated if I had not regained my senses. I hated it because it felt so wrong but at the same time so right. I loved his kisses but not him and I feared that if I let it continue, things would escalate even further and then there would be some form of emotional attachment to him and if he did not share the same feelings, I would be left all alone to bear the burden of unrequited love. I shut my eyes at the thought of that happening.

I shook my head vigorously, I would not let him use me like that. This marriage was for show and I did not owe him any wifely obligations in the bedroom so he had better not be getting any funny ideas. I was resolute.

I stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards the bed. He was not there, I assumed he would be in his study so I decided to head downstairs to get some juice. I could have called for a maid to have it sent to me but I needed the walk.

I reached the down floor and found Aiden just entering the house. I had not seen him since the wedding.

"Hi Aiden." I waved.

"Oh hello Mrs Kingston." He said with a mock bow and tipped his imaginary hat as he did so.

I rolled my eyes. The ever comical Aiden Smith was at it again.

"Just call me Ariana." I said.

"If your husband agrees, then alright. Where is that idiot by the way?" He asked looking around the house as he did then stopped when he stared at my face.

"Aha! Definitely his study!" He exclaimed with the snap of his finger.

"I'm sure you know where it is already." I stated the obvious. He chuckled.

"See you at dinner then, Mrs Kingston." He said with emphasis on the title. I gave a slight laugh before he mounted the stairs suavely and disappeared into the hallway.

I walked towards the kitchen and found Ma Rosa speaking to mom.

"Hi Mom, hi Ma Rosa." I said as I walked into Ma Rosa's waiting arms and also mom's.

"You're glowing." Ma Rosa winked suggestively, I blushed. I knew exactly what she meant.

"Ma Rosa it's not what you're thinking." I said weakly.

It truly wasn't.

"And what is it that you think, I'm thinking?" She said back with a knowing grin, I looked away shyly.

Damien had put in trouble with these shippers again and I was not going hear the last of it.

I turned to mum who was humming a familiar tune, 'Make you feel my love' by Adele, she hummed with a teasing smile on her face and I moved towards to fridge quickly so I could hide my face away from them.

I picked a juice box and rushed out as I heard their laughter behind me. I walked over to the poolside and sat on one of the chairs placed under the wide pavilion.

I sat there tapping for a pretty long time, doing practically nothing but using my phone in silence. I looked around the pool, it actually looked bigger at a closer range and was well designed. I expected nothing less from the Kingstons.

I was busy chatting with a few old friends when I noticed a presence around me. I looked up and bit back a scream.

You guessed right, it was Damien. I was starting to get used to his creepy ways.

"What are you doing over here?" He asked me while staring down at me.

"Nothing." I muttered.

"Mom said to call you for dinner." He shoved one hand into his pocket and stretched the other towards me. I stood up and took it, he held my hand firmly as we walked in steady strides into the house.

Damien led me to my usual seat and pulled the chair out for me. I sat on it, mumbling a 'thank you' while at it.

He sat slowly on his chair, looking around the room like a predator. I sighed inaudibly. He was back and everyone else would go back to being on their toes again because of him. Our chatters were not as free or fluid as they were for the last few days he was away and it was disheartening.

Aiden as promised, joined us for dinner and was seated opposite Tracy. Maybe it was me assuming things but I might have seen them exchange glances severally.

I bit into my meal, minding my own business as always. I stole a glance at Damien and saw that he was concentrated on his meal.

"So, Damien?" Mom suddenly spoke up, I looked up from my meal as did everyone.

I brought my glass of water to my lips and took a sip to help with the spicy meal as she spoke.

"Are we getting babies from you and Ariana anytime soon?" She asked innocently.

The water went down my windpipe immediately and I found myself choking. Damien was by my side the next second, rubbing my back as I practically convulsed.

"Mom!" He thundered in annoyance. I did not know if it was because he cared about me or because she brought up the issue of children.

"Damien do not raise your voice at your mother!" Gerald yelled back at him and Damien left me immediately. I managed to look up and saw from his eyes that he was furious now. I was still choking and rubbing on my chest , while Fiona rushed to my side and rubbed my back.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?!" Damien did not yell but his voice had gone really high and his tone was deadly.

