"Inferiority complex is not born in a day,
It takes years for it to make it a belief.
Thousand words of disgrace and hundreds of hours of crying it takes.
So next time you go around joking make sure you are not placing another brick on someone else's wall of inferiority"

-suzangill ©

..................................

She felt out of place but there was just one thing that made her feel at home.
The serenity in those grey eyes.

Jake like a good friend didn't leave her alone.
She was ordered to hold onto the back of his t-shirt and not get lost.

Like an obedient little child feared to get lost in the fair, she kept on holding onto him tightly.

Faces, one after the other kept on greeting her and she politely replied.

"You are quite a famous face around here huh?"
She asked him and he just smiled in return.

But then her eyes met with another pair of brown ones and she shielded behind Jake's back to hide from him.

"Hey bro! What's up! Where have you been last week!"
His voice made her disgusted at him.
She hated this being with all her being

"Hey, Seb!! oh nothing much just work and stuff"

Never in her life, she held grudges but her past with him could give you a reason behind it.

Flashback

Elle stood in the school halls with two long plaits adoring her long hair.
She pressed the books tightly to her body as the bullies surrounded her.

"So you will not do our assignment?"
A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes said looking down upon her.

"N..No ..."
She managed to reply trying to look up bravely but failing badly.

"Guys let's teach this freak a lesson!"

"No Sebastian, please!! I can't do it....I ....I have an exam... Tomorrow... please"

He moved closer making the scared soul close her eyes.

"Does it look like I care freak?"

Next, she knows cans of juicy, bottles of water, trays of food were all dumped on her head.
As she got drenched in them, fresh tears got lost somewhere.

Children were laughing around her as she was sobbing.

"Ugly freak!! Ugly!! Freak!! Ugly !! Freak!"
The halls were echoing with their words and she had to close her ears with her small hands.

This was nothing new, it was a part of her routine but still, she never got used to it.

Once done with her Seb smirked at the shivering and sobbing mess of a girl in front of him.

Raising his hand and stopping everyone he
moved closer to her to threaten her.

"If your sister was not my girlfriend I would have not stopped just here..... don't forget your place freak!"

She rushed to the washroom with people staring and whispering about her.
This boy had made her high school life a living hell.
Her biggest bully Sebastian was a devil who had ruined the little self-confidence she tried building her whole life.

..........

"You brought a friend along? That's rare for you J!"

He said trying to look behind him to see the girl.
Elle held onto Jake's shirt tightly feeling awkward of this man's presence.

"Elle meet Sebastian! My younger brother"

Jake's relation to this man made her leave Jake's shirt and move back.
They were poles apart, how could they be blood-related.

Jake caught onto her weird behaviour and he turned towards her.
And that was when Sebastian's eyes landed on her.

He looked shocked on seeing her here and that also with his brother.

"Elle Hamilton!! Oh my god!! Is that really you! You are still that same ugly freak!"

His words made her look at him with anger.
She was not going to get bullied again.

Before they know she had lunged onto him, pushing him back on the floor.
As he collided with the bodies behind he cursed in surprise.

Jake couldn't understand what was going on.

One second the girl was shielding behind him ,scared and the other she was attacking like a ferocious lioness.

She was 3 shots down and her actions were bound to be irrational.

He held onto her small waist pulling her back but she was thirsty for a kill.
Her nails were clawing on his arms but he didn't loosen his grip.

"The bi*** is crazy or what!!

Seb said trying to stand up with blood running down his nose.
She had managed to punch him really bad.

"I will kill you!! You ass***! You disgusting bully!! "

She wanted to revenge all his wrongdoings
His presence had ruined her childhood and she will not let him do it again.

"Shhh Elle !! Calm down okay! "

He pulled her out of the house with everyone staring at them with irritation.

Handing him a glass of water he asked for answers.

"Do you know Seb ?"

Elle refused to answer.
Gulping down the bottle of water she looked at everything except him.

"Don't mind his words...he can be childish at times"

Her silence was hurting for him, knowing she will not answer he decided to ask his little brother later.

"He thinks....he thinks he can call me names and I won't stand up...I am not that scared girl anymore....I...I'll kick his ass if I have to....I'l-"

She got up to go inside again when he caught her wrist.

"You punched him pretty bad Elle....I never knew girls had that much strength"
He said stopping her and trying to distract her.

