Chapter 4

AVA

I watched in horror as Davies struggled to his feet, a dark look of malice spreading across his face. He straightened his clothes with an air of defiance and glared at Liam.

"Is that all you got, little Liam?" he sneered, blood trailing down his lips. His eyes shifted to me, making my skin crawl. "And you, you gold-digging whore, do you think this spineless boy can satisfy you? I’m willing to teach you how to make love to a real man since your husband is clearly incapable."

Liam's growl startled me. Before I could react, he lunged at Davies with a fury I’d never seen before.

His fists pounded into Davies, each blow more relentless than the last. I wanted to scream, to tell him to stop, but my voice was caught in my throat. I could hear the awful sound of bones breaking, rugged breathing mixing with the overwhelming sound of terror filling me.

I could only watch as Davies was reduced to a groaning, bloodied heap on the floor. No, this was too much. If Liam didn't stop, he could kill him.

"It's enough, Liam," I pleaded, my steps tottering on the tiled floor as I came down from the bed. But my pleas fell on deaf ears as Liam continued with his merciless beating.

"Liam, stop it. You'll kill him and go to jail for murder. Do you want that for yourself?" I implored Liam.

It was at that moment a bit of sanity returned to him, and he ceased his beating. Davies was already curled into a ball at this point, his labored breathing painful and his groans filling the air.

"You need to get out right now!" Liam roared, dragging Davies out of the room by his collar. He flung him into the hallway with a final, forceful shove, then slammed and locked the door. He turned back to me, his chest heaving.

Just as I thought we might have a moment to ourselves, a banging knock on the door pierced the already tense atmosphere.

Liam pulled open the door to be met with the horrified gazes of Mr. John Tyson and Clara, Davies' father and sister, as they rushed into the scene. Their eyes widened at the sight of Davies on the floor, bloodied and bruised.

"What is going on here?" Mr. Tyson demanded, his voice sharp and authoritative.

"Liam has gone mad again! He attacked me for no reason," Davies lied, a sinister smirk playing on his lips.

"Liam, why would you attack your cousin in such a manner?" Mr. Tyson asked.

Clara folded her arms, her gaze icy. "I believe Liam should be sent to a mental asylum at this point," she said coldly.

"My husband will not go to any asylum!" I defended Liam. How could they so easily believe Davies? Was it because Davies was his son and Liam wasn't?

"Oh yes, he will! Look at what he did to my brother! Look at how your dearly adored husband beat up my brother. He is a madman that deserves to be locked away from normal people. I always knew that sooner or later he'd turn into a beast!" Clara shot at me.

"Do you know what your brother did to warrant this beating? Have you bothered asking your brother?" I angrily retorted, my chest heaving.

All the while, Liam remained quiet, as if observing the altercation unfolding. "My brother did nothing to warrant it. Your husband is a lunatic!"

"Clara, that’s enough," Mr. Tyson shunned her words, a hint of frustration in his tone. He turned to me, his expression softening slightly. "Ava, what happened here?"

"Davies tried to harass me," I explained, my voice trembling. "Liam was only defending me. He did nothing wrong. He did what every husband would do upon seeing their wife in danger. He doesn't deserve to be kept in an asylum, please," my voice shook and tears streamed down my face.

Davies' face twisted with anger. "That's not true! She's lying!"

Mr. Tyson sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Davies can be a fool at times. I apologize for his behavior, Ava," he said, his tone weary. "Take Liam inside with you."

Clara's glare was venomous as she watched Liam and me retreat into the room. I could feel her resentment burning into my back. Once we were inside, I shut the door, leaning against it for support.

Liam’s expression softened again, becoming distant and vacant. He giggled childishly, confusing me even more.

"Liam, are you okay?" I probed, but he just giggled, the childlike innocence returning to his expression.

"Why, Liam? Why won't you talk to me? Please say something. You aren't really mad, are you?" I whispered, despair lacing my voice. But Liam offered no reply, merely tilting his head and smiling vacantly. I broke down in tears, my heart heavy.

"Don't cry, Ava. Do you want to watch cartoons? Tom and Jerry?" Liam let out a hysterical laugh.

Indeed, he was truly mad. He had no control over his senses. And this was the life I was thrown into.

After a while, Liam gently ushered me toward the bed, his actions tender yet detached. "Sleep now, Ava. Sleep," he murmured softly. My shoulders shook with silent sobs as I lay down, turning my back to him.

I could hear his footsteps retreating. It appeared he had ambled towards the closet to dress up. My heart ached at the state of my marriage. How did I end up here?

A continuous beeping sound drew my attention, and I instinctively raised my eyes. It was a blinking red dot from the CCTV camera in the corner of the ceiling. That meant we were always being watched.

When Liam finally lay down beside me, the distance between us felt insurmountable. We lay in silence, the bed a vast gulf separating our bodies and our souls.

As I lay there, tears soaking my pillow, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer I could endure this. The man beside me was a stranger, a mystery wrapped in layers of secrets and pain. And in the darkness, I felt more alone than ever.