Chapter 48- On your knees, Jack.

Jack’s POV.

I saw pain in my Zoe’s eyes.

Pain when she saw me killing Elijah.

Pain when I took her to guest room.

Pain when she looked at me.

Pain when Aarav confessed.

Pain when her parents confessed.

Pain when she realized everything.

Elijah won.

I tried so hard to hide everything.

I gave up so many things for her.

I became a better man only for her.

All of this only to be burst out together.

The pressure she is going through is immense and painful.

I can’t believe my own brother betrayed me.

Yes, I killed him in anger, but it hurts

I am hurting too.

I never thought that out of all of our enemies, he would stab me in the back.

I trusted him with my life.

He was the KING.

He planned everything. And his plan includes revealing my identity to Zoe.

All I wanted was to life my life peacefully after all this struggle.

We have been struggling alone for so long.

I was going to make Kevin and Elijah the official face of King after marrying Zoe.

I was going to move out with the love of my life.

And now, she is crying.

She is traumatized.

Now she looks at me with hatred.

I remember her face when she saw the heart in my hand. The pure shock.

Then her face went pale, every color from her face drained away, when she fell in the pool of blood.

The way she stared at her hands.

The way her body shook.

Everything because of me.

This is what happens in this life.

This is what happens when people like me fall in love. They destroy.

I remember her tear-stained sleeping face. I went again at night to apologize to her, and she was sleeping.

The only thing that calmed me even in these times is her face.

She won’t look at me the same way now.

I am King for her now.

“Hey man,” Kevin said tapping my shoulder.

I nod in acknowledgment.

“Problem is solved. Why are you still stressed?” He ask.

“Elijah betrayed us” I said taking a sip of my drink.

“Yes. It hurts.” He said.

“How are you so relieved?” I ask.

“Angel,” he replied.

Oh. How is his girl still with him when mine is throwing tantrums?

“Thank you,” I said.

He raises his eyebrow questionably.

“For not betraying me. For holding onto me and also for covering up for me in front of Zoe”

“We grew up together man. Don’t say thank you. Just pass the bottle” He played off.

I pass him my almost empty bottle.

“You drank this alone?” He asks.

“Yes”

“Are you okay?” He asks.

“No”

“Tell me”

“It’s just, Zoe.”

“It’s been two days, still?” He asks.

“Yes. She won’t eat. She won’t move. She is just crying”

“And what did you do about that?” He asks.

“Nothing. I am giving her some time.”

“Wow.” He scoffs.

“What? “

“She will bounce back if you give her time. Make her think that she is yours. Make her yours.” He said.

“How?” I ask.

“Do anything you want with her. You want her as your wife, then have her. You want her to cook, then make her cook. You want her to not talk back, then teach her. “

“She is not kid, Kevin.” I said.

“Angel was not a kid too. Look at us now” He said.

“Angel was teen when you took her. She doesn’t love you, Kevin. She is afraid of you. But my Zoe loves me” I said.

“Break her” He said.

“But-“

“She will continue to throw tantrum until u break her. Girls like her never give up politely” He said.

“You don’t understand.” I said pulling my hair.

She is not meant to be broken.

I don’t want an afraid kitten.

I love her the way she is. She just need time.

Time to adjust. Time to accept the reality.

Today’s argument with her broke me.

The way she backed off when I said I want her.

The tiredness on her face.

The anger in her eyes for me.

The disgust in her voice.

Everything told me that she hates me.

Everything is not going to be safe.

I don’t know what to do with her.

I don’t know how to gain her trust back.

I can’t believe I killed right in front of her.

I can’t believe I put my bloody hands on her.

For god sake, I almost raped her.

“I think I should take her to lake house” I said.

“You sure? “ Asks Kevin.

Am I?

“Yes. Not now. Tomorrow.” I said opening another bottle of whiskey.

“Trust me, Jack. You will have to break her to have her,” said Kevin patting my shoulder.

And left me to drown in my own mess.

Zoe’s POV

I didn’t sleep the whole night. Jack’s words keep running in my mind.

I don’t understand what is it that he wants from me.

How can you expect someone to love you when you clearly shattered their whole life?

How sad Jack is making me.

The precious moments with my family ran in my mind.

How Aarav used to tease me one moment and act like Papa the other moment.

How Mumma used to scold me to spend time with them. I never realized; I won’t be able to live those moments later.

