This song goes right along with this chapter! Enjoy!

 

 

 

John sat in his big bed, the room was sunny, golden rays played with the shadows on the walls and it reminded him of her. It seems like everything did. Every wind, every sweet smell.

Closing his blue eyes, he dipped his head back into the headboard, inhaling deeply. Last night, ho yes, last night was beyond words.

Although, the way the night ended, worried him. The way she jumped as a response to that weird phone call, she was frantic. He wanted to find Stefano and kill that SOB. It took him a while to calm her down, the tears in her eyes, the delicate shaky hands that felt like they would never stop shaking. He simply held her, melting into his embrace. He was reluctant to leave, his hands wanted to hold her, to keep her safe.

He couldn’t stay.

 

“Rom-man..” her voice trembling, taking long breaths between syllables, “pleas-se… shut it..shut it off” Marlena gripped the sofa firmly, her long legs wobbly. The gasps and intakes of air echoing from the device in front of her, reminding her what she can never forget, she glanced at the screen merely for a second. She could see herself, her face was against the door, Stefano was pressed to her back, his hands got intimate as he lowered them to caress between her warm legs.

Roman couldn’t take his eyes away from the screen. He wanted to break it, he could feel

the blood in his veins raging with anger. Here she was, his amazingly beautiful wife, being touched, kissed.. no.. being violated by this excuse of a man, this bastard. His eyes teared up. The music coming from the footage made his skin crawl. Seeing this creep’s head between his wife’s slender legs made him snap as he stood up, holding his hands to his mouth. He could hear her crying simultaneously, both from the TV set and behind him. “H-How…? “ his muttering was almost inaudible “how could you let..let him do that?...” he didn’t face her and she was grateful for that. She couldn’t bear to look into his eyes right now, his breaking voice alone was almost her undoing.

“Shut..shut it off” she managed to say again still frozen in her spot.

“NO!” Yelling he turned to face her, her face a mask of horror, she was trembling.

He couldn’t utter a sound, his mouth’s still open like he was about to say something but no sound came out. Then the music stopped and he could hear Stefano’s voice. Her eyes locked into his horrified eyes, begging him not to turn around, not to hear those awful sounds. Stefano’s voice was low and lustful as he spoke to her “you would have to convince me you want me, you will be a participated partner tonight, if you do so, you and John would be free to leave”.

“NO ROMAN PLEASE DONT!” She yelled, reaching her hand to him, but he turned to face the TV set, disbelieve in his eyes, his mouth still open but now he whispered

“ tell…” taking a deep breath in, he continued

“Tell me you said no...tell me..” the last part was lower than a whisper and he closed his eyes, this was unbearable for him to watch and hear.

Marlena couldn’t stop crying, her loud sobs filled the room, she knew what was coming next and she couldn’t bear to see it or hear it again, she put her palms to her ears, covering them both, her eyes now shut, she could barely breathe “off..turn in o-off…” the words heard between breaths but she knew that he wouldn’t.

When he couldn’t hear a sound he opened his eye, now he could see Stefano tieing both her wrists behind her back, slowly pressing her bare back to lay her naked chest on the mattress and then it happened. Roman closed his eyes, the tears kept on coming. She collapsed to her knees, baring her head to the side of the soft couch, crying hysterically.

Roman stopped the tape. He’ve seen enough. As a matter of fact, he would never stop seeing it.

Turning around he spotted her on the floor, curled up to a ball, crying her eyes out “ I’m going to ask again Marlena, you better give me an answer now… how the fuck could you let him do that to you?!” His hand was shaking with anger, looking at her, he waited for her reply. She didn’t even look at him, her ragged breathing wouldn’t let her speak, not that she wanted. This was excruciating. She felt as though she was being raped over and over again. She didn’t know what to say, hell, couldn’t even speak.

“Marlena” talking through his teeth made his voice sound angrier than she has ever heard him “answer me.. it was for him right? You let that son of a bitch fucking rape you! All to save John! I knew you still love him, I knew it…” he started to pace the room, nervously.

“Roman..” she said finally “it was our only way outtt… he...threatened to destroy John’s memory, he..he was slowly killing him.. I couldn’t… I coul-“

sobbing got the best of her while she was trying to rationalize a decision that had nothing to do with reason whatsoever.

