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Abused

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Chapter 31: Abused (Evie's POV)

I was trying and struggling but trying nonetheless, to tolerate Mrs. Caroline, who is the epitome of a rich man's, rich trophy wife, and I say that with all due respect. I love the woman but she just... talks way too fucking much, that too about every single person attending tonight. 

Amidst our conversation, she waved at somebody behind me with a grin and I turned around, offering Ms. Lilah a polite smile, knowing that she was Mr. Walsh's sister. As she walked away, I faced Mrs. Caroline again. 

"That woman is wearing the most hideous gown and the most horrifying emeralds I have ever seen," she mumbled with a snicker. 

I paused, blinking in surprise and then it dawned on me. This woman was the Regina George of her time. 

"The ugliest shade of green," she mumbled. 

I frowned, glancing at Ms. Lilah's olive green gown and sage green emerald jewelry. "I rather like that shade of green, Mrs. Caroline, don't you?" 

"Not at all," she shook her head with a look of disgust. 

Jesus. 

"Well, I suppose it can't suit everybody after all," I smiled politely. 

Her lips formed into a sly smile. "This is why I truly adore you, Evelyn." 

I cringed at the name and released a soft breath of relief when I felt someone take my arm. Spinning around, I saw Nate. "Hi, thank you," I spoke through my grin. 

He chuckled, "Don't thank me just yet," then faced Mrs. Caroline. "Please excuse us for just a moment." Pulling me away, we stopped near a secluded corner. "You need to leave," he said sternly. 

"What?" 

"Take Rowan and go home. Now." 

"Why? What's wrong?" 

He shot me a pointed look. 

"No, what did he do?" I groaned softly. 

"He had one glass of whiskey after the other and is barely sitting still at the bar right now." 

I looked over and saw him sitting there, his back to the room. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I refrained from losing it. "Why would he do that? Especially after lecturing me today and yesterday about how important tonight is and how we just have to be the picture-perfect couple," I ground out. 

"Because first, he saw our father and lost half his mind right there. Then, to make matters worse, our father spoke to him. And now he's wasted. Take him home," he pleaded. 

"What makes you think I can handle him in this state?" 

"The fact that he listens to you, Evie. Only you," he said. "Take him and go. Before Daniel makes this an issue and uses it against us." 

"All right," I mumbled. "I'll go." So, I bid Nate goodbye, both of us agreeing that instead of saying bye to all our guests, it would be better for Rowan and me to slip out unnoticed. I gathered my dress and walked quickly to Rowan, throwing smiles around to the guests I passed by. I stopped beside him and patted his shoulder. 

He sat upright and instead of simply facing me, spun his stool, only he spun it too hard and completed a whole circle before closing his eyes and tilting his head back. 

The dimples. 

He grinned and then opened his eyes, meeting mine. "Evie," he said, tipping his head down in greeting. 

"Rowan," I mocked, doing the same thing. "Are you ready to go home?" 

He shook his head, staring at his half-empty glass and tracing the rim with the tip of his finger. 

"Why not? The party's almost over," I lied, taking the glass away before he could have the rest of his drink and handing it to the bartender. "No more," I said sternly before facing Rowan. "Let's go." 

"Why?" he asked, sighing and resting his elbow on the counter, then holding his head in his hand, staring at me. "No," he frowned, "I don't want to." 

"Well, you're going to have to." I reached out and took his arm, pulling him up to his feet. 

He whined more as he stumbled but I caught him, trying to maintain my composure. "Why? I don't want to go home," he grumbled. 

"Why not?" I asked while slowly steering him towards the exit, keeping his arm in mine. 

"I don't want to sleep," he sighed, suddenly stopping in the middle of the room. 

A few women engrossed in their conversation passed by us, somebody bumping into me. 

I took a step back but ultimately, stepped on my own dress and fell backward. Despite being drunk, he was the one to catch me as I almost fell. His arm swiftly moved around my waist as I grabbed onto him to steady myself, gasping loudly, then mumbling, "Fuck," under my breath. 

He smiled in amusement, looking down at me. "Careful, wife," he smirked. 

I patted his arm. "Okay, let's go. You're troublesome right now." 

He straightened me up, keeping an arm around me. "Why is nobody dancing? This party is so boring," he said, stretching out his words. "We should dance," he somehow concluded. 

"What we should do, my dear, pain in the ass of a husband," I grinned, earning a frown. But regardless of that, I continued, "Is go home. Now." 

His arm fell from my waist. "You're no fun tonight, Ms. Spence— Mrs. Volkov," he corrected, bending down to reach my height until we were face to face. 