She smiled all of a sudden showing him her nonexisting bicep muscles.
"I have muscles right?"

He pressed her so-called muscles and made an impressive impression.

His soft-grip flattened her nonexisting bicep bulge making her look up at him in irritation.

"Hey...you ...just punctured my muscles... don't press hard"

He laughed at her childish behaviour and she adored his smile.

"Shouldn't you be with your brother....I mean I just assaulted him and you are sitting here assuring me?"

"Naah he will manage but I can't say the same for you"

She pouted at him and he smiled at her.
..................................................

"You can't be serious brother!! You bought that freak along!"

"Mind your words Seb, she is my friend!"
Jake said sternly glaring at his brother who had cotton buds shoved up his nose.

"You can't be friends with her brother!! She is ugly and disrespectful and....just so damn irritating. "

"Maybe ....but she is cute"
Jake said smiling to himself.

"What's with that smile? Now don't tell me you like or something like that!"

"Oh come on Seb she is married...and we are just friends"

Seb laughed like his brother just cracked a joke
"You mean to say someone married that freak!! Oh I really feel bad for that guy"

"Seb!"
Jake said with his anger evident now.

"Oh okay!! I won't say anything"
Seb said raising his hands in surrender.

"How do you know her anyways?"

Seb felt awkward rubbing his neck while answering.

"You see I just dated her sister back in high school"

"And?"
Jake asked knowing he was hiding something.

"I ...I...may. have managed to pull her leg sometimes..."

"You mean to say you bullied her!"

"Oh come on bro! Don't exaggerate things....I just joked around with her and all like most of the high schoolers do."

Jake was looking at his brother with anger as Seb was trying to avoid his angry eyes.

"Come on bro....she is just an ugly spoiled not so important girl...leave her and tell me...did you meet my friend Bianca...she is hot right?"

Jake was annoyed at him calling her ugly again and again.

"She is not ugly....stop using that word and tomorrow you are coming with me to apologize to her!"

"No way bro....me and apologies to her...she just literally broke my nose and you want me to apologize.
Really supportive brother you are there!"

"Seb I was not asking"

Seb sighed in defeat after looking into the seriousness in his brother's eyes.
..................................................

Ashton stood near the main door watching the clock struck midnight.

Soon the doors were opened and in came his wife in half-drunk state.
She was humming a song as her heels were clicking on the Italian tiles.

Her hair was back to their usual self.
Untamed, tangled resembling a bird's nest.

Throwing her purse on the sofa she tried to hold onto the railing for support.
Unaware of his presence behind her.

Each wobbling step she took made him fear her nasty fall.
Staying just behind her to catch if she falls he followed her like her shadow unaware to her.

Her short dress was making her slender legs look longer and he couldn't help admire her back view.

She finally reached their room with him at her trail.

His eyes fell on the blood on her knuckles and he cursed in his mind at his wife's violent behaviour.

He sent his bodyguard's to protect her only to know later that the guy she started punching needed protection from her instead.

This girl was full of surprise and he since childhood hated surprises.

Without even bothering to clean her hands or change her dress she just laid down on the duvet and closed her eyes.

He gently wiped a wet cloth over her knuckles to see redness on her skin.
As his fingers traced her knuckles she moved in her sleep making him suddenly move back from her.

He decided to leave when her voice stopped him.

"You care.....you care then why do you say you don't?"

He was shocked to even move a muscle.
As her brown eyes stared into his for truth, he turned his back on her.

As soon as he stood up to leave her thin arms engulfed his waist from behind trapping him.

Her fingers got locked in his front and to her surprise, the small girl pushed him back with all her force.

He stumbled back in surprise making his heavy frame to land on the bed behind.

Before he could even speak a word she sat on top of his stomach with legs placed on either side.

Her hands placed on his chest trying to push him down on the bed.

"Have you gon-"
Her palms were placed on his mouth before he could utter an insult.

"Yes, I have gone mad.....I have gone mad seeing you in my dreams...I have gone made longing you to touch me....I have lost my mind trying to understand you"

His strong hands urged her tiny ones to loosen but she was determined not to.

Pushing her body forward she laid down completely on top of him pressing her to him.
He was trying to control but he couldn't.
The way she rubbed her body on him made him lose the little control he was trying to build.

She moved down to make her forehead touch his.
Her eyes were closed but he was keenly staring at her.

