Chapter 5 5 Nightmare

I don’t know how many minutes, seconds, or hours have passed since I lost consciousness, but I couldn't make myself open my eyes; my head is starting to throb badly, and I can feel a dull ache spreading throughout my entire body. The darkness surrounding me feels suffocating, making it even more difficult to gather the strength to regain consciousness. I also heard random voices from around: “She seems to be sleep-deprived and also malnourished. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be any problem with her.” The voices seemed distant, as if they were discussing my condition from afar. “Is there anything I need to take care of?" I heard someone say something, but I couldn’t make out who the person was. “Nothing much; just feed her some healthy food, fruits, and vegetables, and let her get enough sleep. She will be fine.” The other voice said reassuringly. As the conversation continued, my mind lost consciousness again as I was lulled into deep slumber once again, unaware of the discussions happening around me. The voices faded into the background as I surrendered to the comforting embrace of sleep. "Baby, who knows how much I love you, right?" Ben said, facing me with my back to the wall and a smile on his face. Goosebumps popped all over my skin when listening to his voice again. Where am I, and why is Ben here with me? ... I tried so hard to escape from there; he was in front of me. “Answer me, Damn it?” Ben shouted in anger, slamming the wall beside me. For a moment, I thought he was going to punch me. My heart raced as fear coursed through my veins. I nodded my head furiously as tears started pouring from my eyes. I don’t know what I'm doing here, but I want to leave. I thought as new tears started pouring from my eyes. "Words, I need words. Say that you love me.” He mumbled, enraged, with his lips close to his ears. “I….I…,” I tried to speak, but words didn't seem to form in my mouth as new tears started pouring. “You don’t love me right,” he said, sounding very annoyed by my behavior. He tightened his grip on my arm, causing me to wince in pain. I shook my head furiously as his palm wrapped around my neck, pressing it just enough to not kill me. I gasped for air, my heart pounding in my chest. Panic consumed me as I desperately searched for a way to escape his grasp. “Ben….” I tried separating his hand from mine, but he tightened his grip on my response. I desperately searched for a way to escape his grasp, my mind racing with fear. “I saw you with a dude. I saw you being friendly with him,” he mumbled, still not leaving me. “I love you so much than why you dare to lure other men.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to find the right words. "Benn..." I tried to explain, but words couldn't seem to form from my mouth, with tears continues to fall from my eyes and his tight grip around my neck. “Say that you love me... Say that you never cheated on me. Say that you’ll never try to lure some other men. Say, say, say." He shouted, pulling my head with his tight grip on my neck and my head slamming it on the wall. I gasped for air, my voice barely a whisper. "No….please… No, please. Ben."I shouted in pain as my eyes pooped somewhere very different from where I was before, but still, the tears didn’t seem to stop coming from my eyes as I scanned my surroundings and came face-to-face with someone I never accepted being with. “Are you okay?" he said, sitting with me on the bed. I don’t know what happened to me at that moment but I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tight. "It's okay,” Hollis said, but surprisingly, he didn't separate me from him. He rubbed my back, trying to confront me and provide comfort. His touch felt warm and reassuring, slowly easing the pain that had consumed me. It's warm and confronting, something that I have never felt in my life. “I’m sorry,” I said, realizing what I had done and pulling away from him. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to regain my composure. Hollis looked at me with understanding in his eyes, gently wiping away my tears. “It's okay." He brought a glass of water close to my lips, making me drink it. "Here, have a drink." He whispered, comforting me as I took a sip. “Thank you," I said, for his kind gesture. “Are you okay?" he asked again, staring at me. I nodded my head. “Why?” I questioned him, looking at him with confusion. Hollis sighed and took a moment before responding, his voice filled with empathy. “You’re shouting in your sleep as if you are in a lot of pain,” he replied. I felt a lump form in my throat as I processed his words. Yeah, dream.... I hoped it was a dream, but no, it was just some past memories replaying in my mind. “I’m fine; thank you for asking." I said, trying to get up from the bed, but two arms stopped me from doing it. "Rest. You aren’t very healthy.” He said this, gently guiding me back down onto the bed. “What do you mean?” I asked, not understanding his question. I furrowed my brow, confused by his concern.“You fainted in the elevator, so I carried you here to my bedroom,” he said, his voice filled with worry. I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as I realized the severity of the situation. “This is your bedroom..." I said more than I wanted to say. He nodded as if it were not a big deal. “Where else should I take you? I don't think you will fit in my kid's bed," he replied with a slight chuckle. I blushed, realizing that he was right. It was a humbling moment to know that I had been taken care of by someone who genuinely cared for my well-being. I scanned the giant, luxurious room that seemed to be the same size as my whole apartment in the past, but that was not that odd. What's odd is that here I’m sleeping in a stranger's bed who I don’t know but might turn out to be my boss. Fuck my life. New chapter, nothing is going as I planned, everything is out of my hands, and I don’t even know what the future holds for me after this. "Hey," he called, diverting me from my thoughts. “Are you really fine?” I sighed loudly, really annoyed by his concern. “For the last time, I’m fine.” I snapped, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “I don’t think so... Maybe you need something to eat.” He said more to him than to me. I rolled my eyes, not wanting to admit that he might be right. “Why do you care?" "Well, I’m your boss, and it's my duty to check on my employee's health.” I crossed my arms, feeling a mix of gratitude and irritation toward him. “When the hell did I become your employee?” “That’s for me to decide... Now tell me what you want to eat," he asked with a concerned tone. "Nothing,” I said angrily, not wanting to be coddled or controlled by him. "God, you're more stubborn than my kids.” He mumbled, standing up to leave. I glared at him, my frustration mounting. “Where are you going?” I asked to see him by the door before he could make his exit. “If you want to know that, follow me.” He stepped out of the room. God, I hate him.