Chapter 2 THE TRUTH
AURORA
It was John…my brother.
Tears filled my eyes instantly, pouring down my cheeks. “Carl?” My mouth moved faster than my brain.
Hearing my voice, they both snapped their heads towards the door…
“Fuck!” Carl exclaimed, backing away from John as though it made a difference.
“Aurora, I can explain…”
I shook my head, my throat tight with pain, “H–How could you do this to me?” I asked as they scrambled to get dressed.
I stepped back, tears pooling down my face, “Aurora wait…” I didn't listen, I ran as fast as I could.
“Aurora!” I heard Carl's call in the distance, but I didn't dare stop. I hurried down the stairs…fast…a little too fast as my ankles twisted and I tripped over the last few steps, falling to the hard ground.
“Hmmm.” I winced from the sharp pang that spread through my body. Panic flared through me and I immediately clutched my stomach.
“Princess…” I gasped.
“Aurora!!!” I heard Carl's voice from a distraction, and the next thing I knew, he was lifting me, his hands wrapped tightly around me.
“Let go of me.” I groaned out tears, pushing him away with the last of my strength, gravely irritated by his touch.
“John! Of all people, it had to be my brother. Carl, how could you do this to me?!” I bit my cheek hard, but the pain was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
“Why? I thought we had it good?” I gulped, my heart pounding in my chest.
“We do Aurora, we still have it good. You just need to calm down, please.”
I shook my head, wiping my face as I took a step forward. “You are gay Carl, how can we still have it good? You have been fucking my brother, and we still have it good? What exactly do you think I am Carl? A fool!”
He stepped forward, trying to reach me, but I swatted his hand, “Don't touch me.” I warned, “How long has this been going on?”
“We have been in love for six years.” My brother's voice rose behind me, loud and unmistakable.
I turned to look at him, the hurt in my chest tripling. “Six years? That was way before Carl and I got married. Why didn't you say anything?”
John frowned, “What exactly were you expecting to hear from me? We had the worst sibling relationship, I was the problematic child, and you, the perfect one.”
I sulked in a breath, bringing my hand to my hair as a wave of unease settled in my bones.
“John you are married to a lovely woman for fuck sake! We both know this wasn't about our childhood.”
John moved, striding over to Carl's side, he took my husband's hand, holding it as though letting go would destroy him.
“No…” I trailed off, my throat suddenly tight. I stared at Carl, my eyes turning glossy, “Carl please, tell him. It's me you want, it's me you love, I am your wife.”
“We can settle this, we don't have to be divided.”
“I won't have a lavender marriage with you Carl. I can't!” I shook my head, glaring at my brother, “I am leaving.” I turned towards the exit, but John sped to my front, blocking my path.
“You can't leave.”
I gritted my teeth, battling with Dera’s anger, and the urge to hit him hard across the face. “Get out of my way.”
“Not until you give us your word, no one can find out about this, especially our parents.”
I scoffed, swallowing my spew, “I will never give you my word.” I said and was made to move past him when…
A sudden, blinding pain exploded at the back of my head. “Ahh!” The cry barely left my lips before my vision blurred, the world tilting violently beneath my feet.
Everything spun, the walls, the ceiling. Carl’s face. I reached out for something, anything, to steady myself, but my fingers grasped nothing but air.
My knees buckled and I fell to the ground, black dots appearing above my vision. Then I saw Carl crouch and touch my face, “I am sorry Aurora, but I had to do this.” he said and my heart exploded with fear and uncertainty.
And then darkness followed…
The moment my eyes fluttered open, my blood ran cold, realizing I was in some kind of enclosed space, my hands and legs were bound and I could barely move my body.
The moment my eyes fluttered open, my blood ran cold. The air around me smelled of gasoline, metal, and damp leather.
I tried to scream, but it came out muffled against the cloth stuffed into my mouth.
Panic slammed into me instantly, my chest heaving violently as I twisted against the restraints. The small space shook beneath me and suddenly realization crashed over me.
I was in the trunk of a moving car.
Oh Goddess!
My breathing became frantic as terror clawed at my throat. Every bump on the road jolted through my aching body, making the pain at the back of my head pulse harder.
Memories came flooding into my mind, Carl and John. My husband was having an affair with my own brother.
I wanted to leave, but then John attacked, and I am here, tied up like an animal, because Carl kidnapped me.
The thought made my stomach churn violently. I squeezed my eyes shut, tears slipping free.
My beloved marriage had been a lie all along.
Another violent turn made my body slam against the side of the trunk. I whimpered painfully, curling around my stomach instinctively.
“Princess…” I whispered brokenly against the gag.
My baby.
Fear unlike anything I had ever known swallowed me whole.
The car kept moving for what felt like forever before it finally began to slow down, and then it stopped entirely.
An eerie silence settled in, the only sound I could hear was my heart pounding loudly in my chest.
But not for long, as heavy footsteps approached slowly, each one making my pulse spike harder.
I held my breath as something metallic clicked…and then the trunk opened.
Cold air blended right into the trunk as lightning flashed across the dark sky above. My vision blurred for a second before I saw him.
Carl.
Staring down at me with the most cruel eyes I had ever seen.
I tried to scream for help, but it only came out muffled, causing my heart to burn from fear.
Carl cursed under his breath before reaching down and pulling the gag from my mouth.
“You fucking psycho!” I screamed hoarsely. “Let me go!”
“Aurora, calm down.”
“Calm down?!” My voice cracked violently. “You kidnapped me!”
His jaw tightened. For a second, guilt flashed across his face.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
“I had no choice.”
“No choice?” Tears burned my eyes.
Lightning split across the sky again, illuminating the emptiness around us. There was no sight of a building, just an endless sight of trees.
My stomach dropped.
Carl reached into the trunk and untied the ropes around my ankles, before grabbing my bound wrist and pulling me out.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, stumbling as he dragged me with him. My feet twisted against each other and I nearly collapsed, as pain shot through my legs.
“Walk,” he ordered coldly.
The tone of his voice terrified me more than anything else.
This wasn't my husband, this wasn't the man I had fallen in love with and gave all of my life. This Carl was a stranger.
Rain began pouring as Carl led me into the woods. Mud clung to my legs, wet branches scratching against my skin as we moved deeper and deeper between the trees.
“Carl…” My voice trembled uncontrollably. “Please, what are you doing?”
He said nothing, only kept walking, and the farther we went, the more dread settled into my bones.
My breathing became uneven as horrifying realization slowly began creeping into my mind.
No.
No no no.
He wouldn't…