"If you will not respect me, respect your mother at least." Gerald countered with his nose flaring. I saw mom trying to stop him from speaking by pulling his hand but it did nothing to stop him.

"If I did not respect her, you would not be living under my roof." Damien pointed at him as he said so.

"Just because you are billionaire Damien William Kingston doesn't mean-" Gerald was saying when Damien cut him off.

"DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT!" He yelled so loud, I flinched. I had never seen Damien this angry before and it scared me. He was practically seething as he glared at his father hatefully. He had turned red and the veins in his neck had started to show.

Silly as I was, I decided to step in.

"Damien calm-" I was saying in a soft tone.

"Shut the fuck up and stay out of this, it does not concern you!" He interrupted and said without sparing me a glance. I clamped mouth shut just as tears formed in my eyes over the humiliation.

"Not cool man, not cool. Damien take it easy, she's your wife." Aiden reprimanded. Damien paid him no mind as he was still aggravated.

"You do not even respect the woman you married, that's just sad Damien." His father said.

"My marriage is none of your business." He warned icily but Gerald said nothing in return.

Damien soon marched out of the room in fury induced slides, slamming the door behind him, I flinched again. The silence rained after he left, the tension was so palpable one could cut it with a knife.

A series of claps rented the air and they came from none other than Tracy.

"Way to go Ariana." She said spitefully. I was astonished.

"How is this my fault?" I asked when I regained my words.

"If you did not fake that stupid choke of yours, none of this would have happened." She bit out.

"What are you saying Tracy, we all know this is not her fault." Aiden defended me.

"Whose fault is it then? I knew you'd definitely take her side, you're never on my side after all." She complained.

"Oh stop trying to make everything about you! Grow up already Tracy!" Aiden yelled.

Oh no, another argument had ensued and I could bet on my last penny that Tracy would blame for it.

"Aiden you're raising your voice at me all because of this low class human Damien picked up from god knows where?!" She stood up and pointed in my direction as she spoke. Aiden simply shook his head and stomped out.

Then she turned to me swiftly.

"You do not belong here. Damien is soon going to divorce you and throw you back into the slums you belong to!" She said hitting her hand on the table for emphasis and marched out.

"Tracy!" Fiona called out looking downcast as she stared at me apologetically.

I said nothing because if I did, I would end up in tears so I simply nodded.

Damien's parents both had the same expression as Fiona's on their faces but none of it mattered to me.

I picked up my phone placed next to the my plate and ran out of the room. I ran up the stairs and pushed the door into my bedroom.

Damien was nowhere around so I did the next best thing. I picked up an empty suitcase of mine, stuffed a few clothes, underwear and toiletries in it and rolled the box out of the room.

I looked at the three doors in front of me and chose the one directly opposite me. It was somewhat predictable but I did not have it in me to play mind games at this point.

I twisted the door knob and luckily it came open. I walked into the blush pink themed room. Without delay, I shut the door behind me and unwrapped the polythenes used in covering most of the furniture to protect them from dust.

I walked into the bathroom and saw it was neat, same as the closet. I assumed that the maids did some timely cleaning to keep the empty room looking presentable.

I went into the bathroom and while I was standing in front of the mirror, my mind decided to take me back to what had just happened some few minutes back and I burst out crying.

I felt so humiliated, not just by Damien but his petty little sister who was always on my case. What's worse? His parents did not say anything to stop her rants. It hurt so bad because I actually felt like I did not belong here truly and she just had to remind me of it.

The initial weeks before the wedding had me know that fitting in his crazy world would be difficult but I did not like the fact that a family member of his nurtured such animosity against me.

Damien obviously did not respect me enough. I was only trying to placate him but he spoke to me like I was one of his employees. Not just his words but his tone hurt me.

What wrong did I ever do to be stuck in such a sick union. I did not want to be with this man. Maybe this was all the warning I needed to work out a way to flee this marriage. I would forever be unhappy if I continued living with such a brute who had no leash on his anger. I could end up hurting myself badly emotionally, mentally and possibly physically. He seemed capable of anything.

I was definitely going to stay away from him. I did not care whatever it was he had to say, I was never going to sleep in the same room as him. I needed him as far away from me as possible and that would definitely happen, starting now.