I should have cherished those moments.

No one is with me.

I am left alone here with my own miserable fate

Why?

Why?

Why?

I don’t blame Papa for trading me off.

I don’t blame Aarav for grounding me.

I don’t blame anyone but Jack.

He ruined my life.

He ruined everything I ever had.

He is a killer

He is a rapist.

He is liar.

He is abuser.

He is toxic.

I will not spend my life with him.

Never ever.

Not in this world.

Either I am running away, or I will kill myself, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of calling me his.

He hurt my family for me. Now I will hurt him.

And there is nothing that can save him.

I swear I won’t let him call me his.

The next day came soon. I got up from the couch and walked to the sliding glass. Birds chirped outside, flying freely. Even they have freedom that I don’t.

At least I can look outside. The girls were kept in dark cells.

I don’t trust Kevin. He lied about girls.

Jack is King and Jack kept them in cells.

My gut feeling told me; it has to be Jack.

Slowly my fear and pain turned into anger.

I can’t sit around waiting for them to treat me like shit just like they did to girls.

I can’t wait around for them to take a step.

“Zoe,” Jack called.

I turn around. He was standing near door frame.

“Listen to me,” he said.

I nod avoiding eye contact. His clothes with messed up. The two buttons on his white button-down shirt open, one sleeve up with other down.

“I am sorry that you had to witness the death. I know you hate violence. But I had reasons. Elijah deserved it.” He spoke. His voice slurring.

“No one deserves to die” I spoke in small voice.

“He did. He kidnapped you. He manipulate the driver. He kidnapped Aarav. He was going to kill you in front of me. Riley was shot because of him” He confess.

This news shocked me. I looked between his eyes. Searching the lies. His eyes were red. Tear stains on face. He has been crying.

“How many lies Jack?” I ask as my voice broke.

He immediately came inside the room and knelt in front of me.

“I am not lying, love. I am not. Please trust me” He beg.

“Even if I trust you on this, what about other things?” I ask. “Answer me honestly”

He tried to hold my hand, but I hug myself taking a step back.

“You forced my parents and Aarav to create the whole bubble of lie. Didn’t you?” I ask.

“Yes, Zoe. I did. I love you. You would never have loved me if I told you my true identity love” He said. His voice broken. “I want us to work”

I bite my lip to stop the sob from escaping my lips.

“Those girls…” My voice broke “you did that to them” I said.

His shoulder slumped down in defeat, “yes” He said.

I slide down the wall, as silent tears fell down my face.

“You broke them and every other girl you sold” I whisper as it became hard to speak.

“Zoe. Please give me one chance. Please” He beg.

The sobs I desperately wanted to keep inside escaped.

“Girls are just things for you” I whisper between my sobs.

“No. You are not just a thing. You are my life.” He said moving closer to me. He was crying too.

I press myself further in the wall in order to prevent the physical contact.

“You beat Aarav” I choked out.

“Yes. But that’s in past. I promise I will change” He said.

“You will change?” I spoke harshly as anger rose in me.

“Yes, I will Zoe” He said with determination.

“What about the girls you already broke?” I yell. “What about your deeds? You broke them. We have been treating them for months now. Still, they don’t speak. They starve themselves. They don’t ask for anything. You turned them into puppets. Puppets to please you. You raped them. You tortured them. You stole their life” I shout.

He stared me.

“You know nothing but to destroy Jack. You destroy everything. You destroyed them. You destroyed me. You destroyed my family. You don’t deserve anything but hate” I shout.

“You lied to me about everything. You beat Aarav. You forged fake marriage. I am not yours” I yell.

He suddenly pulls me towards him by my neck.

“Don’t shout” He whisper in deadly cold tone.

“This is what I am talking about. You can’t change when you can’t even listen the truth” I spoke.

“I am ready to leave all this. I am ready to stop human trafficking. I am ready to give away everything” He said.

“What about the humans that you have already broken?” I ask.

“I can’t do anything about them” He said slightly tightening his grasp on my neck.

“I said I am ready to give it up” He grit out.

“You didn’t see their pain, Jack. I did. You can never feel what’s it’s like to be under someone let alone be a puppet.”

“You only know how to inflict pain. Other’s pain makes you happy” I spat.

He places his forehead on mine and pulled me in hug.

“Save me Zoe” He whisper.

“You are broken beyond repair” I spat back.