TH'S
staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. My life had always been full of pain, and I had long
r
world. We had been together for five years, hiding our
d for my father, Mr. Martinez. A woman who was thrown out of the house when Nina found out s
known a mo
served. Nina treated me like a daughter whenever my father was around, smiling sweetly and pre
ifferent. They treated me just as their mother did, l
a crush
ad done everything I could to avoid her wrath. I was
night Erod came to me with
the family business," Erod said
s great, Erod! I
n changed. "There's so
fear rise in my c
rried before handing o
art s
ha
, Judith." He took my hands in his, smiling. "S
away. "No! You can
Why not? I love you.
pered. "Nina will never allow
voice was firm. "I love you,
d. "This will
first time that night. And for the first t
y, Erod's p
spoke to my father. I saw the way Nina's face
as fu
see the fire in her eyes. I kne
t with their mother, whis
ing strange happened. They
e me a n
The finest thing
rest of the family, though my father wasn't around. I was shocked. My
nd smiling. It felt... nice
he pain
arable pain i
abdomen. "Something i
y sisters
n horror. "What...
lau
. My body trembled.
th
kne
-
ned m
ting in a
led my nose. The sound of a tea
this
my high
were small. My uniform was clean a
young
eart raced. Wh
en it
gestive system in Biology class. The day I had st
re Erod and
ation st
ven me a se
not use it
use it to
se it for
ing that was g
ers would torment me. I knew how Erod would love m
his t
not let
d not be their we
e their n
d a question, I answered with confidence. My classmates looked at me i
anym
ergy. I held my head high. When I saw Nina waiting f
"What took
"I had an import
"Lessons won'
I said, stepping past h
me in my life, I
given ano
his t
destroy