AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You haven’t had any fruit, Cordelia.”
Without breaking eye contact, I pluck a banana off the table and peel it. He finally looks away when I wrap my lips around the tip of it.
I know I shouldn’t play with fire. Not after what happened in my room yesterday. But after years of freedom, it hurts to feel the invisible chains around my wrists again.
Speaking of chains, I look over and see my mother staring wide-eyed at my wrist. At what her husband and Mikhail did to me.
I didn’t exactly have access to a first aid kit last night, so I did my best with hand soap and bits of a washcloth I ripped into strips. They fell off while I was sleeping and I woke up with no bleeding, so I didn’t bother covering them up. Now, I’m glad I didn’t.
If my mother has deluded herself into thinking I’m here by choice, then hopefully, my scabbed-over injuries can be a wake-up call to her.
“Is something wrong, Mom?” I ask.
She blinks and looks towards Alexander in a panic. But he isn’t looking at her—he’s watching me.
Mikhail pushes my arm under the table and wraps his hand around my raw wrist. He squeezes the freshly-closed cuts until a whimper is forced out of my throat.
Then he chuckles to the rest of the table. “Cordelia has forgotten her manners while she was away.”
“I hate how—” My mom stops and clears her throat. “I always hate the adjustment period after being away. The week after a vacation, I’m always a mess. It’s hard to get back into a routine.”
I’ve never had a great poker face. This moment is no different.
I just stare at my mom, mouth open because I can’t believe what she just said.
Is she comparing me fleeing my home in the middle of the night and changing my name to protect myself fromherhusband… to a vacation?
I pick my jaw up off the floor and push away from the table. “Yeah, I agree. Such a strange transition. It’s a bit of a culture shock to go from being your own person and having freedom to being forced into—”
“Cordelia!” My name rings across the table. Alexander doesn’t quite have the bass necessary for his shout to be truly intimidating. Not the way Ivan can make it feel like the world around you is thundering without even raising his voice. But he gives it his best shot. It’s enough to interrupt me mid-sentence.
My mother drops her eyes to the table. She has never looked less impressive to me. So small. So meek.
Before I left, I had some compassion for her. I viewed her like a person trapped in a cult. Someone with the best intentions who couldn’t see the damage being inflicted around them.
But she can see it all now… and she’s still here. Even when her own daughter is collateral damage.
I run my tongue over my teeth and turn to Alexander. “Yes?”
“I’d like to speak to you in my office,” he grits out. “Now.”
“I’m not finished eating.”
I reach for another croissant, but Mikhail grabs my wrist again. He jerks my arm back and twists. We knock over a glass of juice and a bright orange stain spreads across the white tablecloth.
“Let her go,” Alexander orders.
Mikhail squeezes harder. “I’ll let her go when she shows me that she can behave herself. I might have to carry her in—”
“Let. Her. Go.” There is no question in my stepfather’s voice. No request.
It’s an order.
And Mikhail follows.
He drops my arm and slowly settles his hand in his lap. But he doesn’t take his eyes off of me.
Alexander walks to his office at a fast clip. I follow, feeling Mikhail’s gaze on me the entire time.
