The Help

Mark was a genius.

An absolute, certified genius.

He’d figured it all out. Sitting in his car in the Nocturne Capital parking garage. He’d driven here. Parked like an asshole across two spots. Drank half a bottle of whiskey. And now he was just… waiting, he’d cracked the code.

Mireya thought she was so smart. Working at this fancy place with the glass walls and the marble floors. Acting like she was better than him. Like she didn’t need him.

Well, she was about to learn.

He was going to walk right into that building, find her? yell at her? Drag her home? Make a scene?

Yep. That sounded good. Make a scene.

He will drag her out. In front of everyone. Her boss. Her coworkers. Everyone.

She’d be so embarrassed she wouldn’t have a choice but to come home and do what she was supposed to do. Cook. Clean. Be a wife.

Mark took another swig from the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Perfect plan.

Flawless.

He checked the rearview mirror. His eyes were bloodshot. His hair stuck up in three different directions. He had a stain on his shirt. Ketchup? Mustard? Who cared.

He looked fine.

He grabbed the bottle and stepped out of the car, swaying slightly as his feet hit the ground.

The parking garage was quiet. A few cars scattered around. Nobody walking.

Good.

He leaned against the hood of his car and waited.

Any second now, he’d go in. Lunch break or something. And when she did, he’d be ready.

Mark grinned to himself, lifting the bottle in a mock toast to nobody.

“Here’s to being a genius,” he muttered.

He took another swig from the bottle, feeling the burn slide down his throat. His head was fuzzy. His hands were steady. That was the sweet spot. Drunk enough to be brave. Not drunk enough to pass out.

He checked his watch. Almost noon.

---------------

“Mark.”

A voice broke through the parking lot, soft but in fear.

Mark turned his head toward it. Looking confuse as hell

Mireya.

She was running towards him, with her eyes wide opened, her hair was slightly scattered from running.

She was running through the lobby, pushing past security, bursting out into the parking garage.

Before Mark could process the shock, she was in his front already, she threw her arms around him in a quick, desperate hug.

“Thank God you’re here,” she gasped. “I need to leave. Please, can we just go?”

His body was stiff, completely unprepared for her sudden affection. He didn’t hug back. He didn’t even move.

When she pulled away from him, her hand brushed against the bottle in his grip.

The bottle slipped.

Time seemed to slow as it fell, tilting, spinning… then….

CRASH.

Glass shattered across the asphalt, liquor spreading like a small amber river.

Both of them stared down at it, frozen.

Mark's expression changed, it wasn’t relief. It wasn’t concern.

It was irritation.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” he said.

“I just need to go home,” she said quickly. “Please, Mark. Can we just go?”

“Hey… hey!” he snapped, half disbelief, half anger . “Why are you leaving? it’s not closing time yet”

I quit, Mark. Let’s just go home. I’ll explain please I need to leave here, she was trembling now.

He was supposed to be the one catching her off guard, dragging her out of the building, humiliating her, showing her who was in charge. Instead, she had blindsided him, running out like she had been waiting for him.

“Please,” she whispered like someone was overhearing. “I just need to leave.”

She reached for the car door, but before she could open it, Mark grabbed her wrist. His grip was brutal, his fingers digging deep. She winced and gasped at the pain, turning toward him with tears forming.

He let go only after he saw her flinch.

“You what?” he barked. “Did I allow you to quit?”

Her lips parted, trembling, searching for word.

You think you can just walk out of your job in the middle of the day? You think we can afford that?”

“Mark, listen to me….”

“No, you listen to me.” He shoved her backward. She stumbled, catching herself on the car. “You’ve got one job. One. And you can’t even do that right.”

Tears burned her eyes.

“How do you expect me to react?” Mark demanded, his voice rising. So who’s supposed to provide now, or you expect me to go look for a job? Ohh sorry I'm supposed to go buy another bottle of champagne to celebrate?”

Her heart was beating very fast now, She knew her husband, it’ll get physical real soon.

“No. Let’s just get out of here,” she pleaded. “I will explain everything when we get home. Please, Mark I’m begging you.”

But that only seemed to fuel his rage.

“No,” he snapped. “We are not going anywhere. We are going to stay here and celebrate another mistake of yours, you queen of stupid decisions!”

She shut her eyes. Pain washed over her face, emotional, mental, everything all at once.

“Mark, you just don’t understand,” she whispered, voice cracking. “I quit because… my boss is a real monster.”

“Shut up!” Mark roared. “Your boss is a monster?”

She nodded gently.

“No,” he hissed, stepping closer. “I’m gonna remind you who you really… really should be afraid of.”

He shoved past her, heading for the back seat of the car. She watched helplessly as he grabbed the bottle of the beer he had gotten, hit everything on the floor and all the bottles broke, spilling drinks everywhere.

She gasped softly. “Mark….”

He turned to her with disgust.

“What are you standing there for? Bend down and pick the glasses.”

Her entire body shook.

Not here. Not in broad daylight.

She hesitated, just one second.

“Now! NOW!” he barked.

Her whole body jolted.

“Okay… okay,” she whispered and quickly crouched to gather the bottles.

But the moment she bent forward, Mark grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked it out with a violent force.

She screamed.

He yanked her backward, hard enough that her scalp burned. Then he opened the car door and slammed it shut on her hair, pinning her in place.

“Mark, stop,” she sobbed. “Please, stop.”

“You don’t tell me what to do,” he snarled.

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t stand. Couldn’t fight.

Mark moved closer, a sickening satisfaction spreading across his face, smirked, proud of himself, inflated with power.

“Please… please, Mark,” she begged through trembling lips. She knew what was coming next.

Now I want you to perform your wife duty right here, how I like it. She was stuck now, trapped in the car with the door shut, he slapped her ass. Mireya was in tears now, the humiliation.

He started unbuckling his trousers, don’t worry, he said casually. “I will finish with you quickly. And when I’m done teaching you a lesson? You will crawl back to your boss and beg him to give you your job back.”

Then out of nowhere, someone grabbed his wrist.

And everything stopped

Mireya’s eyes widened. She forced her hair out despite the pain.

Lucien!!.

Her blood turned to ice.

Before Mark could understand what was happening, Lucien’s grip tightened around his neck.

Mark’s feet lifted off the ground.

And in one swift motion, too fast for a human eye

Lucien flung him across the parking lot.

Mark soared through the air and slammed against the concrete wall.