“ I don’t care!” He yelled again, she flinched.

“You… you made me believe we could still have what we had.. you let that… that.. you let him rape you in exchange of John’s memory! Do you know how insane it sounds?!!” The tears had stopped, now he was furious with rage.

“ I can’t stay here another minute..” he was on his way to the door when she yelled his name. Turning to look at her, he couldn’t look in her eyes “ you better not be here when I’m back” his voice was low and demanding. She managed to stand up and ran after him to the door, calling for him again, he didn’t stop shutting the door after him with a loud slam.

 

It was a quiet Sunday morning. John had nowhere to hurry to today and he needed some time to think, to understand how he’s going to deal with Stefano. With Marlena.

He stood in front of the window, sipping his second cup of coffee when he heard a loud thump on the front door. Placing his mug on the kitchen counter on his way to the door, grabbing the long handeled and pulling it open, he was not expecting him.

“Roman, hi, what brings you by?” He smiled but the furious man in front of him did not. Roman brought his hands to John’s throats in a matter of seconds, pushing him to the floor.

John was taken by surprise, trying to keep himself conscious, he managed to remove Roman’s angry palms from him, gasping for air he lowered himself, holding to his knees “ what the hell are you doin’ man?!” John screamed, holding one hand to his bruised throat. “You!” He spat, “he raped her because of you!” Roman was out of control, he shoved the chair that was standing on his way and got closer to John once again, his breathing is somewhat ragged.

“Ho-“ John started, his eyes opened up with evident shock, Roman cut him off “ how do I know right? How does poor Roman always is the last to know.? yea, there’s no need to tell me anything, right? She’s only my fucking wife! My. Fucking.wife” the violence in his voice caught John a little off guard. He knew he was angry, but he has never heard him talk like that, especially of Marlena..but, this doesn’t matter for the time being, how does he know? Did Marlena decide to tell him the whole truth?

“Roman.. It was nothing like that… you can’t blame Doc, she…. I, I wanted to stop it, I wanted to kill him” just remembering that helpless feeling, caused his body to shake with stress, his voice was low “ I couldn’t stop it.. God knows I wanted .. this was torture..”

“This was torture? What do you mean?” He jumped with the question, looking at John, waiting for him to speak.

“ Stefano… made me watch.. and listen” he bowed his head, closing his eyes he took a long inhale

“ I’m sorry man… she..it wasn’t supposed to happen.. I wish I could stop her..I couldn’t.. you know Marlena” he looked into his eyes, apologizin forg expression on his face.

Roman closed his eyes, his fingers ran throw his hair while he was trying to think,pacing the room he was still so exasperated.

“ I received a tape earlier this morning..” he said out of the blue, not even looking at John.

“Stefano” John straighten himself up, a worried look sneaked into his eyes “where’s Doc?”

 

She thanked her lucky stars, if there were any left, that this was a Sunday. The hospital staff was set to low and she could maneuver her way to her office without unwanted encounters and questions.

She picked up a few things to get her by for a few days. After Roman has left, she simply sat on the floor, her back resting against the wooden door. She was trying to understand all that has just occurred. It felt like it all happened a lifetime ago. Her head ached. Maybe it was still the sleeping pill from last night or maybe it was the hours she just spent crying. Does it even matter? This thought alone, made her shake her head. She was unwilling to play the victim. It was a part she was cast to do a while ago and she won’t take that path no more. Everything happens for a reason, or so they say. She would raise to her feet and find a way to move on, she almost did before John and her got kidnapped.

Marlena wasn’t sure if she was on denial or if she was going insane.

Her mind drifted to John. It always used to do that when she was facing a time of trouble.

She sat there, her exterior for someone who didn’t know her, seemed calm but from the insid,e she was raging like a caged animal. If John was there, that would calm her down.

 

She closed the office’s door behind her, dropping her tired figure to the comfy sofa. Her eyes closed the minute her body touched it. Suddenly she could feel something warm on her face, moving some hair that was caught up at the corner of her mouth, for a minute she thought she was dreaming. Opening her eyes, she froze.

“Hello Marlena” Stefano smirked.