Her Innocence

Family

I sat in the bedroom surrounded by silence and silk. I didn't need to think about it, I didn't want a baby.

I pulled on a robe and walked out to the lounge room. I stood at the doorway, staring at the back of Leon's head as he sat on the couch.

"I can feel you boring holes in the back of the skull," he let out another puff of smoke.

"I hate that you smoke inside,"

"I don't care," he chuckled.

"Well, you should if I'm supposed to carry your child, secondhand smoke isn't healthy." I glowered.

He turned to look at me.

"Fine," he put the cigarette out by dropping it into the vase of flowers on the coffee table.

"The thing is," I sat down next to him on the leather couch, "I'm scared of being pregnant, of giving birth and I'm scared I'll be a s**t mother because I don't want to be one. Why is that not a good enough excuse?"

Leon sighed, and his dark eyes locked onto mine, "Because my family needs an heir, that's what the marriage us about joining the families in law and blood. My parents will demand answers when you don't get pregnant."

"Tell them I'm infertile or something," I begged.

"Won't work. They had a full check-up done on you. They know for sure you're not infertile."

"What?" they must've done that without telling me because I didn't even know that.

"Everything's already been thought of. All I can do is give you a year."

I sighed in resignation, "Well, there goes all my hopes and dreams."

"Come 'ere," he opened his arms, expecting me to embrace him.

I stood up and walked back out of the room.

***

"It's been a week," Leon pulled the sheets away from me.

"Hey!" I groaned and felt the warm comfort being swept aside.

"You've been rotting in bed for days. It's time to get up, eat something." He showed me a plate of fruits and chocolates.

"I just wanna go home," I rolled over away from him.

"Fine, we'll go home then," he sounded hopeful.

"My home, not yours."

"Ours," he tried to correct me.

"Whatever," I sat up, glaring at him through my lashes.

"You're bleeding," he looked down between my legs. Sure enough, there were little red patches on the sheets and on my underwear.

"Fuckk!" I felt gross and tired, and now I was embarrassed.

"Hey, it's okay," Leo tried to calm me down.

"No, it's not!" I cried as I yelled at him.

"Let's just get you cleaned up, and then we'll get going." He insisted and went to pick me up.

I slapped away his hand, and he actually flinched, "Don't touch me!" I got up and went to the bathroom. I couldn't be bothered taking my underwear off, I just turned on the facet to the bath and sat down in the giant tub. The water level moved up. Up my toes, past my ankles. Up to my waist and then my chest. Leon walked in and watched at the water come all the way up to my chin.

"You going to turn it off?" he asked.

I just sat there staring at the tiled wall. what seemed to be marble was beginning to look more like cracks and imperfections.

Leon's muscley arm reached across my view and turned the water off.

I felt his hand reach down into the water, I felt him pull at the waistband of my underwear, and then he cut it off me. He pulled the bloody rag from the bath and let it drop to the floor before he undid my bra too and then left.

He came back half an hour later with a towel he pulled the plug from the bath and waited for it to empty before getting me out again.

it was annoying really, how easily he could just cart me around. It made me realise how easily he could just throw me across the room.

But I knew there was this side, the side that cares and maybe even loves me. The side of a young man trying to look after his wife who doesn't want him.

***

Within a couple of hours, we arrived back at his mansion.

"I've organised a family dinner," Leon announced as I followed him upstairs.

"Oh?"

"Your parents and mine,"

"I don't think I want to see them,"

"Well, it's too bad. You're going to get dressed up and be ready to leave in two hours. We're going to one of my casinos." Leo ran his hand down his face and went to go shower, "Your clothes have all been moved to this room, now by the way." he called out from the bathroom.

I opened the door to the walk-in wardrobe. One side had Leon's suits and shiny black shoes, and the other had dresses, skirts, handbags, and high heels. I pulled out a black knee-length body con dress and a matching pair of heels. I sat down at the oak vanity and applied thick concealer to cover the bags under my eyes.

"You look beautiful," I turned around to see Leo standing with nothing but a towel around his waist.

"Thanks," I turned back around to stare at the girl in the mirror.

I heard the soft rustling of thick fabric as he got dressed into his suit. The zip of his fly being done up. The soft muted thudding of his shoes on the carpet.

"Here," he held a diamond choker in front of my neck before moving my hair to latch the clasp at the back of my neck. A thick line of diamonds covered my throat. It was heavier than I imaged diamonds to be.

He pressed a kiss to my collarbone and stared back at me in the mirror. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," I ran my fingertips across the shiny gems.

"If there's certain gems or metals you prefer, just let me know."

I shook my head, "No, it's perfect the way it is."

"Good," he rested a hand at my waist. pushing the limit, he had not dared to touch for the last six and half days.

"I'm ready now, should we go?"

Leon nodded and stood up.

***

"Cat!" My mother gasped with joy when she caught sight of me. She made a move to hug me but I held up a hand.

"Don't embrass the family, mother. I'm a woman now, not a child, act like it."

her face dropped and other finally dawned on her that she'd royally f****d up. My father too, looked at me with shock. Maybe it was because of the way my voice didn't hold affection for them anymore. Maybe it was because I had a string of diamonds across my neck. Maybe it was because, after everything, I'd finally become a woman. I'd changed and they didn't think I would.

"Isn't she beautiful!" Leon's mother gushed over me.

"Yes, she is, they will make beautiful babies!" Leon's father boasted.

I put on a smile and raised my glass only to have both mine and Leo's mother loom at my wine glass with horror.

"No, no, not alcohol, you might already be pregnant." His mother gasped and snatched the glass from my hand.

"Leo, son, you should be watching her more carefully." his father chided him as if I had no mind of my own.

"I am almost certain I'm not pregnant yet," I rolled my eyes.

to my dismay I realised the table had gone silent at what I'd said. I'd upset every single person at the table.

"You did consummate the marriage?" Leon's father glared at him.

"Of course," he chuckled which started he conversation again.