The Secret (Watty Award Winner) | ✔️

Five - Sarah

Ch5 - Sarah 

"You look beautiful," Steven smiled, his face a mask of admiration. "Happy third anniversary, my love. Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world."

He handed Sarah a small, exquisitely decorated box, " I have something for you."

"You shouldn't have, Steven! You've already done so much." Subdued by his good mood, Sarah shyly reached for the gift.

"Open it," he urged.

Gingerly, she unwrapped the present, taking care to not rip the fine paper. Steven would often times become irritated when others would tear into their gifts. He claimed it was "Savage and unappealing. The sign of a tactless person."

She opened the package and gasped, bringing her hand to her lips, when she saw the striking necklace arranged inside. It was a precious red coral gem, surrounded by several diamonds and set in 14K gold. She ran her fingers over the opaque stone, realizing it must have cost him a fortune.

"It's magnificent, Steven, thank you."

"Here - let me help you put it on," he offered. She handed him the box and he instructed her to turn around.

Once she lifted her long blonde hair, he placed the expensive piece of jewelry around her neck. She turned around so he could get a better view. "How does it look?" she asked him, smiling.

He beamed and brought her into a tight embrace, "It's perfect, but it pales in comparison to you."

Sarah felt her heart soar. Steven had been so loving and attentive to her for several weeks now, and she silently wondered if his rage-filled outbursts had ended.

"I love it, Steven. And I love you. Thank you." He pulled away from her grasp and lifted his hand to her face, silencing her with a deep kiss. She felt butterflies collect in her stomach as she returned his affection.

'This is how it should be,' she silently mused.

It was, without a doubt, the most perfect anniversary. They shared a lovely meal together that Sarah had painstakingly prepared and spent the evening laughing and cuddling like happy newlyweds, finally making love atop the luxurious Egyptian sheets that adorned their enormous king size bed. Sarah had felt so desired and complete. It was as if one night of passion had erased every tense moment of their tumultuous three year union.

The next morning she awoke and lifted her hand to her neck, reaching for her beautiful anniversary gift.

But it wasn't there.

Clutching the blankets to her naked body, she sat upright and searched the tangled sheets in vain. Had she taken it off before falling asleep? No, she knew she hadn't.

Steven stirred next to her and slowly opened his eyes. "Good morning, Beautiful. How did you sleep?" he questioned, reaching for her. Noting the look of frustration on her face, he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Sarah averted her eyes, not wanting to make contact. "My necklace," she stated, "It must have fallen off in the night."

A frown shadowed Steven's face, "What are you saying? You lost it?" he demanded, anger building in his voice.

"No," she began timidly, "It must be here somewhere..." Her worried blue eyes canvassed the bed, finally settling on the shiny golden strand hidden in the crumpled blankets.

He followed her gaze and he sat up, reaching the necklace before she did. Holding it before him, he noticed the clasp had come off.

"Are you freakin' kidding me?" he exploded. "It's broken already!"

Swallowing hard, Sarah began searching for the missing piece in an attempt to calm Steven's building temper.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I forgot to remove it before...." her voice trailed off.

"Before what, Sarah?" he baited her.

"Before we made love," she answered, her eyes downcast.

"What are you saying? That it's my fault?"

"No, Steven! I didn't mean it that way."

"Well, that's certainly the way it sounded."

Her shoulders sagged as she realized she was at the mercy of a man who showed no lenience. Almost every serene interlude eventually ended in a fight, most of them physical. The man she had married was not going to modify who he really was deep down, no matter how hard she prayed. She realized now that he would be her hell on earth until the day she died. Unless...

"I'll have it fixed, Steven. I'll take it to the repair shop today."

"What's the point?" he challenged. "You'll just break it again. What a fine way to end our anniversary, Sarah. You've ruined it. It was all for nothing." Naked, he got up from their bed and walked into the master bath, slamming the door behind him.

Tears filled her eyes as she debated what to do. She couldn't live like this any longer. Steven's perversions were slowly killing her. Sarah worried that if the constant flow of negativity didn't do her in, the abuse eventually would.

Slowly, a plan started to take shape in her mind. Asking for a divorce would never work; she knew he would never grant her one. Past experience had proved she would be punished severely for even suggesting it. No, there had to be another way...

Running a shaky hand through her tangled blonde hair, Sarah's mind raced as she thought of an alternative strategy to end her misery. It was risky, however, with precise planning she might be able to pull it off.

But what would happen if she couldn't pull it off? What would Steven do if he caught onto to her plan? She didn't want to think about the consequences.

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Hello and thank you for reading The Secret! If you liked this chapter, I ask that you please leave me a vote or comment! Thank you! :)

I would like to dedicate this chapter to one of my very first Wattpad friends @LeahPriceAuthor. She just published her first book, The Tale of Atterberry, available now through Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and a more! She is also the author of Rockstar, here on Wattpad. Check out her profile for more information!