Chapter 5. The Slap

“Yes, Mr. Donnelly? Is the food not to your liking?” she asked anxiously, looking at him with fear.

“No, why aren’t you eating?” he asked with a frown. Cara shook her head vehemently.

“I’ve eaten, sir,” she said as a faint color stained her cheeks. Marcus knew she was lying. She couldn’t have eaten that early in the morning.

“Get a plate,” he ordered, but she shook her head stubbornly.

“I’m already full,” she said, licking her lips nervously.

“Don’t make me feed you. I don’t want you to faint while working for me. Go get a plate or I’ll have you sit here right on my lap and feed you myself,” he growled impatiently. A tremor went down her spine, hearing his threat. She stood frozen by his sudden change of tone. If he hated her so much, then why was he offering her food?

Cara’s eyes widened, and she came out of her trance. “I can’t eat anything, Mr. Donnelly. Please allow me to complete the work quickly. I have to hurry home,” she said in a small voice. Marcus’s eyes widened, and he looked furious. Did she need to go back to her boyfriend or to a client or maybe to that cheap club?

“What’s the rush to go home? Are you living with your parents?” he asked impatiently. Cara shook her head, making him even more furious. So she didn’t live with her parents! He was now convinced that she lived with the man whose jacket she wore all day. She was eager to get back to him.

“I told you that you cannot go till you’ve earned the amount that I gave you. My offer still stands. Drop the act for f*ck's sake,” he reminded her angrily.

His rude proposal shocked Cara. Why was he harping on the same thing again and again? How? Didn’t she clearly state that she would prefer to clean toilets than do what he wanted?

Panic set in her heart at hearing his words. Wouldn’t he let her go before she completed all the work? But how could she stay over? She had three siblings to look after. It was alright to leave them for a few hours, but she couldn’t possibly leave them overnight! Then there was her evening performance at Kingston Club. She couldn’t miss that and anger Rudolph Sterling. He would throw her out without a second thought.

“I’m not interested in any of your offers. I’ll work hard, but I can’t stay here for that long, Mr. Donnelly. Don’t worry, I’ll complete all your work by 4:30 before I leave. The rest I can complete tomorrow,” she said, in an almost pleading tone.

“Why can’t you stay and complete everything in one go? In case you cannot, you can always please me and leave. It wouldn’t take you much time considering how professional you are at it,” said Marcus, his eyes gazing at her with lust. Marcus did not know why he was begging her over and over when all he wanted to do was pick her up and carry her to his bed. He just wanted to plunge into her till she begged him to take her again and again. He wanted to brand her and then leave her, to punish her for denying him.

“I’ll complete the cleaning and cooking and leave,” she said with a sigh, ignoring his earlier remark while Marcus looked furiously at her.

“I see! So who do you have waiting for you at your house? Your boyfriend?” scowled Marcus, with a grim expression on his face. The food suddenly lost its flavor while his head throbbed with pain and anger. Cara looked stunned by his weird questions. Where did a boyfriend come into the picture? Could he stop assuming things already? He worked his mind too much, that too unnecessarily!

“Can’t my family wait for me at my house? Why does it have to be a boyfriend?” she asked with a frown. “Now, if you will tell me what exactly I need to do, I’ll complete the job and go home,” she said.

“No, first you will eat. Sit down,” he growled, showing the chair next to him, yet she didn’t sit down.

He pushed the sandwiches towards her. “Eat,” he ordered. Cara frowned at the food and the hungry, innocent faces of her little brothers and sister flashed through her mind. They would be so hungry if aunt Maggie hadn’t sent them any breakfast. She couldn’t eat a single bite.

“Why don’t you eat, dammit?” asked Marcus angrily, seeing her standing in front of the food.

“Can I please pack them up and take them home? I’ll eat later,” she said with a pleading look in her eyes.

“For your boyfriend?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“No, I don’t have a boyfriend,” she declined instantly. Marcus gazed into her wide blue eyes. They seemed so intense, like an ocean he could drown in. He felt himself being pulled into their depths the more he gazed into them.

“You don’t live with your parents, you don’t have a boyfriend. I doubt it if you’re going home at all,” he said with disgust.

“Fine then. Think what you will. I have work to complete,” she said with a sigh. There was no point in talking to the rude man. He wouldn’t change his mind about her. She dejectedly walked towards the kitchen to do the dishes and arranged them all in their place.

Finally, cleaning the place up, as she turned to go, she collided with Marcus’s chest. When he crept up behind her, she did not know.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” she apologized, ready to flee, but Marcus snaked his arm around her waist and crushed her to his hard body. An evil grin spread all over his face, seeing her eyes widen with shock. She should get an Oscar for her acting skills!

“Why do you keep pretending? You know you want me to f*ck you. Do you want more money? Tell me that. I have lots of money,” he smirked. Cara was so taken aback by his insolence that she stammered, not able to think of a fitting response. Seeing her lack of response, Marcus picked her up over his shoulder and marched towards his bedroom.

Cara panicked, realizing what he was really up to. She struggled to get free. “Let me go, please Mr. Donnelly. I really came here just to return the money. I’m not what you think me to be,” she said, struggling more, but his grip was like steel and she just couldn’t budge even an inch. He walked angrily into his bedroom and flung her onto his bed.

Cara’s face paled, and she felt the tears of helplessness prick at her eyes. No, she couldn’t let him force her just because he had money and power.

Before she could get up and run, he followed her to the bed and pinned her with his body. “Stop acting all shy around me. I said I’ll pay you generously. Just please me. That shouldn’t be hard to do, right? Isn’t it what you do for a living?” he gritted out, leaning in and crashing his lips to hers in a punishing and brutal kiss. He bit her lips hard, making the tears pour down her cheeks while she tasted the blood on them. His tongue plunged in, plundering her sweetness while she tried to twist her head away and break free.

With his heavy legs pinning her to the bed and his grip on her head, nothing was working. She twisted her head left and right. “No, please, let me go home,” she mumbled incoherently against his plundering mouth, trying hard to extract herself from his attack.

Marcus looked up with fire in his eyes. “Don’t you like it? You can please me in other ways,” he said, his eyes glittering maliciously.

“Get off me, please. I’m sorry that I came here, that I thought of returning the money I didn’t earn. I’m sorry, please let me go,” she sobbed helplessly, but he didn’t listen. His eyes blazed as he thought of ways to punish her. Punish her for what, exactly? He did not know.

“Then admit it, you came here to seduce me. Admit it, you thought I would easily fall for a sl*t like you. Admit it, dammit,” he said, rolling over and staring at her with cold, unfathomable eyes.

Cara sat up with a strange hatred in her eyes, completely shattering all her romantic illusions about the man for life.

“How dare you call me names when you yourself are no saint? It seemed as if your mom hadn't taught you how to respect a woman,” she said, trembling with fury. Marcus clenched his teeth at her as he exploded with anger. How dare she bring his mom into the picture?

“Really? I only respect women who respect themselves, not sl*ts like you. Get out and do what exactly your mom has taught you to do,” he yelled angrily. Cara lost all semblance of control and reached out and slapped him hard across his cheek, the sound echoing within the close confines of the room. She ran out of the room towards the main door before he could take his revenge on her.

Finding the remote control device for the door, she pressed the top button, and miraculously, the main door opened. She next pressed some random button marked Gate, and the main gate slid open. Placing the remote control back on the table, she ran outside as far as her legs could carry her. She didn’t stop till she reached the bus stop. She swore never to go back, never to see that rude and horrible jerk again!