Page 18 of Nobody Wants Me
The Grid had always been around.I’d not had anything to do with it, and I didn’t agree with it.Powerful men and women paying people to get what they wanted.No one could fight The Grid.It was powerful.
“They have their reasons, and it is not my place to divulge them.”Ivan got to his feet.“I think we have a hotel to go to, don’t we?”
****
Freya
After showing The Butcher the whole collection of my wardrobe, we had some lunch, and then at her request, we took a dive into the pool.I loved to go swimming.
My dad had his own private pool, but I rarely got to use it.If my father had company, I was not allowed to be seen.If he entered the pool room while I was there, I had to leave as quickly as possible.If my brothers entered, well, that shit always got scary, and I decided quite quickly it was just easier and safer to not go swimming.It wasn’t fun being held under water while they tested how long you could hold your breath.There was no one I could complain to and nothing I could do to stop it.There were a few times I thought they were going to kill me.
This is why I didn’t go to the pool.
At Victor’s, well, he was home, and I tended to do everything I could to avoid him.It made life a lot easier for me.
The Butcher magically had a bathing suit, and we swam for what felt like hours.She asked me so many questions.She wanted to know what my favorite color was.What I wanted to be when I grew up.What my favorite movie was, my favorite song.I told her I loved the fall, and I loved Halloween.I had a small collection of blankets and cushions I made which I always brought out around that time.
I always wanted to make myself a Halloween costume, but to this day, I never had.It’s odd how life seems to throw curveballs, or how easy it was to constantly put things on the back burner.That is what I did.Told myself I could do it tomorrow.
Like, leaving my dad’s home and making a life for myself.I attempted that multiple times, but he always had someone there to come and take me back.I wanted to break free, and I thought about telling people how awful he was.Only, I would stop myself.No one needed to know, nor cared to know.After all, I was still the daughter of a rich man.What hardships did I truly know?
Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I was shocked to learn that The Butcher liked a few of the same things I did.By the time our skin had wrinkled from the water, we climbed out and let our feet dangle in the pool.
“This is fun,” I said.
“Yeah, it is.”
I didn’t know what else to say.
“I like you, Freya,” The Butcher said.“You’re not like I imagined.”
I smiled.“You imagined what I was like?”
“Rich dad, you had a house on his land.It kind of brings up thoughts of what that is like.”
I barely knew this woman.
Holding my hands together, I looked straight ahead.“I tried to leave,” I said.There, I finally said it.“I hated everything.My brothers were awful.They got a kick out of terrifying me.There were times I thought they were going to kill me.Knowing my dad, he’d probably cover it up.My dad hated my guts.Probably still hates my guts.I was not pretty.I was not what he wanted.I just wanted to leave, but he would never let me.”
“And now you’re married?”
There were no tears to cry.
“Yeah, to a man that can’t stand me.Victor hates me,” I said.
The Butcher didn’t dispute what I said.
I took a deep breath.“Do you think there is any possible way of making it out of this alive?”I asked.
“You’re not going to die, Freya.You have no reason to.You’re a good person.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know enough about you to know you didn’t inherit your family’s cruelty gene.You’re a good person, who is just a victim of circumstance.”
“Do you think Mr.Volkov will ever allow me to leave this marriage?”I asked.
“Is there someone else?”The Butcher asked.
