He grazed his lips over my cheek to my left ear, circling my waist. His hot breath hit my skin as he whispered. "I am going to drag you to my bed. Rip off your dress, and fuck you. Hard". I took in a sharp breath as I felt his palm move to my buttock. My breath hitched. He kissed my ear. "Right here. Right now. I am going violate you, making you scream and beg for me all night, right in front of you five years old son". • • • Lola, born into a home full of misery and pain, being neglected from her own family at a toodler age. Even after a risky escape from her abusive home, she lands straight into the fire, receiving the worst side of life, which pushes her more and more to the edge. Life finally takes a good turn, giving her the happiness she dreamt of. Until the enemies borne of her past come back to take revenge on her new found joy. She is left alone to fight her battles and war, finding faith and hope in the process. Will Lola be able to escape her past? Will she be able to save the ones she loves? Or even herself?
I stared into the darkness of the sky without a single star, digging my small fingers into my scarred arm. I sighed. My stomach rumbled, begging for at least a drop of water.
I looked down, gently patting it. Raindrops continued to slap harder against the glass, followed by a strike of lightning, lightening the pitch-black abandoned room.
My eyes caught a glimpse of the analogue clock hanging on the wall.
12:56 AM.
I craned my head back, with the door slowly creaking back and forth. I slowly returned my stare to the partly broken window in front of me, getting used to the daily haunting sounds that echoed in the old room I stayed alone in.
For a seven-year-old, darkness wasn't even the least of my fears. I clutched on tightly to the dusty worn-out doll in my arms, trying to count the raindrops on the glass. Footsteps began to echo in the hallway.
My eyes widened, as more than a chill ran down my spine.
"She's back...." I whispered to my doll.
Carefully but hastily I jumped away from the window, rushing for my empty metal bed. Without a mattress on it, I roughly straightened the paper-like sheet on the iron bars and springs. I hurryingly threw the doll behind the bed.
As quietly as I could, I rose myself to the bed and laid, shutting my eyes immediately. I felt the sharp pointy ends of the bed strings, piercing into my flesh, adding to the numerous injuries on my back.
The door slowly creaked open. My body froze, unable to breathe. Slowly the sound of shoes tapping on the floor approached me.
My heart couldn't even skip a beat, being too petrified.
"Lola?" Her hand gently landed on my arm.
I exhaled silently, gently lifting myself, "Sister?"
I turned to her scratching my eyes, pretending to be sleepy. With the candle lamp in her hand, I could see her all-black long gown and the veil around her head to her neck.
She gave me a warm smile, appearing innocent and gentle. I gulped my saliva, feeling the aura of pure evil and wickedness from the grown woman in front of me.
"Welcome, Sister Regina", I added, dropping my head.
"Have you eaten today, Lola?" She rose my head with her index finger.
I hesitated, afraid to respond. I timidly played with my fingers.
"No sister".
"Do you want to eat?"
Again, I felt a huge lump in my throat. I fell my eyes to the glowing Rosary around her neck, hoping for a miracle to save me. I looked down at the floor. My stomach pounded against my abdomen begging.
"... No sister".
Her smile widened, showing her upper teeth, as she straightened her back. "Good girl". She took a step back, stretching her hand out to me.
"Come". She ordered.
I stared at her palm, hesitant and scared. I stretched my hand forward.
"Yes, Sister".
We walked down the hallway, to the staircase, with my head fixed down. My room was on the top floor, the third floor, which was under construction but later abandoned, leaving me as the only soul up there. We made our way to the kitchen floor, the first floor.
"Where are we going to sister?" I said unable to suppress my curiosity.
"Patience Lola..."
We walked to the kitchen and then towards the storeroom door. She slowly pulled out a bunch of keys, unlocking the door.
"... Patience is a virtue Lola", she pushed open the door, releasing my hand. She walked down the three steps into the store, slightly lifting her gown.
I stood by the door, staring at her. She walked towards the shelf full of grains, pulling down a half-filled bag.
She turned to me, "Lola? Come!"
I didn't move, staring at her with a plain expression. She dropped the bag on the floor, untiring it.
"Lola?" She called out again, this time, standing up straight, right next to the open bag.
"I said come!"
For my safety and well-being, I immediately walked toward her, seeing the content of the bag.
"Rice?" I rose my head confused.
She gently placed the lamp on a shelf and walked close to me.
"Lola dear..." she placed her hand on my cheek. The top of her fingers slowly caressed my skin.
"Yes, sister Regina?"
"Mother Stella gave me some work to do this night, but unfortunately I also have to pick out the rice for tomorrow's breakfast. So, since I won't be able to do two things at once, I thought you could help me", Her voice deepened, "Pick out this half bag of rice".
"What?..." I mumbled unconsciously as my stomach grumbled in hunger.
She looked down at my belly then at me. Ignoring my pain with a smile, she continued, "I want you, Lola, to help me pick out each grain of rice from this bag, into this bag, without any single dirt in it".
She extended her hand to go to the side, pulling out an empty bag.
"So tomorrow, we can have rice for breakfast. For you, me and your dear siblings of course". She smiled.
She stood up straight, "Is that okay?"
I ran my eyes in different directions of the floor. "But... But why ... What. What about my siblings??" I stammered.
She took in a deep breath and bent down to my eye level. She gently grabbed my jaw, slowly applying pressure to my cheeks.
"Are any of your siblings named Lola?" I shook my head looking down.
"Answer Me!!" She squeezed my cheeks harder.
"No Sister Regina..." I mumbled, shutting my eyes.
She released my jaws, standing up and smiling, "Good". She walked to the small wooden window of the room, pushing it open. The cold wind blew in, alongside the flashes of lightning.
She walked back to me, picking up the lamp from the shelf.
"Now Lola... I expect you to be done within an hour. Okay?"
I nodded.
She looked out the window, "The lightning should be more than enough light for you to see. After all, you're still young... Your eyes should be sharp enough".
She smiled, walking towards the door.
She placed her hand on the doorknob.
"Oh! I almost forgot".
She turned around, taking a few steps back to me. She kicked the half-filled bag of rice down smiling. I looked up at her surprised.
"When you're done with this, then maybe you can have dinner". She turned to the door. "Lazy girl", she walked out, shutting the door.
I stood there with an ocean of tears filling my eyes, which unfortunately could fall out.
I slowly went to my knees, grabbing the empty bag by the side. I slowly began picking each grain of rice from the floor. In a few minutes, placing more than two handfuls of grains into the bag, I stood up and began to pull up the fallen bag. I grunted with all failed attempts.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.