Chapter Fifteen
The sun was shining down on them, and Opal opened her eyes, frowning. Her back hurt, and as she rolled over she saw she’d slept on the floor. Moaning in pain, she winced as her protesting muscles gave way.
“I’m a fucking animal,” he said.
She glanced in the corner to see Tony already dressed. She stared down at her body. Bruises dotted her hips, stomach and legs. Her breasts were tender, and her head hurt.
“What?” Last night had been intense, but she didn’t regret what happened.
“I lose control, and this is what I do to you. I didn’t even get you ready before I was fucking your cunt.”
“Tony. I don’t understand.”
“You married a monster. The only thing I did last night was rape you. I should be hung and shot for what I did.”
“Tony. You didn’t rape me. I came to you willingly.”
He walked over, took hold of her arm and marched her to the mirror. “Tony, don’t.” She cried as he held her in front of the mirror for her to see the damage he’d caused.
“Look at the bruises and your ... your legs.”
There were a few spots of blood on her thighs. Opal stared into his eyes. He looked hysterical.
“Tony, this doesn’t matter. I’m fine.”
“You’re fine. You’re struggling to walk. This is why I never should have married you. I should have told you to marry that fucker. You’d have been better off with him than with me.”
“Don’t say that. I love you. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but with you.”
“Shut up, Opal. I’m a monster, and if you stay with me this is only going to get worse. Fuck, Richard was right. I should have let you go.”
Tears poured down her face as her throat burned. Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. Tony stormed away. She stared one last time at her reflection. During their love-making she hadn’t thought about what he’d think. This was a nightmare. She’d been there for him, and this was how he repaid her?
Taking hold of the robe, she wrapped it round her body. As she took a step, she realized Tony wasn’t wrong; her body protested. She bit down on her teeth. Tony was grabbing his coat when she walked back into the sitting room.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Far away from you. You’ll get your divorce, and you’ll be free of me.”
“I don’t want to be free of you.”
“Tough. Because I swear to God, Opal, I would rather see you happy with another man than be tied to a man who could rape you and enjoy it.”
He stormed out of the house.
“You didn’t fucking rape me,” she screamed out at the empty room before slumping to the floor. She cried out for the man who hours ago had been all hers.
****
Tony felt the bile rising up in his throat. He grabbed his car and drove, breaking every speed limit he could find. The picture of Opal, bruised and in pain was driving him crazy. He’d been the one to cause that. When she’d come to him, he should have pushed her away. His hands tightened on the wheel as he raced his car. She deserved better.
After an hour spent driving, he stopped off at a liquor store and bought their strongest whiskey. He needed to get her out of his mind. The store owner frowned at him but gave him the alcohol. The only way he knew to drown his sorrows was at the bottom of every bottle he drank. The receptionist at the hotel he’d bought was baffled when she gave him a key card. Tony ignored her and went to the elevator. The moment he walked into his suite, he went straight to the drinks cabinet.
He didn’t read the label. Every bottle he tipped back and emptied the contents into his mouth. The numbing didn’t happen until he was on the second full bottle of scotch. Opening his wallet he took the picture out of Opal.
As always, he’d been a bastard, and she didn’t deserve it.
The hours wore on until night fell. No one would know where he was other than the hotel. He wondered how his wife was doing.
Staring down at the emptiness of the bottle he suddenly felt the emptiness of his life. The only good part about him was Opal. His petal. His flower. The tears he kept inside fell from his eyes. He was silent in his grief.
He thought about the divorce papers landing on his desk. Opal out of his life would be the biggest mistake he ever made. Standing up, he stared into the mirror. When he looked at his reflection, he saw the wonder in Opal’s eyes as he took her virginity. The way she laughed when he teased her.
Biting his lip, he saw the way she said the words “I love you”. The one person who meant the world to him, besides his friends, was the one person he’d treated like shit.
Flipping open his phone, he called a boutique. Once the alcohol had worn off he’d go and beg her to forgive him. He would never manhandle her again. When the call finished even in his drunken haze he saw the mess. Forgetting about the clean up, he removed his clothes as he got into bed. He wanted Opal. Claiming her and shouting it to the rooftops was what she deserved. He smiled as he thought about her surprise when she got it tomorrow. Nothing could go wrong. He was Tony Hunt, and Tony Hunt was one hundred percent in love with his wife.