Prisoner of Love


    “We also have other teachers to fill in your sses for the following days if you’re still feeling sick. So,


    just rest and don’t worry. Get well soon, Malissa!” thedy said cheerfully.


    Although I appreciated that the school was more than willing to support me and help me out during my


    time of sickness, the truth was that this was all just a big misunderstanding. I wasn’t sick and right now


    I should be there teaching my sses!


    “Thanks…” I managed to say in a whisper before the line disconnected.


    Hayden…why are you doing this?


    My eyes lifted from the phone screen towards the still-closed door and an ominous feeling began


    rapidly growing in the pit of my stomach. This is all just a bad coincidence, right?


    Surprisingly, after a few desperate poundings on the door, I heard clicking sounds as if the door was


    being unlocked from the outside. My eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I couldn’t believe what I was


    hearing. The door was locked from the outside all this time? Why would the door even have a lock on


    the outside?


    The answer was sinister and clear, but I just couldn’t quite believe it. Someone locked me up in here on


    purpose. Why?


    I felt like I was about to get the answers to my questions when the door started to slowly swing open.


    Honestly, I was expecting to see Hayden and I was ready to give him a piece of my mind. However, the


    person who greeted me with a guilty smile was none other than Auntie who had led me herest night.


    “Why was the door locked?” I demanded for an answer right away.


    Auntie sighed loudly and seemed ufortable as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other in


    the doorway. Her eyes wouldn’t meet mine and I could tell that she was feeling guilty.


    “Auntie…what is going on here?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at her.


    “Umm…Hayden wants you to stay in your room. He says it’s for your own good,” Auntie replied


    hesitantly.


    Hayden wants…what?


    “Does that mean that I can’t leave this room?” I asked in pure shock.


    “Umm…yes. It would be better if you stay inside…” Auntie replied in a shaky voice.


    I nced down and realized that she was holding a tray of food, fruits, and water in her hands. That


    was when it urred to me that she wasn’t here to let me out at all. She was merely here to deliver me


    my food. Suddenly, the beautiful and luxurious room that I was in felt like an overly decorated prison


    and I was the bird stuck in a golden cage. I’m getting my food delivered to me like I was some prisoner.


    Why is this happening to me?


    “Where is Hayden?” I asked.


    Auntie didn’t reply but headed into the room before heading to the dining room. The door was open,


    and I wondered if I could make a run for it. If I can just get out of here and talk to Hayden, maybe I can


    get him to change his mind about all this. Does he even realize how wrong it is to hold me here against


    my will?


    My heart fell to my feet when I poked my head out of the door. Even if I made a run for it, I wouldn’t


    make it past this hallway. When I banged on the door and shouted loudly before and no one answered,


    I honestly thought that it was because there was no one on the opposite side of the door. However, the


    row of around ten men in ck stationed right outside my door told me that I had it all wrong. Hayden’s


    men stood in a line with their backs against the wall with their eyes on me and the opened door to my


    room.


    This is insane. Purely insane.


    I sighed seeing that escape wasn’t a viable option and retreated back into the room, closing the door


    behind me. Not knowing what to do and feeling quite hopeless about my current situation, I followed


    Auntie to the dining room to see that she had alreadyid out the food on the dining table.


    The dining table was toorge for one person, and it felt lonely sitting there all alone. I stared at the


    food in front of me with absolutely no appetite.


    “Where is Hayden?” I asked again.


    “Master Hayden has left the mansion and hasn’t returned yet,” Auntie replied tly.


    “Where did he go? Why did lock me up here? When is heing back? Why won’t he answer my


    calls?!” I bombard the Auntie with my questions.


    I bit my lower lips in frustration when I realized that I had raised my voice at the old woman. This is so


    bad; I knew that I was taking out my anger on her simply because she was the only one in the room


    with me. I knew that I was mad at Hayden and my behavior was inexcusable. Auntie is probably just


    doing what Hayden told her to do.


    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you,” I apologized softly.


    “It’s alright. You must be tired fromst night so you should eat something,” Auntie encouraged quietly.


    “Thank you but I don’t feel like it,” I said dismissively.


    “Is there something that I can do for you?” Auntie asked sadly.


    “When Hayden is back, can you tell him toe see me?” I asked.


    Auntie nodded sadly and I knew that she probably thought that locking me up in here was a bad idea


    as well.


    “Yes. I’ll be sure to do that. In the meantime, please just rest and rx in here…” she said before she


    turned and took her leave.


    I heard the door closing behind her and knew instinctively that it would be locked again from the


    outside.


    Hayden, what are you thinking this time? Why are you doing this?


    In the back of my mind, I had a vague idea of the cause behind this. After all, this all happened


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    because he found out that Ethan came to see me. If he couldn’t control my life when I was outside, did


    hee to conclusion that it was better to keep me locked up here instead?


    --To be continued…