Chapter 7

Ryan doesn't give Eudora a chance to protest. He scoops her up, his grip firm and unforgiving, and tosses her onto the bed. The springy mattress sends her bouncing, the world spinning around her, leaving her disoriented and dizzy.

Eudora's heart feels like a lead weight in her chest, crushed by the humiliation of his words. She feels like a doll, manipulated and discarded, her own thoughts and feelings silenced. Seven years of running, of trying to escape the shadow of his presence, and she is back in his grasp. Fate, it seems, is a cruel and relentless tormentor.

Eudora closes her eyes, refusing to meet the gaze that holds a mixture of disdain and desire. She lets him touch her, but the physical sensations are lost in the bitter ache that fills her soul. The joy he seeks to bring her is overshadowed by the crushing weight of her own despair.

The afterglow fades, and Ryan leans back against the headboard, lighting a cigarette. He blows out a plume of smoke, his eyes lingering on the naked body beside him, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

Eudora's eyes are still red-rimmed, her body marked with the evidence of his touch. He seems pleased with his handiwork, a chuckle escaping his lips.

“Listen, you're staying by my side, 24/7. Phone's always on, and you answer when I call, got it?” He speaks slowly, his words laced with a chilling command.

He notices her eyelashes fluttering, a sign she has heard him.

“And let me be clear,” he continues, his voice hardening, “You're mine. No one else touches you. If I catch you messing around with someone else, I'll make your life a living hell.”

Eudora remains silent, her face a mask of despair. Ryan finds her silence infuriating. He grabs her face, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Did you hear me? Why aren't you saying anything?”

Eudora meets his gaze, biting her lip for a second before nodding. She's giving in.

Ryan seems pleased. He slaps a wad of cash into her hand, a smug grin spreading across his face.

“Good girl,” he says, “Here's your tip.”

Eudora lowers her head, biting down on her teeth to keep the sobs from escaping.

Ryan can't stand her silence. He's done with her. He tosses the money onto the bed, gets dressed, and walks out without looking back.

Once she's alone, Eudora finally lets herself cry. Her mom used to say a woman's tears are only worth something if they are shed in front of the man who loves her. So, while Ryan is there, she's held it all in. Even though her tears are filled with sadness and pain, she knows he'd just see them as weakness, something pathetic.

The phone's shrill ring shatters the suffocating silence of the frigid room. Eudora's heart lurches, seeing her daughter's name illuminate the screen. Frantically, she brushes away the tears blurring her vision, forcing a calm tone into her voice.

“My darling,” she whispers into the receiver, her voice trembling slightly.

“Mommy, I miss you so much,” her daughter's small voice chokes with emotion. "I'm being a good girl at the hospital. Will you come see me soon?"

Eudora exchanges a few more words before hurrying to change her clothes and leave. She carries a heavy burden; wallowing in sadness wouldn't heal her daughter, nor would it feed the hungry.

Donna, her six-year-old daughter, was born with a heart condition. It was a cruel twist of fate that kept her from living a normal, happy life like other children. Eudora's limited income forced her to delay Donna's treatment, until she could bear it no longer. With a heavy heart and clenched teeth, she took out a loan from Mrs. Katy, using the money to bring her daughter to a prestigious heart institute. Donna has already had one major surgery, and only two more are needed to fix her heart. After that, she will be completely healthy, able to play and learn like any other child. Every time Eudora thinks of her daughter's smile, she feels that all the hardship she endures is worth it.

Eudora grew up in a broken home. Her dad was a drunk who beat her mom all the time. Finally, her mom couldn't take it anymore and took Eudora back to the country to live with her.

To send Eudora to college, her mom worked her fingers to the bone, but Eudora didn't do well in school. She ended up leaving the city and going back home, pregnant.

When Donna was four, mom got really sick. Eudora used all their savings to pay for her treatment, but it wasn't enough. Her mom passed away, leaving Eudora all alone.

Her mom had a tough life, and Eudora's wasn't much better. She hopes Donna can have a happy and fulfilling life. If that happens, she can die in peace.