STUCK 2

Chapter 17

"Took you long enough"

The attractive woman was spread across Tara's bed, releasing another puff of smoke in the already murky room. Tara watched nonplussed around the small room, struggling to see through the smoke, picking up the traces of her clothes lying on the floor, every piece of furniture misplaced. She immediately closed the door behind her, not wanting Ina to come in contact with nicotine if she happens to return any time soon. Walking up to to the window she opened the small doors, hoping for smoke to run out before someone died of suffocation. 

Venetia was surprised by Tara's composure, not paying any heed to the villain who had taken stringent efforts to make her life difficult. She couldn't but succumb to the throb of irritation, her hope of instigation meeting the ruins. 

"Get out" Tara finally uttered, already picking up her clothes, folding them neatly before putting them back in closet one by one.

"I can say the same thing to you" Venetia acted unaffected, taking another puff from the cigarette held between her index and middle finger. 

"Tell that to your fiancé" Tara added with the same lack of emotion, not even sparing a glance towards unmannered woman on her bed. Venetia finally grabbed her attention by making herself upright, staring dead in her eyes,

"Do you think I don't know what's going on between you two?" her voice was brimmed with nonchalance,  portraying lack of sincerity, and yet Tara picked up the traces of acerbity. 

"There is nothing going on" 

"Oh shut it" Ven scoffed, "I know you're fucking him" 

Tara stopped dead in her tracks, awestruck by the indecency of her words.

"What happened to you?" Tara asked in disbelief, wondering how Donavan transformed an innocent clumsy woman into...this. 

"YOU" Venetia got on her feet, pointing her trembling angry finger at the short woman,

"YOU happened to me. I was going to get married to him for god's sake!", Tara sensed Venetia walking on the thin ice, stomping her foot in the place, "Do you see this?" Venetia closed the distance, pushing the back of her left hand in Tara's face, "This, is the ring Don put in my hand. But ever since he found you, he HASN'T SEEN ME FOR ONCE"

Tara knew "seen me" was equivalent to "bed me".

"ONCE" Her voice trembled as she displayed the number one with her index finger, embittered and defeated. Tara dropped the short top she held on the floor, diverging her attention to the woman that sincerely needed it right now. 

"He does not deserve you" Tara said honestly. She hadn't exactly been in her place before, never neglected by the sole man in her life even when she most wanted him to. But somehow Tara knew how Venetia felt, abandoned by the only person she wanted. 

Venetia was used to Donavan fucking around, never abiding by her side like a loyal to-be-husband. He had made it clear on numerous occasions that he was a free man and will continue to be, if she wanted to be a free woman, she could too. Don didn't give two shits who Venetia fucked behind his back. As long as she did not hinder his way, he did not bother her too. That was the deal. And yet, one time Venetia had raised her voice, protesting against his disloyalty towards her. He had all but laughed in response, challenging her to break the engagement, something that Venetia certainly didn't want for herself.  

Venetia hesitantly or not, accepted his ways just the way he served them. He was honest and cunning, manipulative and dominating, but he was Don, he owned his flaws like a badge of honour. He was the standard, everyone around him had to mold themselves for him, and mold they did, desperate to stay in the good eyes of him.  He would find several women on his trips, parties, clubs and whatnot, but when he'd return to his mansion, Venetia would serve him the way he wished. He would take a stroll, but return back home, that was what Venetia was used to, for him to diverge all he wanted, knowing in the end, he would end up with her and her alone.

Tara flipped the equations as if they were put in a hurricane, crashing the world around her. Donavan Frantino had lost his hunger for women, as if someone had quelled his sexual appetite with truck full of ice cubes. Many thought it was the responsibility of his daughter that directed his attention, but to those who knew what Tara and Don had build all those years ago, they knew it wasn't an ordinary fire that could be extinguished with sand and water for it was inferno that burnt intensely with years, of wait, of vengeance, of...love? 

To Venetia it was as clear as a day, she had seen Donavan's obsession flaring for Tara, she had envied the blush on Tara's cheeks when Don had chatted with her on the phone, she had seen them before they were apart. Don liked her, and he only found his daughter, because he was tracking her mother. It was Tara he looked for all along, and when he received the marvelous surprise of a child, he used it as an excuse to keep his wife alive too, hoping to cage her back in their toxic relation.  

Venetia didn't know what black magic did she perform but Donavan Frantino danced on Tara's fingertips, he breathed for her, and when she had left, he died for her, finding Tara's smile in the cunning bodies with faceless faces. Now that she was back, he was back too to the square one, loyal as if he was married to the queen of the seven lands. Tara was a threat, something that needed to be plucked out before she trapped him in again, hopefully not, forever. 

"Stay away from him" Venetia urged, no matter eager she was to kill the woman she tried to keep herself composed. 

Tara sighed, recognising the anger beaming right through her. 

"Why don't you have this conversation with him?" Tara asked.

"You want him too" Venetia closed the distance, "you wanted him to find you so you can live this luxurious life again", matching her eyes with fervour she took another step closer, 

"What happened in India huh? Did you run out of money? did you went, 'let's go back to my husband and wreck his home too.' " Her attempt of mimicking was far from humorous, sweeping the the remnant of humanness from Tara's face. 

"Is that bitch even Don's? Or did you picked it up from streets and told Don-"

Venetia felt a gush of air leaving her lungs as she lost her balance from the impact on her ribs. Tara watched as Venetia collided on the closet door, thumping forcefully on the weak doors. For a second, Venetia was bewildered, completely unaware of what just happened. And when she realised the audacity of the shorter woman she pounced back with the intent of returning the favour. Only that Tara was quicker, getting a hold of both her wrists before painfully twisting them behind her back. Venetia screamed at the sharp pain, trying her utmost the riddle herself out of it but the more she tried the tighter her hold become, demonstrating who were in charge. 

"The next time you question my daughter in any way, it'll be your neck, not your wrist" Tara's emotionless was scary,  "And if you want to pep talk who is fucking who, lecture your man, not me." Venetia hissed when another jerk came painfully, lurching her in the direction of door.