Chapter 5 Five

"I'm..." Sarah wiped her eyes frantically with the backs of her hands, her breath hitching. "I’m not... I’m fine."

"You're not fine, you're fine...which one?" he asked, putting distance between them watching as she tried to control her overflowing emotions.

Then quietly, his gaze roamed over her red-rimmed eyes.

"Who made you cry?"

"No one, I'm okay...I just..." I don't understand my life anymore. I've been here less than a day and...and I feel...I feel...

"I miss my home," she struggled out, fresh tears overcoming her again, his palm shooting out to catch her tears.

"The boys made you cry, didn't they?" He asked and she gulped hard, her eyes not fixed anywhere but they were rolling from one side to another.

Should she say yes? That they threw her locket in the fire? That they burnt it?  What if she said anything and her problem actually intensified? Who would save her?

"Come." He said already leading the way and she panicked, refusing to move.

"No. Nothing happened." But her reply didn't look like something he would succumb to, so she let him lead them away.

His strides small enough for her to keep up, and also heavy enough to make her feel the anger emanating from him. And his grip, she looked at his hand, how veiny it had gotten and yet, she wasn't held tightly.

When they entered the grand foyer, the atmosphere was already thick with tension.

Kael and Jeff were lounging on the leather sofas, tossing a silver coin back and forth, while Riven stood by the window, staring out at the lake, taking photos and videos, smiling, and then, typing away the next minute.

They looked up as their father entered, their expressions shifting from boredom to alertness immediately.

Kael was the first to spring up to his feet.

"Father, when did you...when did you come back?" Kael was the first to say, his eyes falling on Sarah, his mouth opening and his throat clearing.

"Hey, where were you? We were looking for..." Kael started to say, nervously watching as his father continued to walk ahead, still holding her until they were standing in the center of the living room.

Bardulf stopped in the center of the room. He didn't let go of Sarah’s hand. His eyes scanned his son who had slowly gotten to their feet one after another, their heads low.

Kael raised his head as the silence stretched for far too long, "Is there a problem, Father?" Kael asked, " When did you come? How was the trip?"

But his eyes haven't left Sarah's face. Even Jeff had his side eyes on her. Riven was sweating inside his palms.

She didn't report to him, did she? He didn't come back just because she bitched to him? Does their relationship run that deep, already?

Bardulf pointed to the cold, white marble floor. "Kneel."

A stunned silence followed, all eyes snapping up before an exchange of glances happened. Even Sarah turned to look at the booming voice that just spoke.

"Excuse me?" Jeff started, laughing nervously. "Dad, we aren't ten years old anymore. We were just having a bit of fun with..."

"I said," Bardulf interrupted,  "Kneel. All of you." He repeated and knees started dropping to the floor even before they could process the command.

Eyes snapped towards Sarah immediately whose eyes were suddenly dry of tears, replaced with a look of sheer shock.

"It was just a locket, father." Riven said looking up,  "Very old and tacky."

"I didn't ask you what you did," Bardulf replied.

"Still making us kneel, isn't that too much, Father!" Jeff yelled, his eyes glaring at Sarah, "Aren't you going to do something? You're barely even in this house for a full day and we are receiving punishments!!"

"Can you imagine that? How can you just go out there and report us because we wanted to get along with you!!" Riven fired.

"And this is how she wants to be our stepmother! You should've picked someone older and not this little girl who is certainly going to cry about everything!!" Jeff yelled out again.

"Sarah," Bardulf said, finally looking at her. "What do you want me to do to them?"

"What?!" The three boys chorused together and she felt blood drain from her face.

She looked down at them, shaking her head almost immediately, terror filling her stomach.

"It was just a locket," she whispered. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," Bardulf said. He looked back at his sons. "They insulted you, meaning they insulted me." He said, shifting his gaze between Sarah and then back to them.

"I didn't raise them better, I'm sorry." He said and Sarah blinked in disbelief.

"It was a joke, Dad," Jeff hissed from the floor and Bardulf reached out, landing a heavy blow to his face that made Sarah gasp as Jeff fell to his back, unconscious.

The two boys straightened themselves immediately, eyes straight, teeth clenched while Bardulf stood over Jeff who was still blown off.

He started to crack his fingers, "The punchline is this, you will stay on your knees until Sarah decides you have learned enough respect to stand."

"Bardulf, no..." Sarah gasped, stepping forward. "They were just..." She looked at them and at Jeff.

Is he dead? If he's not, doesn't he need treatment immediately? "I'm..."

"They are my blood," Bardulf interrupted, "and they're  going to stay there, glued to the floor for three hours." He said and then walked off.

Sarah watched him, stunned by a defeating silence sitting heavy in the room.

Kael's eyes flew to Jeff who had opened his eyes, but not sit up before his eyes came back to Sarah who was still standing there.

"Aren't you going to put words into your husband's head to get us out of here?" He asked and Sarah managed to turn, skidding off immediately.

"I'm actually getting punished because of that little..." Kael wanted to say before Riven shoved him.

"Dad may still be watching,"

Jeff slowly sat up from the floor, nursing the side of his face and a small cut to his lips, anger radiating even from his sigh.

"Where is that bitch?"

Sarah halted in her steps, standing in front of his study, her hands hovering every minute over the door and then pulling back again.

She counted the time, two hours, then three...she knocked, praying silently that she wasn't going to invite the same wrath onto her own self.

"Who's there? Come in." She heard and she rehearsed inside herself.

She needs to do this. Would she be okay if he punished them and then she got punished later when he was away?

They looked like they were not going to let what he did slide for any reason. What should she do?

That's why she's taking action. Doing what she can...how could he even go full-blown punishment mode towards them?

She shouldn't have cried. She should have just let the locket go.

"I said come in, whoever you're!" Came his voice again and she forced her way into his space, advancing slowly towards the study, and then stopped halfway.

He was already sitting up in his chair, "What is it?"

"We...we just married... And..."

"And what?" He rose and her heart sank immediately, "Want us to consummate it?"