Page 3 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

The only person she saw regularly was Ian. She liked Ian. They got high together and had great sex.

Wilhelm annoyingly visited every few months. Devin made her sober up when he came. Well, as much as she could sober up. Her dreams of Alex always returned after Wilhelm visited. She didn’t like it when he came, and she felt even worse after he left.

She squeezed her eyes shut. The drugs were seeping out of her system and thoughts of Alex came unbidden to her mind. She missed him. So much it hurt to breathe.

She lifted her right hand and squinted. Devin had made her take off her diamond rings, but forced her to wear her German wedding band. Every time she looked at it, pain stabbed her heart. She tried to take it off once and Devin had become furious. She frowned. Why wouldn’t Devin want her to forget about Alex?

Her hand was swollen and bruised from pounding on the door. The ring was tight. Unusual. It was usually loose and had slipped off a few times. She’d lost a lot of weight since the funeral. She’d sprayed something on the mirror so she didn’t see herself. What it was, she didn’t know, but it had smelled good for about a year.

The door opened and she rolled over and sat up on her hip. Maggie entered, carrying a tray. “Maggie! Where’s Devin?”

Maggie gave her a sympathetic look. “Master said that he would come see you after you ate.”

“Why’s my cabinet empty?” Anna demanded.

Maggie’s eyes widened and she flinched. “Master said to take everything out while you were gone. I don’t know where he put the items, Mistress.”

Anna turned away and crossed her arms. “I’m not hungry.” If she couldn’t have her drugs, then she wouldn’t eat. Though the aroma wafting in her direction made her stomach growl. When was the last time she ate?

Maggie sat the tray on the table. “Master said he wouldn’t come see you if you didn’t eat.”

Anna turned and glared at the table. “Fine.” She stood on shaky legs, limped to the table, and collapsed into the chair. Maggie watched her eat for a few minutes and then slipped out of the room.

It was too quiet. She saw the remote for the TV on the nightstand and sighed. It was too far away and she didn’t have the energy to get up and get it.

She was staring at her dinner plate, debating if she wanted the last few bites of chicken, when Devin came in. She glared at him. “Why did you take my drugs away?”

Devin walked across the room and sat down in the armchair by the window. “I suggest you watch your tone, Anna,” he said in a low voice.

Anna stood on her shaky legs and pointed a finger at him. “Y-you promised that if I was a good girl, you would let me have them when I got home. You lied.”

Devin raised his brow. “You’ve been high for two years straight. It’s time to come down and get on with life.”

She crossed her arms. “I don’t want to. I have no life.”

“I was going to suggest you start dancing again.”

Anna’s jaw dropped and she stared at him for a long moment. Dance again? Even if she wanted to, she didn’t know if she could. It had been too long. “Why?”

“Because it’s good for you. Aside from your yearly pregnancy, you’ve become useless to me. I don’t even enjoy fucking you anymore. You’re too skinny and incoherent. Things need to change. Now.”

“You did this to me,” she growled.

“I will take some of the responsibility, yes. But now it’s time to move on. Deal with your pain and start living again.”

His matter-of-fact attitude infuriated her. “No.” She crossed her arms and glared at him again.

Devin was on his feet and in front of her so fast she gasped. He pushed her against the wall, his hand around her throat. “I am your Master. You will do as I say.”

“Or what?” She laughed. “You’ll punish me?”

Devin’s eyes flashed. “Oh, Anna. You don’t want to push me.”

She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. Or tried to. She was too weak to actually move him.

He grabbed her hair and knocked for the door to open, then dragged her, naked, out the door and through the hallways to the dungeon.

She cackled. “Ooh, the dungeon?” She sneered as he cuffed her arms and legs to the wall. “You can’t hurt me, Devin. Been there, done that.” She rolled her eyes.

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