Caught in the Web - Chapter 46

Caught in the Web is available to purchase from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon worldwide.  Also on Kindle and may be purchased from book stores worldwide.  Available direct from Completelynovel.com.

Chapter Forty-six

The day passed slowly. Each minute seemed to drag into an hour.

Karen knew she needed to keep one step ahead. Peter wouldn’t let her go anywhere without him, so she tried to keep busy in the house. She pottered about in the kitchen, tidying the cupboards and thinking about what her next move could possibly be to get out of this mess.

She cooked spaghetti for their evening meal and only drank what she had prepared herself. Peter hovered in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her, occasionally wandering into the lounge to sit for a while before coming back again. Karen lifted the pasta pot from the stove to drain the water into the sink.

‘I’ll do that,’ he said, trying to take the pot from her.

She pulled away. ‘I’m alright,’ she said. ‘I’m already doing it.’

‘Fine. Be independent.’ He walked back into the lounge.

Karen could hear him pacing the floor.

‘You could lay the table,’ she called through the doorway. No answer.

She was feeling more and more unsettled and still had no idea as to how she was going to get out of this mess. The kitchen windows were steamed up. A mild hope that maybe she’d been mistaken made her try the kitchen door. It was still locked.

‘Can’t you come and open the kitchen door,’ she called. ‘Let some fresh air in.’

Still no answer.

She looked into the lounge. ‘Did you hear me?’ she asked.

‘Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you.’ Peter was slouched on the far end of the sofa, glowering at her.

‘It’s hot and stuffy out there. Surely you don’t really think you can keep me locked in here for ever.’ She paused. ‘Peter - I’m fed up with this. Please come and open the back door.’ She stood and waited.

Peter looked up.

‘Just get the dinner on the table and stop whinging,’ he said.

Karen returned to the kitchen with a shake of her head. She took a breath and dished up the pasta on to the two plates. She stirred the bolognese mixture, wondering vaguely whether she could play Peter at his own game and slip something into his portion. She shook off the thought, knowing that it would never work. She didn’t even know where he was keeping her tablets and doubted that it would be easy to find them.

Her mind was numb. The thought of getting out of this was impossible to imagine. She felt the tears rising again and dashed them away.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she told herself as she spooned the mixture onto each pile of pasta. Karen gathered her courage and carried the plates of food through to the lounge.

The table was still cluttered with Peter’s books and a pile of old newspapers. She put the plates on the table and piled the books and papers to one side.

‘Careful with my books,’ Peter snapped. ‘They cost a lot of money.’

‘Sorry,’ Karen said through her teeth. She looked up and smiled. ‘It’s ready. We just need the cutlery.’ She sat down and waited for him to move.

Peter stood and walked to the table. ‘I’ll get it then, shall I?’ he asked, hesitating at the doorway. He glared at her, then disappeared into the kitchen. She heard him clattering in the cutlery drawer. When he returned he handed her a spoon and fork with a smile.

‘Don’t trust me alone with your food, eh?’ He laughed. ‘How long are you going to keep this up for?’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Karen answered. She looked at him. ‘I just want to get back to normal, that’s all. I keep telling you, I am not ill.’

‘Well you can’t keep it up forever, you know,’ he said. ‘You’ll have to go to sleep sometime.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ Karen frowned.

‘What I mean is you can’t be on your guard all the time. Once you’re asleep, I can do anything to you. Anything I like.’

Karen glared at him.

‘You can’t keep me prisoner for ever,’ she retorted.

‘I’m not keeping you prisoner,’ he said.

‘Why have you changed the locks? And why haven’t you given me a key?’

‘I changed the locks because they needed doing and the reason I haven’t given you a key is because you haven’t needed one yet. It’s as simple as that. Nothing treacherous about it at all. It’s all in your imagination. All of this is in your head.’

‘What did you mean, you can do anything you like to me when I’m asleep? I didn’t imagine that.’

Peter laughed.

‘Why are you laughing?’ Karen asked. ‘OK, if it’s all in my imagination, give me the keys now.’

‘I haven’t got the spare keys yet,’ he replied calmly. ‘They only gave me one key for each lock and I need the keys to go to work. As soon as I can I’ll get some cut for you, don’t you worry.’

Karen’s hopes lifted a little. ‘Are you going to work tomorrow, then?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know what I’m doing yet,’ he said. ‘I could stay home all week but I may go in for a meeting in the morning.’

‘Why can’t I have the back door key, then?’ she asked. ‘You don’t need two keys.’

‘I may decide not to go in yet,’ he replied. ‘We’ll talk about it in the morning.’

Karen’s mind was racing. This could be the chance she needed to get away. As if reading her thoughts, Peter leaned towards her across the table.

