The curtains were slowly closing, the night, this story, the perfect picture Isobel painted for herself. She knew it was but she didn't want to let go, her naivety made her think that he could be fixed, that he told the truth. She thought that with her, h still had a chance to prove himself as the perfect person.

"You still seem quite distant, William. I did what said I would, I apologized, and I told her I'd try to be the best daughter-in-law in the world. I take it that something's still wrong." She screwed her lip, watching him glare out the window as if he'd been staring at someone.

"Of course." He said. "There always is."

"She had it coming. After what you said, I just couldn't let her talk to me like that."

"You slapped her." He answered, replaying the moment he saw them. "She's never going to forgive me." He told himself. "Never.”

"William." Isobel never understood his mind. She could never decipher his thoughts. "She doesn't have to."

"She has to, Isobel, or else, all of this would be for nothing."

"Nothing? This isn't nothing, this is our lives." She got closer to him, hugging his arm as she watched up at him. "You and I are so much more than nothing. I know that, in my heart. That's why I fight for us."

He turned to her. "You shouldn't have talked to my mother that way. " Looking at her, all he saw was Juniper.

"Your mother disrespected me." She walked away, folding her arms. "She deserved it."

"Isobel." He grabbed her with brute force. "You are nothing compared to my mother or Lily." He drew her closer. "You're just an asset. This fantasy that subdues you is just a fantasy. You are blind, girl. You don't see the truth but the truth is you've gone against everything I stand for and that angers me."

Isobel tried wringing her arm loose but as much as she tried, it provided no improvement. She felt threatened and frightened by the face she saw but hoped to find the face she once knew.

I love you, William. " She said but he still didn't let go, instead he first replied "I hate you, Isobel Stalker." then threw her against the chest of drawers where she hit her face then fell to the floor.

"Why are you doing this?" She still hoped, feeling distraught. She kept her hand over her face, crying as she felt the pounding pain it gave.

"You asked for this. You're the one that wanted to marry me. I didn't have to beg you. It surprises me how easy you were, really, it does." He gave a breathy chuckle, running his hands through his hair. "I really didn't have to try."

"You didn't have to try?" She watched him, only feeling sorry for herself. She remembered everything her father thought her, he told her how she must always stick up for herself, and how she shouldn't let anyone silence her or put her down. "You didn't have to try?!" Isobel got up, marching towards him. "You were the one that said you loved me!"

He went quiet, watching how brave she was then he backhanded the left side of her face with such pressure, she fell unto the bed, screaming and bursting out in tears of heartbreak and pain.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Saying it and meaning it is two different things." He then held her hands down, admiring her bruised face. He liked hot helpless she looked. "You thought you had me in the palm of your hands, didn't you, Isobel? How pathetic." He kissed her bleeding cheek; the ring he wore must've been the cause. The Stalker girl tried to fight, she tried to get off of him but her efforts proved useless to the situation. "You're crying? Your sister~" He paused, just thinking about her made him feel more aggravated and disgusted. "She came here and made a mess I had to clean up." She opened her eye, the only one that would open, listening keenly to everything he had to say. "Now look, you're paying this price. She took my minion, my father, the love of my life. Ha, the only thing she left me with... was you but you aren't all those things."

"Let go of me, William." Her words were calm. "Or I scream until hears me."

"Go ahead." He whispered. "I dare you, 'cause really, there isn't anyone here to help you or hear you. Jodi's never sober, what makes you think she could build the strength to save you and even if she had it, why would she?" He felt powerful, he was a powerful coward. He loved the rush of her submissive actions and it fueled him negatively just thinking about what she did so he smacked her. "You disrespect my mother! Nobody gets away with that." Then he hit her again. "And you disrespected me!"

No matter how hard she cried, deep down she knew he was right. Nobody could hear her, nobody heard her. She fought and fought, twisted and turned. "Let me go, William, please. Just let me go." She stopped then turned to him with disappointing eyes, heart and soul. "You're not going to let me go, are you?"

"No." He said, sad and thoughtful, glaring at the room. "I have other plans for you, dear."

"What are you going to do?" She swallowed the blood the busted lip gave her. "What are you going to do? Kill me? Like you killed her?"

The next day left the night before as a blur. William woke with the slightest feeling that he might've done something wrong. He looked to the next side of the bed, greeted by Isobel.

"You're awake. It's already noon, you know." She said, staring at herself in the mirror. She watched all the marks that made her look as battered as a punching bag. "I know you didn't mean to do that, William."

He pulled the sheets down and sat up, rubbing his head. "What exactly did I do?"

She began pacing the floor indecisively. "It was the most horrible night of my life, I'm glad it's over now." She thought about it, everything that happened then:

"You didn't have to try?" She watched him, only feeling sorry for herself. She picked herself up and marched towards him. "You're the one that said you loved me, William."

"Saying it and meaning it is two different things."

"Well, you shouldn't say things you don't mean. It'll backfire in the end." She said, softly and almost so hurt you could feel the moment her heart broke.

"Leave." William clenched his fists, trying to control himself. "Leave., Isobel, before I do something else I'll regret."

She laughed at herself, how stupid she'd been for even considering the fact that William loved her. "I don't want to."

"And why not?" He was tempted, her actions fueled a fire.

"Because I love you and I want to make this work, I still want to marry you."

"You want to save yourself the embarrassment." He knew how excited she was, telling everyone she was going to marry a Beckingham like it was something sacred. If they only saw her, they'd laugh at her too, seeing how damaged she was now. She knew what Lily would say, she'd be the one to enjoy this the most. Isobel loved something that destroyed her in the end, it was always about Lily from the beginning. Always. She knew that but she didn't care, she stared her killer straight in the eyes and held his face towards what used to be hers. "I'm staying." She said. "Because I love you." He thought about how pathetic she was to stay and to say such things then he kissed her and replied. "I know, I know."