Tea & Biscuits

Chapter Two


2 years earlier

The wedding reception was over and Beth had gone up to the bedroom in the hotel. Steve was in the bar with his mates, the bride and groom already flying off to some exotic location. It had been a strange day.

Beth really only knew a couple of Steve's mates and hadn't even met the happy couple until that day. Things were going OK until Steve started drinking and Beth knew she should make herself scarce, get to bed and look as if she was sleeping if he made it upstairs.

In the past 3 years and 2 months, Beth had learned to accommodate Steve's personality, believing that compromise was the key to making their relationship work. It hadn't occurred to her at this stage that she wasn't compromising, she was giving Steve everything he wanted. It hadn't occurred to her that Steve didn't understand compromise, he understood control.

Looking back, it had started over something trivial. His tea was too hot, not enough milk. His shoes were in the wrong place. He liked to use the bathroom first in the morning, even though this made Beth late for work. They had argued and Steve ignored her for a week, until Beth compromised and asked to change her shifts at work.

About a year before the wedding of Steve's friend that Beth had never met, he had slapped her around the face so hard she had fallen over. Beth had forgotten to pass on a telephone message. It was an unimportant message but Beth forgot. She blamed herself and apologised for two days, made Steve his favourite meal and let him fuck her without her reaching orgasm, no foreplay required.

Climbing into one of the twin beds, Beth turned off the light above her head and dozed on and off for who knows how long.

Steve stumbled into the room, turned on the main lights and took a piss in the adjoining bathroom.

Beth was wide awake with her eyes closed as soon as she heard his key in the lock, breathing slowly, forcing herself to stay calm, praying he would just climb into bed and fall asleep.

'Please God, let him sleep' she repeated it like a mantra over and over, in her head.

Steve coughed and cleared his throat, walked into the room and looked at Beth. He knew she was awake and pretending to sleep and it was really pissing him off tonight.

'You must think I am fucking stupid!' he slurred, his voice low and angry.

Beth's heart sank. Keeping her eyes closed she replied 'Of course not. I'm tired and you put the light on, thats all. Why don't you get some kip, love?' she forced herself to keep her voice light.

'Why don't you fuck off and stop trying to be smart? It doesn't suit you. And while I remember...' he was spitting the words out while stumbling over his shoes and Beth knew what was coming, she had heard this speech before, ' ... you looked like shit today, you know that? Mutton dressed as fucking lamb, showing me up in front of my mates... stupid bitch!'

Steve lurched forward and sat on the end of the second bed, swaying slightly.

Beth slid her legs slowly over the edge of the bed and walked to the bathroom, locking herself inside. She ran water into the sink and splashed her face. Beth looked at herself in the obligatory hotel mirror. Her eyes had the haunted look of someone who didn't know what would happen next but knew that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

Beth waited in the bathroom until she felt Steve would be asleep.

She learned that she should have stayed there longer. As she unlocked the door, a size 11 foot pushed the door open with a bang as Steve grabbed Beth by the throat. Beth gasped, unable to breathe, eyes wide in panic, her scream silent and unheard.
Steve pushed Beth back to the sink and with his other hand lifted the hem of her nightshirt. Beth's buttocks were pushed against the sharp edge of the vanity unit, her nightshirt now roughly gathered around her waist.

Moving his hand over her mouth, Steve was starting to unfasten his fly as he spoke, his voice a cold, menacing whisper.

'Look what I ended up with... a useless bitch who thinks she's fucking smart...'

Beth tried desperately to pull Steve's hand from her mouth but he was too strong. Doing the next best thing, Beth bit hard on the nearest finger, tasting blood.

'Arghh... you fucking bitch! Steve pulled his hand away and taking her chance, Beth pushed him to the side and ran from the bathroom.

Beth's first though was to find her 'phone but searching for it wasted precious seconds. She heard Steve behind her too late and turned to meet his fist as it collided with her nose.
Beth heard the crack and felt the blood spurt and then slowly drip into her mouth and down her front.

She was dazed and disorientated and Steve took his advantage. Grabbing Beth's wrists he pinned her onto the bed and raped her, silently with no passion, determined to show this woman that he was the boss. Steve grunted as he emptied himself into her, got off and climbed into the other bed.

Beth lay still until she heard him snore. Standing up, she staggered into the brightly-lit hallway, old framed prints of country scenes at intervals on the pink striped wallpaper.

Beth couldn't see, her eyes swollen from Steve's fist meeting flesh. Her nose, what was left of it, was throbbing and pulsing. She was vaguely aware of wetness dripping down her thighs, but was not aware of what to do about it. She wandered down the hallway aimlessly before finally collapsing, almost unconscious, against another bedroom door.

Drifting in and out of reality, Beth was only partially aware of a man opening the bedroom door, finding her slumped and bloody.
Losing consciousness, Beth was unaware of the flurry of activity around her.


PLEASE let me know what you think.