Master

Chapter Four

Hey guys, as promised, here is your next update. For those of you that are reading To be a King, I have been to the hospital and luckily I won't be going for another procedure just yet, only in three months time again. So for now I'm okay. 

I have to admit though that this story is really itching to be written. I have to stop myself from focusing all my spare time on this, otherwise I will be neglecting To be a King and I really don't want to do that. Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you get reading.

Corey's POV

It's been almost a week since the dinner party and I was getting very worried. First, there was the tense and cold atmosphere at home, with Father glaring at me and Mother blatantly ignoring me or casting cold looks in my direction. I overheard them talking one night and it seems like there was a high probability that they won't be getting the contract they so desperately wanted from Mr...Hayden, and guess who they felt deserved the blame? Yeah, yours truly. 

The second thing that was worrying me, was the wounds caused by father's belt buckle. The day after the party I was barely able to leave my bed and Susan had to bring me food in bed the entire day. She knew what had happened and I saw her lips thin into a straight line in anger towards Father, but she never said anything. She just set my tray down and went to my bathroom, where I kept a first-aid kit and when she came back, she quietly sat next to me, cleaning all the cuts and bandaging them for me. 

I kept hearing her noises of disapproval while doing it, but neither one of us said a word. It was a silent agreement between the two of us, that she would always look after me when Father did this. If she tried to do anything more, then she would get fired, which would leave me completely alone in this hellhole. As soon as she was done, she gently kissed my forehead and got up to leave the room, but I saw the silent tears running down her cheeks. I lowered my head in shame at how weak and pathetic I was, but she gently lifted it by the chin. "You are a lot stronger than you think sweetheart, don't ever doubt that." and with those words, she left the room.

I ate my breakfast in silence, my mind going back to the handsome face of Hayden. I quickly remembered his card and searched for it through my bedding and sighed in relief when I found it, clutching it to my chest. He might not be mine, but a boy could dream, couldn't he?

Now it's been almost a week, but the wounds weren't healing like they should. Between myself and Susan, we have been trying to keep them clean, but somehow, infection had set in and I didn't know what to do. Last night, during dinner, my head started aching and I felt slightly nauseous, but I pushed through and managed to finish most of my food.

I went to my room almost immediately after and took off the bandages, looking at the wounds I could see. I turned in front of the mirror in the bathroom to have a look at the ones on my back as well, and that's when I saw it. Some of the cuts on my back was really deep and now they looked angry and red, swollen and there was something leaking out of them. 

There was a quiet knock on the door and I hurriedly pulled my t-shirt over my head, groaning as the wounds stretched and burned. I went to my door, dreading that it might be Father behind the door, but as I opened it, I saw Susan standing there.

"I came to help with the bandages real quick." She whispered, she probably snuck up here, not wanting Father to know she was helping me. So I quickly motion her to come in and close my door behind her. As we get back into the bathroom, I take my shirt off again, but this time Susan has to help me, because the wounds were hurting even more.

I heard Susan gasp loudly behind me and know she has seen what the cuts on my back look like. "Oh my dear boy, we need to get you proper medical care. These really don't look good at all." She cries out and I have to shush her. I didn't want Father to know what was going on. She quickly slaps a hand over her mouth and nods at me.