Chapter 5 Five

The night she passed out, Bryan rushed her to the hospital and left.

Karen stayed in the hospital for five long days. Each day dragged on with no change in her condition, and no one visiting.

It was as if the world had forgotten about her.

She was alone with her pain and her thoughts. The nurses were kind but distant, focusing on her wounds, both physical and emotional.

They applied ointments to her bruises, both on her face and in private places, though none of them asked what had happened to her.

Still, Karen could feel their eyes on her, as if they already knew the story. But no one spoke about it.

Over these five days, Bryan didn't show up-not once.

He didn't visit, didn't call, and certainly didn't offer any comfort. She couldn't help but wonder if he was avoiding her on purpose.

The emptiness in her heart gnawed at her, but she refused to let herself dwell on it too much.

Finally, the day came when she was discharged.

The nurse handed her a discharge form, and Karen signed it quickly, eager to leave the sterile hospital room behind.

Her body ached, but her mind was more exhausted than anything.

She thought of her friend.

Karen smiled faintly and quickly dialed her friend's number. After two rings, Clara picked up.

"Karen! Are you okay? What happened? Been trying to reach you." Clara's voice was a mix of concern and curiosity.

"I'm okay now. I'll explain everything. Please, just come get me," Karen said, her voice wavering slightly.

"Of course! I'll be there in 10 minutes, hang tight and send the address!" Clara responded quickly.

True to her word, Clara was there within minutes, hurrying over to the hospital in a taxi.

She rushed inside, found Karen, and immediately helped her gather the few belongings she had left.

Without much hesitation, Clara led Karen out to the car and to her apartment on the outskirts of the city.

Once inside the apartment, Karen collapsed onto the couch, her body aching from the stress of the past few days.

Clara took a seat across from her, not taking her eyes off Karen.

"Tell me everything, Karen," Clara said, her tone firm.

"You don't have to hold back anymore. I can tell something's been eating you alive."

Karen looked at her friend, eyes red from tears she had barely been able to shed. The last few days had been a blur, but she owed Clara the truth.

Sighing deeply, Karen began her story, her voice trembling.

She told Clara everything-about her family betrayal, Bryan's coldness, the way he treated her, the things he said, and how her world had crumbled in the space of just a few days.

As she spoke, Clara remained silent, her expression unreadable.

When Karen finished, Clara lit a cigarette and took a long, slow drag, watching her friend carefully.

The smoke curled up into the air, and she blew it out slowly.

"Finally, you aren't the innocent Karen I knew anymore," Clara said, almost smugly, as she flicked the ash from her cigarette.

"What are you talking about?" Karen frowned, confused by her friend's words.

She had expected Clara to scold her, to offer some kind of comforting words, but this was something entirely different.

Clara leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "You've gotten yourself into a mess, but I'm not going to lie, you've been playing it wrong all along." She took another drag from her cigarette.

"You shouldn't have given yourself fully to Bryan. Not like that. He's the one who should be desperate for you, not the other way around. Men are experts at hiding their feelings, but they can't fool me. Soon enough, he'll be the one yearning for you. Trust me on this."

Karen couldn't believe what she was hearing.

She thought Clara would tell her to forget Bryan, to walk away and move on.

But instead, she was encouraging her to keep going after him.

"But, Clara," Karen whispered, her voice filled with doubt. "I can't forget what he did to me. The things he said...the way he hurt me. He doesn't even care about me."

Clara rolled her eyes, brushing aside Karen's concerns.

"Rubbish, Karen. Don't you see? You've been dreaming about him for years. This was the guy you wanted to marry. The man you've loved from a distance. And now that you have him, you're just going to give up because things got tough? For Karel? Please, you're stronger than that."

Clara stood up and moved to sit next to Karen on the couch. She placed a hand on Karen's shoulder, speaking in a softer, more gentle tone.

"He's right there, Karen. You can't throw away everything just because it's hard. You wanted him for so long, and now he's within your grasp. Don't let him slip away. Fight for it."

Karen stared at her friend in shock. Clara's words made her heart ache. The truth was, she had dreamed of this life for years.

She had fantasized about marrying Bryan, being with him. But now that it was real, she couldn't help but feel lost.

She had been married to him for just few days, and already, she was broken.

A ringing sound interrupted her thoughts.

It was her phone.

Karen reached into her bag and pulled it out, dreading what she might see.

But when she glanced at the screen, her stomach churned. It was Bryan.

Clara quickly snatched the phone from her hand, her eyes narrowing at the name on the screen.

"Bryan Capel, right?" she asked, looking at Karen.

Karen nodded reluctantly, a sinking feeling in her chest.

The phone continued ringing. Clara's expression turned mischievous.

"You're not answering, huh? Let me help you out," she said with a wink. Before Karen could protest, Clara pressed the answer button.

Karen froze, fear bubbling up in her throat. "Clara, no..."

But it was too late. Clara already had the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Clara said, her voice too calm for Karen's comfort and before she could speak, Karen snatched it back from her.

"Where the hell are you, Karen Norman?" Bryan's voice crackled through the phone, harsh and commanding.

Karen winced, her body trembling as she heard his tone.

It was the same voice that had made her feel so small. She could already feel the anger radiating from him.

"I'm...at my friend's house," Karen stammered, her voice barely a whisper. She glanced nervously at Clara, who was watching her with a smirk.

"Get your ass home in an hour!" Bryan snapped, not waiting for her response. Before she could say another word, he hung up.

Karen stood there, her heart pounding. She felt the weight of his words pressing down on her chest.

"I can't go," she murmured, but the truth was, she didn't have a choice. She couldn't defy Bryan, not like this. Not when he had so much control over her as her husband.

Clara, seeing the conflict in Karen's eyes, raised an eyebrow.

"You're going, aren't you?" she said, a bit of amusement in her voice.

"I have to," Karen whispered. "I don't have a choice."

"Then let's make sure you look irresistible when you get there," Clara said, a wicked grin spreading across her face.

She quickly rummaged through her makeup bag and began applying makeup to Karen's face, working with practiced hands. The transformation was almost instant.

Karen stared at herself in the mirror as Clara finished.

The woman she saw staring back at her didn't look like the same Karen who had been lying broken in that hospital bed just hours ago.

When Karen finally arrived at Bryan's house, she was almost two minutes late, but she didn't care.

The door opened, and Bryan stood there, staring at his watch. He raised an eyebrow.

"How is this possible?" he muttered, his tone more surprised than angry.

Without a word, he turned on his heel and walked inside, clearly expecting her to follow.

Karen hesitated at the door, the nerves flooding her all over again.

Bryan sat on the couch, a pile of documents in front of him. "Sign these," he said, his voice cold.

Karen's eyes flicked to the papers, confusion written all over her face. "What's this?" she asked, flipping open the first page.

"I'm sure you're not an illiterate, Karen," Bryan sneered.

Karen felt her heart race as she read the words. Her hands trembled slightly as she skimmed the document, her eyes widening at what she saw.

"I need you to be my mistress for a year. The gold credit card is yours until the contract ends," Bryan said, his voice still emotionless.

Karen's breath caught in her throat. She felt a mix of rage and disbelief.

"I'm not interested! I'm never going to be your mistress!"

Without thinking, she flung the papers at him, her frustration bubbling over.