‘We’ll have to see how you are tomorrow,’ he said. ‘And how well you do tonight in bed.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Karen asked.

‘Sleeping of course,’ he sneered. ‘What did you think I meant?’

He picked up his fork and began winding it in the spaghetti. He guided the sticky mass towards his mouth.

Karen watched him from the corner of her eye and shuddered inside as a long strand draped on his chin, leaving a faint trail of red sauce in its wake as he sucked it in.

Caught in the Web Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-five

Peter turned back into the lounge and stood facing Karen.

‘Well I hope you’re satisfied. Making my own mother turn against me,’ he accused.

‘Don’t be silly,’ Karen began. But Peter cut her short.

‘Don’t tell me not to be silly!’ he shouted. ‘Don’t you ever do that to me again.’

‘What exactly have I done?’

‘You know what. You’ve been sitting in here, making plans with my mother, secret plans.’ He paced the room. ‘Pushing me out in the cold. You’d do well to remember who you’re married to.’ He marched to the table, picked up the mug of untouched coffee and spun to face her. ‘And why haven’t you drank your coffee? I suppose you think I’m poisoning you.’

‘Of course I don’t. I just forgot,’ Karen said. ‘It’s cold now. I’ll make another one.’

She stood as she spoke and grabbed the cup from his hand before he could object, took it into the kitchen and tipped the contents into the sink. She filled the kettle and switched it on at the wall. Peter followed her.

‘I know your game,’ he said. ‘You think you can get my mother on your side, don’t you?’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Karen said. ‘Margaret was being kind. She wants to help both of us. She’s worried about how things are.’ As soon as she spoke the words, Karen realised she’d made a mistake.

‘Worried about how things are?’ he asked. ‘What the hell have you been saying to her? Telling her lies about me, I suppose.’

‘No,’ Karen denied. ‘I haven’t told her anything. I wouldn’t dare.’ She felt sick. ‘Look Peter, I don’t know what’s happening to us, but things are getting worse aren’t they? Between us, I mean.’

‘What are you saying?’ He sounded more angry now. ‘Do you want a divorce? I can make your life a misery if you try and divorce me. You wouldn’t be able to manage without me. No money, no home, nothing.’

‘That’s not what I meant.’ Karen could feel the terror rising. ‘I just can’t see a way forward, that’s all.’

‘I’ll tell you the way forward,’ he said. ‘You stop all this nonsense about working at the hospital and get rid of that baby. Then we can make a fresh start.’ He paused. ‘If you really loved me, that’s what you’d do.’

‘I don’t understand. One minute you want me to keep the baby and the next you don’t. What do you want?’

‘I’ve told you enough times. I want you to be a good wife. Show me you care about this marriage. Stop living in a fantasy world.’

‘I’m not.’

‘Thinking you can have a career in that place. Believing I can bring up a child that’s not even mine.’ He paused. ‘Just get yourself sorted and get back to how you used to be!’

‘I can’t do that,’ said Karen. ‘Even if I gave up my job, I couldn’t give up the baby. It’s a part of me now, surely you can understand that. I know it must be very hard for you, but I just hoped that once you saw the baby you might change your mind.’

‘I’ll never change my mind. So you’ll have to change yours.’

‘I can’t,’ said Karen. ‘This is my own flesh and blood.’

‘Your flesh and blood, but not mine!’

‘I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about that now.’

‘We’ll see about that.’ Peter gripped her wrist and pulled her to face him. She could smell the coffee on his bitter breath. ‘You’re still my wife,’ he spat, twisting her wrist and forcing her against the sink unit. She felt the cold of the metal on her back.

Peter glared at her a moment longer. As he turned and walked away, Karen felt a flutter in her belly. She placed her hands on the swelling of her womb. A feeling of love surged in her heart as she became conscious that it was her baby stirring.

Caught in the Web - Chapter 44

I'm still selling copies of my novel.  Over 1000 people have a copy now.  Here is chapter 44 for those of you who are following the story on here.  You can purchase is as an Ebook from Amazon on Kindle, as well as from Completelynovel.com and Amazon worldwide.

Chapter Forty-four

Karen leaned back from the table, slipped the letter into the envelope and sealed it with a flourish.

‘There,’ she said. ‘All done. Now we just have to wait I suppose.’

Margaret lit a cigarette and took a long drag on it, exhaling the smoke slowly before she spoke.

‘I hope something good comes of this.’ She looked towards the door. Peter had kept his word and left them alone. She lowered her voice. ‘Are you sure everything’s alright with you?’ she asked.

Karen swallowed, hesitating to speak. The walls were too thin to give her the confidence to talk freely. ‘Not really but I can’t talk now,’ she whispered.

