Page 8 of Depraved Desires

The walls were painted a subtle gray color, a dark, wooden dresser across from me beneath a mounted TV. To my left was a door—presumably the closet. On my right, a window with thin gray curtains. Glancing down, I realized for the first time that Iwas in a massive bed, surrounded by thick blankets that just so happened to match the rest of the room. Gray.

Where the hell am I?

Pulling myself into a sitting position, I did one final sweep around the luxurious bedroom. My hand moved to my chest where my heart beat frantically beneath my palm. I wasalive. Tears welled in my eyes at the unbelievable prospect. I’d been dead. Or at least…I was as good as dead.

Foster pushed me into the water. The words they said to me still bounced around my skull like a goddamn record that never ceased to end.

That’s it. Fuck us baby.

You deserve to be used and discarded like the trash you are.

We don’t have another choice.

Squinting, I shoved those thoughts to the back of my mind. I’ve never hated someone so much in my life. Now I had four people to hate equally. People who deserved to pay for what they did. Anger consumed me, boiling my blood until I could feel it on the outer layers of my skin. Fuck them. I was alive. That would be a mistake they’d learn to regret. They should have slit my throat when they had the chance.

Throwing the blanket off of me, I kicked my legs over and planted them against the hardwood floor. The cold wood pressed against my feet, making me shiver. I officially hated the cold. With determination, I stood on shaky legs, reaching for the bed post in an attempt to steady myself.

From this moment on, I was done being used. Done being taken for granted. Done letting anyone touch me without my consent. This has officially become a game of fire and ice where only the strongest survive.

Stumbling across the room, I grabbed onto the dresser for support. My breaths came out quickly and unsteady and my muscles spasmed due to the lack of use. I wasn’t sure how longit had been since that fateful night, but I was determined to pick myself up and throw on my armor. The fight wasn’t over yet.

Sucking in a mouthful of air, I released my hold on the dresser and moved toward the door. When my hand reached the doorknob, I pulled it open and entered the hallway. My gaze traveled around the small space as I took in the random paintings adorning the walls. One thing was for sure, I’d never been here before.

Placing my hand against the wall for support, I moved along the walkway until I reached what appeared to be a living room. It was just as neatly furnished as the bedroom had been with a nice, gray sofa and a glass coffee table in front of it. Throw pillows decorated either side, bringing the look together.

In the corner of the room was a giant TV sitting on top of an expensive-looking entertainment center.

“I thought I heard someone,” a voice said from behind me, causing me to whirl around to face them. My chest heaved as tension stalled my muscles.

Before me, was a beautiful woman with light brown hair and unnaturally blonde highlights. Her skin was flawless, but I could tell by her voice that she was older. Late twenties to early thirties maybe. My gaze raked down the beautiful woman, her outfit fitting her figure nicely. The white blouse she wore was modest, and she paired it with some skinny jeans.

“Who are you?” I rasped, my throat burning.

A polite smile split her face, though it didn’t seem sincere. There was just something about this woman that seemed…off. Maybe it was the pile of makeup she had on her face, or how her eyes said more than her expression did.

“I’m Caroline. Aiden’s wife.”

My head pounded as I tried to process her answer. “Aiden?” I questioned, trying to remember meeting him. I was mostlysurrounded by students, so it was unlikely that I met anyone who was married.

She laughed. “Oh, right. Mr. Monroe.”

My throat tightened and it did nothing for the raw feeling within it. How much weirder and more fucked up could my life get? I remembered seeing him at the party, but that was it. How the hell did I end up here?

“You’re probably thirsty and hungry,” she droned on. “Let me go fix you something. Do you like eggs?” She didn’t wait for a response before starting for what I assumed to be the kitchen.

“Yeah. Eggs are fine.” My stomach grumbled on instinct. I didn’t really care what I ate at this point as long as it was filling. Swiping my tongue along my lower lip, I followed her.

This felt weird. Knowing I fucked her husband and now here I was with her making me something to eat. If the world could stop shitting on me, that would be great. Leaning against the counter, I watched as she took out the ingredients and got to work.

This didn’t feel real. Sure, the pain was a pretty good reminder, but I thought that had been it for me. I’d already said my goodbyes and welcomed death.

Furrowing my eyebrows, the questions consumed me until I couldn’t take it anymore. “What happened?” I finally asked, chewing on the inside of my lip.How much do you know?

She looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes wide with surprise. “Oh! Where are my manners? You’re probably so confused.” The enthusiasm had my brain turning to mush. I couldn’t tell if this was how she normally spoke, or if it was exaggerated in order to portray a stepford housewife. She definitely looked the part. Taking the spatula, she broke the eggs apart and then set it to the side before turning to face me.

“One of Aiden’s students called him the night of the Halloween party asking for help. He saw some boys draggingyou away and followed them.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. Annoyance bubbled inside me at her carelessness. “Anywho…I don’t know all the details, but we agreed to take you in for now to make sure you remain safe.” Turning back to the stove, she grabbed the spatula once again and continued cooking until they were done.

“Who was thisstudent?” I inquired, a pit forming at the bottom of my stomach.

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