CHAPTER 32: FAMILY PHOTO
CHAPTER 32: FAMILY PHOTO
LILY’S POV:
“JUST GET OUTTT!!!”, I yelled on top of my voice, throwing pillows at Nikolai.
My hands were shaking, my heart was racing very fast, I was beyond scared.
‘Nikolai tried to rape me!’, I had to say it to myself just to believe it.
He staggered up, staring at me in disbelief, shaking him head and muttering something I couldn’t hear and I didn’t care to know what he was saying, I just need him to be far away from me as possible.
He looked at me for the last time then left. I held the blanket close to my chest and cried a whole lot.
‘What would have happened if I didn’t stop him on time? Would he have taken advantage of me? Would my first time turn to the worse memory of my life?’, I pondered as I cried my heart out.
I cried for many minutes before sleep took over me.
***
I woke up and it was past 10am.
“Fuck!”, I held my head in pain, it hurts like I have a hangover.
I immediately remembered what transpired last night, Nikolai coming into my room drunk and full of lust and he forced himself on me. I can’t even imagine facing him today.
‘What did you expect Lily, he’s a criminal’, I reminded myself of the type of person Nikolai was. Rape shouldn’t be excluded from his list of crimes right? An here I was, thinking he wasn’t entirely bad, I scoffed at my stupidity.
I sighed and got up, brushed my teeth and took my bath. I got dress and wanted to go downstairs for breakfast but I my hand paused as soon as it touched the doorknob, I shook my head and went back to my bed.
“I can’t face Nikolai now… No way”, I said aloud. But it’s almost lunch time and I’m already starving since I haven’t had anything to eat.
‘Why can’t anything go right in my life?!’, I asked myself. I was really tired of everything, starting from Stephanie’s birthday party till this very day! I just want to disappear!
I was still lost in my thoughts when I heard a knock on the door, followed by a maid pushing in a cart of food.
“Good morning madam”, She said and bowed.
“Hi, g-good morning”, I whispered back, I still feel uncomfortable when they call me madam, some of them are even old enough to be my mother.
“Master Nikolai asked us to serve you your breakfast in your room”, She said without looking at me.
‘He must really know I don’t want to see his face huh’, I said to myself.
“Where is he?”, I asked.
“The master left for work in the early hours of 5am”.
I frowned, ‘did he even get any sleep at all?’. Last night, he came to my room late and drunk, then he left early for work? Do he really wants to drop dead?
I sighed and nodded.
“Oh, what about Galina?”, I asked the maid who was setting the food down on the table for me.
“Miss Galina traveled back to Russia today?”.
“What?! Why all of a sudden, did something happen?”, I asked in surprise. Galina hasn’t even been here for long and she has already gone back? Is she alright?
“I am sorry Miss, but I do not have such information”, She answered politely and I nodded. I shouldn’t be asking her all these series of questions, she must be flustered.
“It’s okay”, I said to her. She bowed and left.
I looked at the table and how delicious these food looks. I didn’t waste anymore time as I was already starving, I rushed down almost everything, it was when I was done eating I noticed a single red rose flower, lying by my bedside.
I stood up and picked it up, there was a sticky note attached.
[I am sorry about last night Lily… I hope you like roses even though your name is Lily… NIKOLAI]
I giggled at the his attempt of joke then I remembered what he did to me.
“This won’t cut it”, I said and threw the flower on the floor, stomp on it and I tore the note.
What makes him think flower and a pointless note would make up for what he put me through last night. I saw another side of him last night.
His usual dark eyes turned darker and full of lust, he had this aura to dominate and he had this look like he had to quench his hunger.
I shivered at the thought of him taking advantage of me.
After eating, the maids came in to clean the plates and table.
I was super bored and idol, with nothing to do, I left my room and roam around the hallways.
I moved from room to room, checking if there are locked or unlocked. I was in front of Nikolai’s study room and I contemplated whether to go in and snoop or not.
I voted for going in and snooping around, why should I care if he catches me? I was surprised the door wasn’t locked and no guards were around to stop me.
I entered the room and closed the door, I looked around for the ceiling to the walls then the floor.
‘What a boring decor’, I said.
I moved to his working table and touched it, I sat on the chair he normally sits down on and I impersonated him and laugh lowly.
I twirled the chair and saw the drawer was shut, I looked at the door one more time before ransacking the drawer. I found cigars, a lighter, files, files, more files… then a picture.
I took out the picture and there were 5 people there. I could recognize Nikolai and Galina, I couldn’t recognize the other 3.
I turned to the back of the photo.
[Father, mother, Roman, Nikolai and Galina]
“Roman, Roman…”, Is it the same Roman Galina mentioned about his arrival to Nikolai? The same one Nikolai had nightmares about?
I turned the photo again and I saw their faces clearly, now I am taking closer look at it, it looks like their family photo.
Nikolai has a striking resemblance to his dad and Galina looks so much like her mother.
Roman… he is the mixture of the two.
‘What is Nikolai’s deal with his brother? Are they not in good terms? Can’t there just make up and be a happy family?’.
“Rich people and their problems”, I scoffed.
“What are you doing in here?!!”, I heard Nikolai roar and I immediately stood up from his chair, shivering and the photo fell from my hand.
“Ni-nikolai!!”, I shouted.
He looks angry and I swallowed hard.
“Why are you in here and touching my stuffs?”, He asked again, this time approaching me, I quickly left the chair and stood one side.
He saw that the drawer was open and he closed it, he noticed the picture on the floor and picked it up, his face morphed into that of a villain when he saw what the picture was about.
“What were you doing with this picture? Where did you find it?!!”, I asked me, I moved backwards and blinked.
“I-I saw that the dr-drawer was opened so I too–“.
“I do not like it when someone invades my personal space and touches something that doesn’t belong to them, especially when I haven’t given permission to them!”, He barked again, face so close to mine. I could feel his hot breathe on my face.
I felt like crying as he yelled at me, instead I scoffed and shake my head, then I slowly laughed like I was going insane.
“What’s so funny?”, He asked in surprise.
“Right… I also do not like when some stranger invades my personal space and touches me without my permission!… but you’re forgetting you did that to me last night, you!– you almost took advantage of me last night”, I said to him and the tears I was holding back came pouring down.
“Li-Lily… If you just let me explain wh-what happened yesterday”, He tried to touch me but I flinched and moved back.
“I’m sorry for coming in here and snooping around, but that doesn’t make us even Nikolai”, I said, cleaning my tears with the back of my palm. I looked at his face and he looked like a lost puppy, I scoffed then left the study room.