‘You have to tell me if there’s something wrong,’ Margaret insisted. ‘Look, Karen, I may be able to help you but you must tell me.’

‘You won’t believe me.’ Karen looked out of the window. The garden was still damp with rain - heavy clouds hung over the rooftops.

‘Try me.’ The ash on the end of Margaret’s cigarette fell onto the table. She swept it away with the back of her hand. She looked at Karen, waiting for the her to speak.

Karen stood up and walked into the hall. She stood at the foot of the stairs for a moment, listening, then came back in, carefully closing the door behind her.

She let out a sigh before speaking. ‘He’s changed the locks on the doors and I haven’t got a key.’

Margaret looked shocked. ‘Surely he’s got a key for you,’ she said.

‘No, he hasn’t.’

‘Perhaps he’s just waiting for you to be up and about on your feet.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Karen said.

‘He’s probably just forgotten to give it to you,’ Margaret reasoned.

‘Why would he change the locks?’ Karen asked.

‘I’ll speak to him,’ Margaret suggested.

‘No! Please don’t do that,’ Karen blurted. ‘It won’t help. Please don’t say anything. I’ll get through this somehow.’

‘If you’re sure.’ Margaret wasn’t convinced.

‘He’s been giving me drugs. In my food, I think,’ Karen went on.

‘Now you are really being silly,’ Margaret bristled. ‘I’m sure he wouldn’t do such a thing.’

‘It’s true,’ Karen said. ‘Why do you think I’ve been sleeping so much?’

‘You need to rest,’ Margaret said. ‘The tablets the doctor gave you. They help you to sleep.’

‘That’s just it,’ Karen explained. ‘I haven’t taken any of them yet. Not knowingly that is.’

‘I’m sure you have. You’ve just forgotten. You’ve been in a bit of a state.’ Margaret stubbed out her cigarette and stood up.

‘I knew you wouldn’t believe me,’ Karen said. She was desperately wondering how she could convince Margaret.

‘I want to believe you. Of course I do,’ Margaret said. ‘But you haven’t been yourself lately.’

‘I don’t know what else I can do to make you believe me,’ Karen said. She heard a door upstairs banging. ‘Please, don’t talk about it any more. He’ll hear us.’

Margaret sighed. ‘If that’s what you want.’

Peter was clattering down the stairs, as if on cue. The door opened.

‘Have you two finished yet? Because I’m getting bored with being banished to the bedroom.’

‘All done,’ said Karen.

‘Why was the door shut?’ he asked. He looked from one to the other.

Karen shrugged.

‘We never close that door,’ he said. ‘Have you two been talking about me?’

‘Don’t be silly,’ Margaret said.

‘What do you expect?’ Peter said. ‘You send me upstairs, tell me you want to have time alone without me, then you close the door so I can’t hear what you’re getting up to.’

‘It was nothing,’ Margaret insisted.

‘Fine.’ Peter glanced at the papers on the table. ‘Have you written the letter, then?’ he asked. ‘Can I read it?’

‘Oh. I’ve sealed the envelope now,’ Karen said. ‘Margaret’s posting it on her way home.’

‘Fine.’ He smiled.

Karen could feel the anger emanating from every pore in his body. ‘Not fine,’ she thought.

‘I should get back home, I suppose.’ Margaret pulled on her coat. She turned to Karen. ‘I’ll pop in tomorrow morning.’

‘What for?’ Peter asked. ‘Checking up on us again?’

‘I care about you both,’ Margaret said. ‘I don’t want to intrude...’ She hesitated.

‘I might take Karen out tomorrow,’ Peter said. ‘She could do with some fresh air.’

Karen seethed. ‘Stop making plans for me Peter,’ she snapped.

He turned to her, a pained look on his face. ‘Don’t you want to go out with me?’ he asked.

‘I don’t know what I’ll want to do tomorrow yet,’ she said. ‘That’s not the point. I have got a mind of my own, you know. It would be nice if you talked to me about things before making decisions for me.’

‘Sorry,’ he laughed. ‘Pardon me for trying to help.’

‘Well, I’m off then,’ interrupted Margaret. She glanced at Peter then turned to Karen. ‘You’ll be alright?’

‘Of course I will.’ Karen smiled.

Margaret hugged Karen and kissed Peter on the cheek, then turned to leave.

As she reached the front door Karen noticed her glance up at the new lock. Karen was sure she was biting back the questions which were on the tip of her tongue as she smiled and allowed Peter to let her out into the street.

‘Bye, Darling,’ she said to him but the door was already closing on her. Karen watched through the window as Margaret turned and made her way along the street, pulling her coat collar up as she went.