"That's rich coming from you, Mr. Volkov," I replied. "Let's go?" I asked, tilting my head to one side. 

"Fine," he grumbled after thinking for a moment and straightened up, attempting to march ahead but losing his balance a bit with the first step he took. 

I grabbed onto him before he fell and guided him out until we reached our car. Sighing, I let go of him, making him stand against the car while I tried to suppress my growing frustration. "The car keys. Where are they?" 

"In my pocket," he answered, resting his head against the hood of the car and watching me through hooded, drowsy eyes. 

I held out a palm but he made no move to take them out. I ground my jaw, losing more and more patience as time went on. With one last look around, I stepped closer and firmly grabbed his tie, jerking him forward. 

He stumbled forward, his body colliding into mine as he looked down at me, keeping his hands tucked away in his pockets. 

"You better listen to me, Rowan. Get it together," I scolded, keeping my voice just in case anybody was nearby. "You're the one who told me over and over again how important tonight was. Forget about talking to future clients, you hardly said a word to any guest after your hellos. With Daniel here too, we cannot mess this up, remember? Give me the car keys." 

He pulled his hands out and held them up in surrender. "Take them." 

"Unbelievable," I muttered before reaching into his pocket. 

"Other one," he mused. 

I shot him a glare and fetched out the keys before unlocking the car and opening the passenger door for him. The moment I opened it though, he slammed it shut and moved forward, spinning us around and backing me up against the car. Placing both his hands on the hood, he stared down at me. 

"Why..." he sighed, his head dropping. "Why is it always about running from my fucking father, hmm?" 

I stared at him, my eyes scanning his face, trying to understand what he was talking about. 

"Why?" He groaned softly, "Why is it always that?" 

"It's not," I said softly. "You're not running from him. You're just proving that you're better than that, that you... are everything you need to be and so much more without him." 

"But why do I have to prove myself to him? Why can't I just... be? Why can't he let me do what I want? Why is it always about proving myself to a fucking monster like that man? Why do I have to..." He released a shaky breath before suddenly leaning in. My breathing stopped as he lowered his head and rested it on my shoulder. "Why do I have to hurt... because of him?" 

"You don't," I replied after a long pause. 

He lifted his head, staring at me. 

"You don't have to let him hurt you," I shook my head. 

"No?" he asked, shaking his head softly and sounding so... confused. So surprised, so... lost. He sounded like a little kid who realized after being in pain for so long that there was always to not let it break you. 

"No," I answered. Hesitating, I thought hard about whether I should be asking such questions. It wasn't my place, I was in no position to demand such answers from him. "Rowan." 

"Hmm?" 

"What did he do to you?" 

His eyes came back into focus and his whole body grew stiff, jaw hard, as he understood my question. 

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm just worried," I reassured him. 

He pulled his hands down, shoving them back into his pockets. "No. Maybe you should know. Maybe if you knew, you would understand how important it is to keep the company out of his hands. How... important it is to stay away from him." 

I could sense the alcohol wearing off of him. I'd come to notice this about Rowan in all the years I've known him. 

He doesn't drink alcohol often because when he does, he loses control and gets wasted like he is right now. But even then, Rowan always knows what is happening. He always understands what someone tells him, always reads the room right, and always knows the right and wrong things to say. He knows what I'm asking about, he knows what to tell me and what not to. But he won't remember anything tomorrow morning. He groaned softly, loosening his tie in frustration. 

"He..." He paused and took a breath. "He used to... He always— Damn it," he huffed, leaning forward and placing his arms on the car again, hitting a fist against the hood. 

"Rowan, you don't have to—" 

"He abused me," he mumbled quietly, staring at the ground. 

I went still. 

"He abused me," he repeated, his head dropping to my shoulder again. "He hit me. He screamed at me," he whispered, "he punished me for no reason. He almost killed me." He sniffled before lifting his head and meeting my gaze. His eyes had become more bloodshot but he kept his emotions at bay, kept them locked away while trying his best not to let them get the better of him. "I hate him, Evie. Don't you?" He watched me, his eyes dancing across my face, desperately seeking an answer. 

I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat, past the sick feeling that settled like dread into the pit of my stomach, past the nausea and disgust I felt just thinking about a man like Daniel doing something so evil, so sinister to someone like Rowan, to a little boy. "I do. I hate him too," I mumbled.

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Chapter 31

my heart broke for little Rowan. I was originally going to write a few more details about the abuse but I couldn't bring myself to do that tonight, I was already feeling pretty sad but couldn't figure out why, so I didn't want to write something so heartbreaking either

next chapter: drowning