Chapter 35 Entangled in guilt.

Chapter 35 Entangled in guilt.
"Nothing...I w-was taking out my gown"

"But you already have your gown on"

She steadied her breath and tried not to stammer.

"Uh, it felt uncomfortable so I had to check if there was anything I'd prefer"

Why do I feel like she's lying to me? Did she read...no, I hope she didn't read it.

He said nothing, walked past her straight to the wardrobe.

Ursula shifted in fear that he might step on her or push her to the side.

She went and sat on the bed, preparing the duvet to be almost the way it was before Ethan removed it.

It wasn't perfect.

She didn't expect it to be.

She slid underneath the duvet facing the door away from Ethan's possible stares.

I knew it. This isn't the spot I had kept this diary at. She read it. She knows something. Why can't she just mind her own damn business?

He turned to face her, hair still dripping with water.

Ursula could somehow feel his eyes burning through her back.

She tried not to hyperventilate.

Oh god.. he definitely knows I opened the diary.. please don't let him ask me more questions.. please God.

"Why did you lie to me?" Ethan's voice seemed calm.

Ursula swallowed.

She took a deep breath. Lying definitely wasn't a hobby for her.
She was more scared of being caught lying.

Then, she turned around.

"What?"

Ethan held the book in his hand.

His face had a calm sinister expression.

"Why did you go through my diary?" he asked again, walking closer.

Ursula slid her feet out of the duvet and dropped them on the ground.

What do I say? Lie, Ursula. Don't let him see that you were interested to know anything about him. Don't!

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act like a fool, girl. I don't want to raise my voice. Tell me, why did you go through my diary. Answer me, now"

Keep denying it, Ursula. There's nothing he could do. You're pregnant with his child.

"I said I didn't" she repeated.

He walked close enough for his towel to be running against her knees and the water from his hair to be dripping on her gown.
She looked upwards at him and away to avoid the water from dropping on her face.

"I'll ask you this question one more time. One last chance. Just say the truth and the punishment won't be as harsh. Why did you go through my diary, Ursula?"

What's the worse he could do?

"I said I didn't"
Why is she trying to bring out the worst in me? Why doesn't just tell me truth? I need to know if she's seen my confessions. Why is she so fucking stubborn?

"Fine then. Tomorrow, I'll get your late mother's body turned to ashes and I promise you that her ashes will never reach your hands"

Ursula's eyes widened.

She quickly jerked herself up from the bed, causing her body to be so close to his that she could feel the cold water droplets that haven't yet dried on his body.

She flinched at the skin contact, losing balance and falling backwards onto the bed.

Ethan reached out to stop her from falling.

Unfortunately, his towel knot loosened.

He tried to grab it all at once causing him too to lose balance and falling onto Ursula's body, their lips pressing together coincidentally.

Her eyes were filled with disgust and shame.

His eyes were filled with fire and a kind of desire.

She struggled to roll out from under him.

"Please, don't rape me like you raped Taylor V" Ursula's shaky voice cried out.

Guilt took away the fire in his eyes as he got up from her body, tying the knot of his towel.

She sat up with her hand over her chest.

"I already know you read my diary"

She lowered her eyes.

"I thought you were some wannabe lawyer...didn't you learn or haven't your poor low class schools ever taught you of the word 'privacy'?"

"I didn't mean to. It wasn't intentional. The book f-"

So, it's true. She actually fucking read it?

"And you began to read it? Without asking?!" his voice was beginning to rise.

"It fell open and I didn't even read beyond the page it fell open on" Ursula lied.

"Why don't you just shut up your mouth?!" Ethan barked.

"I said I'm sorry" Ursula said, feeling guilty because invading someone's privacy was something she had never done.

"What if I forced myself on you right now, huh? How would you like that?"
What does he mean by that? Does he want to rape me too just like he did to the other woman? Is his conscience that dark? Even with his child?

"Well..you've already done it...to someone else"

Ethan's fist tightened.

But Ursula continued even with a shaky breath.

"..but why did you do that to her?..W-was it because you knew that you could not be arrested b-because you're f-f-famous?"

Ethan's hand rose in the hair and then he caught himself.

Ursula eyes froze wide open on the hand hanging in the air.