Chapter 81 Regret III
Heaven’s body went numb.
Her tears had dried up instantly; there was nothing left to shed. She slid down the wall and crumpled to the floor, lifeless and weak, curling into herself like a broken thing trying to disappear.
Maverick’s breath came out ragged.
He stood frozen, a storm of emotions swirling behind his eyes: anger, regret, guilt. He watched her press herself against the wall where he had lost control, and something inside him cracked wide open.
“Heaven…” he whispered, voice barely audible. “I didn’t mean to…”
He stepped closer, eyes tracing the red patches blooming across her skin marks he had left to prove a point.
Marks that now looked like accusations. Marks he couldn’t take back.
Heaven didn’t look at him. She wrapped her arms around what little dignity remained, clutching the scraps of herself together.
A tremor moved through him.
He dragged both hands over his face.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to,” his voice cracked. “I lost control… I didn’t mean to force you…
Maverick slammed his fist against the wall, the impact rattling the room,forehead dropping as reality crashed back into him.
It was wrong. She hadn’t given consent. She had begged him to stop. But in that moment, he had been too far gone, possessed by the need to prove she belonged to him, body and soul.
Heaven remained still, staring blankly at the ceiling.Gone somewhere he could not reach.
Inside, she was screaming. Outside, she was silent.
Maverick conscience judged him by the sight.
Maverick disappeared into one of the rooms and returned with a soft cotton shirt and a simple skirt.
He approached slowly, quietly, unsure whether touching her again would shatter her completely.
What used to be her clothes lay in shreds around them. She lay with her legs still parted, exposed, vulnerable.
Her panties were gone.Her skirt was bunched uselessly around her waist. Her blouse was in tatters; only her bra hung loosely from one shoulder.
Heaven felt filthy. Used. Ruined.
Fresh tears slipped silently from the corners of her eyes, sliding into her hair.
Maverick knelt beside her. His hands shook as he reached out. She didn’t fight him. She couldn’t. There was no fight left. If he wanted to finish it, he should just put a bullet into her head. She had nothing left to lose.
Gently, so gently it felt like mockery, he dressed her. He slipped the shirt over her head, guided her limp arms through the sleeves, smoothed the skirt down her thighs. His fingers trembled against her skin.
His heart bled with every breath. When he was done, she stayed on the floor.He sat beside her, elbows on his knees, head in his hands.
The hallway where they were was filled with dandelions and roses the color of fresh blood, meant to soothe her, so they could move past everything that had happened between them. Now they mocked him.
His phone buzzed relentlessly in his pocket.
He picked it up.
His jaw tightened as he read the messages.
Heaven didn’t remember walking to the car. She didn’t remember being carried.
She only knew she was suddenly in the passenger seat, seatbelt fastened, staring through the windshield at nothing.
Maverick drove slowly this time, no rage in the way he handled the wheel. He kept stealing glances at her, eyes red-rimmed, voice soft with a regret that felt too late.
“I bought that house for you, Heaven,” he said quietly. “I didn’t know what you liked… so I bought you everything. Flowers. Clothes. Shoes…”
His voice was calm, laced with shame. “I was going to bring your grandmother… so she could keep you company when I’m not around.”
Heaven’s face held no reaction. Her eyes stayed fixed on nothing. He pulled over on a quiet road, turned to her.
“I will be going on a mission,” he said. “Its going to take a while. When I return, I’ll arrange everything again… until then, stay and wait for me.”
He reached for her hand, wrapping it in both of his. “I promise I’ll make it up to you…you can tell me about what you want to become.. I will grant it all for you..”
He didn’t want to leave her. His heart screamed not to. But duty called. He couldn’t leave her in the new house yet. The arrangements weren’t finished. Not after what he’d done.
He pressed a soft, broken kiss to her knuckles, then let go. Heaven didn’t pull away. She didn’t speak.
She simply stared ahead as he started the car again, driving her to a place she no longer recognized as safety.
Three weeks later.
After Heaven’s visit to the temple for purification, Eleanor had ordered her to offer two hundred bows every single day to “calm Boyle’s restless spirit.” While only eating once a day, this was supposed to go on for a month.
Eleanor claimed Boyle always came to her dreams crying, accusing, begging.
And Heaven, broken and obedient, did all two hundred bows without fail.
Every day was torture.
Her body was giving out, but she didn’t dare defy Eleanor.
In the sitting room, Eleanor spoke into her phone, smiling like a queen being praised.
“So the IVC News Show wants exclusive access into the Richard household?” she asked, amused.
“Yes, ma. We want viewers to see and emulate your lifestyle. A family of peace, discipline, and no scandals.”
Eleanor’s smile stretched.
“Well… we rarely grant interviews. My husband, the General , values privacy, actually. But I suppose I can make an exception.” Now her husband and son were away she could do it this one time.
“Please, ma. Many women admire you. They want to know how you keep such a perfect home. And you made the front page of Ivory City Magazine as Best Mother and Philanthropist of the Year.”
“Oh my…” Eleanor adjusted her hair, flattered. “You really do know how to use your words. Alright, I will honor the offer.”
“Thank you so much, ma!”
“You’re welcome.”
Eva, seated beside her, clapped her hands softly.
“Mother, I can’t wait to see you on television. You’re going to look breathtaking.”
“Of course I will,” Eleanor said proudly.
Just then, the quiet shuffle of tired feet echoed from the hallway.
Heaven emerged barely.
Her skin pale, hair damp with sweat, chest rising and falling too fast.
She had finished her 200 bows again.
Eleanor and Eva turned. A smirk graced Eva’s face enjoying the torture. This was only the beginning.
Heaven took two steps into the living room.
Then her vision blurred.
Her knees buckled.
And she collapsed, hitting the floor with a soft, final thud as if her body had finally given up on holding all the pain alone.