"Why don't you show it? Why are you such a closed person Ashton....why is it so difficult to understand you!!"

A teardrop landed on his cheek and he found her crying.

She was frustrated.

She finally lifted her hand from his mouth and their breaths could be heard in the silence of the room.

"You should hate me ugly duckling...I am only gonna break your heart"
His words made her move her head in a no.

"Ugly duckling!! Ugly duckling!!! I am not a fuck*** ugly duckling!! Just stop using that irritating name!!"
He smiled at her outburst.

Seeing him smile her anger got directed to him.
Her fists started hitting his chest as he stared at her insane self.

"You...are...a...jerk!! I ...am...not..ugly....do...you...get..it...jerk face!!"

"Jake said...I...am beautiful..you. .are... wrong...he is right......I don't care what you say!!"

His face hardened all of a sudden.
The little bit of amusement was gone from his eyes as he held her wrists in his hand.

"Why are you throwing these tantrums if you don't care? For me, you will always be my ugly duckling....no matter what anyone says."

She was irritated to the extent of going crazy.
His words were again hurting her.
And he realised this when another teardrop landed on his face.

All of a sudden her heart nearly stopped when he turned the tables.
Holding her hands above her head and her body under him he reversed their positions.

"My words hurt right? You feel something here"
He said pointing to her heart.

She couldn't answer.
He was playing with her feelings again.

"This is what I am talking about Elle...this pain is nothing compared to what I can give you.
You get this involved and you will spend your whole life crying after me"
He said referring to her heart.

"I don't joke...I don't smile and I am not a sweet talker.
My words may be hurting but they are true.
A girl like you can never be happy with a man like me Elle."

She couldn't hear this.
Why does he make it sound so impossible?
Was loving her that difficult.

"But....but you care for me...you help-"

"I am not a monster Elle...I am a human and I do what I feel is right.
You are my responsibility and nothing more than that!"

Her eyes were filled with sadness but her body was reacting otherwise.
It longed for his touch ....for the things he did to her with those sinful lips and artistic hands.

"I want you...I...I don't care ..."

He looked at her with disappointment.

And the look in his eyes made her want him more.

Her hands have gripped his neck and she smashed her lips on him.
His hands turned in fists at the side of her head as he tried his best to stop himself.

He refused to give her permission to enter as she tried her best to.

Tears of rejection were wetting her cheeks but she refused to back down.

If seducing him was the only way to make him like her, she will give her best.
Call her desperate, call her cheap but she was willing to be it all for just one person.
She wanted to bring him out of this shell of a person and she will try her best for it.

"Please...please just let me in"
She pleaded holding onto his shirt tightly .
He saw lust in her eyes....it was not her fault though.

It was he only who familiarise her with those feelings.
He was the one who showed them to her and now she wanted to experience them again.
He just forgot how uncontrollable these addictions can be.
How your body can betray you before your body can question it.

"We can't Elle.....this is a road to nowhere.
Things will only get worst from here"

"I don't care Ashton!! I don't give a Fu**!! I want you and that's it!! Just stop this feeling.....just stop this!!"

He knew the feelings she was talking about.
But there was no escape from it.

"Sorry, Elle!! I can't..."

With this, he moved out of the room.
She longed for him the whole night not knowing what to do.
Her drunken eyes kept staring at the door for his return but he didn't.

She slept alone that night hugging her pillow and crying her pain out.
................................................

He was punching the bag non-stop.
His anger had to vent out somewhere and this was the perfect place.

He was not that kind of man who slept with girls to control his urges.
Only characterless men did that.

Control is the only thing that makes a boy, a man.
Without it, there was no difference between a horny teenager and an animal in heat.

1010 punches later he fell on a chair drained.
His eyes fell on his swollen knuckles and he clenched his hand in anger.
Blood was dripping down his hand but he didn't stop.

The pain was giving him the satisfaction that nothing else could.
It made him feel the pain he gave her and this thought was enough.

Picking up a whiskey bottle from the side he gulped it neat.
As the liquid burned his throat he found his relief.

Pouring it out on his wounded knuckles he hissed in pain as it disinfected his wound.

Soon the room was spinning and this was what he wanted from the beginning.
Sleep was not a luxury for him and he had to earn it by tiering himself to the point of saturation every day.
...................................................

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