Chapter 3 You Belong With Me

As I heard Kael's heavy footsteps descend the stairs. My body tensed instinctively, the sound like an alarm ringing in my head.

I rushed to the kitchen and busied myself in it pretending to be engrossed in slicing yam for breakfast.

"Babe" he called

"Here comes the facade," I thought.

I raised my head to look in his direction. He was coming to the kitchen with his phone in hand. He should be on a call.

"Babe" he called again, this time coming towards me

"Your mom wants to speak with you" Without a word, I fidgetly took the phone from him.

"Hello Mom"

"Nyra? What happened to your phone?" She asked concern as soon as I spoke.

I wanted to tell her Kael took the phone again, as he always does anytime he beats me up so that I won't be able to contact anyone, but Kael's surveying eyes were on me, waiting for me to commit the least of mistakes again so that he would pounce on

"Nyra, are you there?" Mom's voice brought me out of my reveries.

"I misplaced my phone Mom" I lied

"Oh! I see! But are you okay?" she asked again.

In my mind, I wanted to scream, "I'm not okay Mom, I need help", but that would be the death of me.

He would have killed me before help arrived

"I'm okay Mom. I have got to go now. I will talk to you later" I quickly said before I committed the crime of crying or making my mom worried.

"Okay dear, call me when you get your phone"

"Alright Mom," I said and handed the phone to Kael

"Sweet mom, are you happy to hear your daughter's voice now" Kael decisively said to Mom as he walked away from the kitchen, not after giving me the "I told you you can't do anything" look.

Kael referring to my mom as a sweet mom is just an irony of what he describes her with when he's angry.

"That your bitter single mom who left her husband because he was correcting her? I won't let you become like your mom. You have to obey me. You belong with me."

I picked up the knife to continue what I was doing before I was interrupted by the call.

My hands shook, the knife slipping slightly, nicking my finger.

"Damn it," I muttered, grabbing a napkin to stop the blood.

"Why are you mumbling over there?" He said, peeping through the kitchen door

His voice was sharp, cutting through the stillness of the morning.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, forcing my voice to sound calm. I could feel his eyes on me, the weight of his presence filling the room.

"You're clumsy as always," he said, leaning against the counter.

"How long will it take?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, swallowing the retort that burned on my tongue. "It'll be ready soon."

Kael reached for the kettle, his movements deliberate and loud, as though every clink and clatter was meant to remind me of his control.

"You'd have to hurry. I have a meeting in an hour, and I don't want to be delayed."

"Alright." The words tasted bitter, but I said them anyway. It was easier to agree, to play the role of the obedient wife than to provoke his temper this early in the day.

As he sat down at the dining table, scrolling through his phone, I risked a glance at him.

He looked the same as the man I fell in love with, broad shoulders, neatly trimmed beard, and eyes that could disarm anyone.

But the charm that once made my heart race was now a weapon he wielded to keep me in line.

The kitchen was filled with the sound of sizzling oil, the aroma of frying yams masking the tension that lingered in the air.

My thoughts drifted to Lorien and Azra, still asleep upstairs. At least they were spared from this morning's encounter for now.

"Nyra!" Kael's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Yes?"

"Are you deaf?" He stood, towering over me. "I've been calling you for minutes. Where's the pepper sauce?"

"It's....it's in the fridge. I'll get it for you." I moved quickly, my heart pounding.

"Now you are so useless not to remember to bring me the pepper sauce without me asking?" he muttered under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear.

I clenched my fists as I placed the sauce in front of him, the urge to scream bubbling beneath the surface. But I couldn't.

Not with the kids upstairs. Not with the risks that came with standing up to him.

Kael finished his breakfast in silence, leaving his plate on the table like a king dismissing a servant. He grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door.

"Ensure the kids are not late to school today," he said without looking back. Then he was gone, the slam of the door echoing through the house.

I exhaled slowly, the tension in my body releasing like a taut string finally cut.

The silence was deafening, but it was a relief. For a few hours, at least, the house was mine again.

The day dragged on in a haze of chores and unanswered questions.

Soon it was time to retrieve the kids from school.

I grabbed my car key from the hook by the door, the cool metal pressing into my palm as I hurried out to the driveway.

Sliding into the driver's seat, I started the engine, the familiar purr filling the silence as I reversed out onto the road.

The drive to the kids' school was uneventful, the hum of the tires on asphalt blending with the faint buzz of the radio. When I arrived, I parked in my usual spot and stepped out, waving at a few familiar faces before spotting Lorien and his sister by the school gate.

They ran to me, their backpacks bouncing as they grinned, their energy filling the air.

Once they were settled in the backseat,

I was about to start the car when I heard my name behind

"Nyra"

I looked through the rearview and found Clara walking towards me.

"Nyra" she called again, this time standing outside the car by the driver's side.

I smiled faintly at her.

"Babe, are you okay" she asked concern

"Has there ever been a time I'm okay?" I thought before giving her a faint smile

Before I could reply

"Mommy I'm hungry" Azra's voice cut through

"Okay baby, I will hurry," I told her before turning to Clara

"Babe, let's talk some other time, I need to go"

Are you okay? Your face is bruised" Clara asked again this time with concern written all over her face.

"Babe, I will talk to you later," I said fidgety as I ignited the car.

I really wanted to talk to Clara, but I was scared that Kael might have planted a spy on me since he always know whatever I was up to.

I turned the car around and headed home. There is a lot to be done if I want to avert Kael's anger tonight.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Azra said again as soon as we stepped in, her voice small.

I smiled, forcing warmth into my expression. "Okay, my love. Let's get you some lunch."

As I prepared a plate of rice and stew for her, I noticed Lorien sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the television. He hadn't said a word since he came back from school.

"Lorien," I called gently.

He didn't respond.

"Lorien," I said again, louder this time.

He turned slowly, his eyes meeting mine. They were dark, guarded, and far too old for a six-year-old. "What?"

"Come eat."

"I'm not hungry."

My heart ached at his tone, at the wall he'd built around himself. I walked over to him, crouching so we were at eye level. "Baby, are you okay?"

He shrugged, his gaze shifting to the floor.

"Lorien, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Mommy, let's run away from Daddy, he will kill you?" His voice was barely a plea but the words hit me like a punch to the gut.