All he saw was the tiny scratch on Eleanor's leg.
"Lock her in the cellar downstairs. Nobody lets her out without my say-so."
The chaos ended with that single sentence.
He scooped Eleanor into his arms and walked away.
And I was escorted into that lightless pit beneath the building.
The cellar was meant for subordinates who stepped out of line, or rivals who needed to disappear for a while.
Now it was mine.
"I'm sorry, Betty. Just hang tight for a bit."
"Once Kenneth cools down, he'll let you out. I'm sure of it."
I sat in the pitch-black cellar. The smell of mold filled my nose, thick and damp.
It reminded me of the basement apartment we used to rent, always wet, always dark.
Back then, all we needed was each other, and every day felt like the best day of our lives.
The days got better. The people didn't.
"You're not bad in bed either, you know!"
"Kenneth showed me all your videos and photos."
"What do you think would happen if these got out? Think you'd still get to play Mrs. Matthews?"
In the blackness, the only light came from the phone in Eleanor's hand.
The moment I made out what was on the screen, I went still.
"Kenneth gave those to you?"
Eleanor waved the phone lazily. "Sure did."
"I told him I wanted to see, and he just handed them over. He even told me I should never let a man film me like that. Said it wasn't safe..."
Rage tore through me like a live wire. I shot to my feet and shoved Eleanor to the ground.
"Kenneth, help me!"
I pinned her beneath me, slap after slap raining down without pause.
Kenneth arrived and kicked me off her.
"Betty, have you lost your mind?!"
"She's pregnant, do you even know that?!"
Eleanor buried her face in Kenneth's chest, sobbing, whimpering that she was scared, that it hurt.
My bloodshot eyes locked onto Kenneth.
He noticed the phone on the floor. Something flickered behind his gaze.
"This is what you hit her over?"
"Pictures are already taken. What, afraid someone might see?"
His voice carried seven parts cold mockery and three parts careless anger.
"Betty, I really have spoiled you."
"Time you learned a lesson."
Kenneth snapped his fingers, and men flooded into the room.
Two of them seized my arms and pinned me against the wall. Kenneth took Eleanor's hand.
"Hit her back."
"Until you feel better."
Eleanor's eyes lit up. She swung hard, her palm cracking across my face.