Chapter 1: Basement

“No, no! Please, s-stop!” I stumbled upon being slapped by Steffano's huge and wide filthy hands. 

My sight's still trying to figure out where to hold to gather myself up even my mind's now nowhere to be found. All I could gaze are those blurry particles due to the huge impact from an object which made me feel so dizzy. I tried to fight, but I always ends up being beaten by him until my body gets numb and helpless. My head was being slammed by the tip of his table, making me crumpled in pain, blood was dripping everywhere.

A loud bawl escaped from my mouth when he aggressively gripped my hair, and pulled it up, forcing me to stand up even though my feet is dead numb. 

“You bitch! You need to learn your lesson.” Another slap reaches my torpid face. The smell of alcohol from his mouth invaded my nostrils. He is drunk.

He leaned closer to my ear and his evil voice echoed onto it. He choked my jaw, making me heave a breath. “Who told you to talk to that son of a bitch?” he asked in a whisper. His sarcastic smirk appeared from nowhere.

“H-He’s just asking for h-help—” I crawled when he grabbed my hair and pushed me to his table, didn't even let me continue.

“Bullshit!” He took a tight grip on my hair and placed my hands on my back for me not to move.

“Do you think I will let you go that easy, huh? I don't love you, but you’re fucking mine. Your parents sold you to me, and you have no right to run away from me. Got it?” His devilish grin appeared.

I cried when my face landed on the edge of his office’s table. The room is filled with my cries, couldn’t even help myself. 

Learning martial arts is fucking useless! 

This is not me. This is fucking not me! I can fight!

“Euphoria, this is not the life you desire!” stated my mind.

“Got it?!” He yelled and pressed my head on the flat surface, after neglecting his question.

Broken pieces of stuff were scattered everywhere, and so was my ripped dress whose now filled with bloodstains.  

I tremblingly nodded as I force myself not to spit on the floor. I need to be strong. He is still Steffano—the man I loved before.

...Before. I cried upon thinking about the reason why he chan’ed. Why he is now treating me like a trash.

I can no longer move due to the pain he inflicted, yet he still aggressively carried me and slammed me into our basement. The cold bedraggled floor touches my bruised skin, which sent a shiver down my spine. 

“P-Please, I'm begging—Ahhhhhh!” He slapped me again, which made me fall off the floor. The excruciating pain I am feeling right now is beyond comparable. 

“No one will help you here. You made my life miserable, so I will drag you to hell. Hear me? It's a wrong move you accepted that fucking agreement,” he uttered with a sarcastic smirk and spitted opposite to my direction.

I could barely gaze his face due to the dimmed light. There is no way I could escape here. He left without turning his eyes on me and even locked the door for me not to escape. Escaping is not on my plans. 

I sobbed upon holding my swollen face, now forcing myself to stand up and look for a space for me to sleep. This scene is already normal to me. For the past 1 year, I have been immune to this kind of situation.

My hand is now trembling while trying to reach the dirty rag beside the rusty rack.

After minutes of calming myself from exhaustion due to what happened, a small voice appeared from nowhere. 

I instantly walked in front of the small window, trying to reach it amidst the difficulty to move my body.

“Momma, you okay?” Leira’s sweet and innocent voice echoed. I smiled bitterly and nodded even though she can't see it due to the boundary between us. 

“Yes, sweetie. Momma is doing fine," I uttered with a reassuring voice even it cracked. I saw her little hands appearing from the window, making me sigh, and reached it. 

“I saw dada beating you lately. I'm sorry for what dada did to you, momma. I will scold him for you—”

“No, sweetie, I'm okay. You should sleep now. It's already late. Your dada is surely looking for you...” I said and held my jaw when I felt it throbbing. 

“Okay, momma. I will tell dada to unlock you there, okay, momma?” Another set of tears was now forming in my eyes. 

Who would have thought that a five year old kid would be this concern to me? Even I am not her mother.

“Yes, sweetie. Don't worry about me, okay?” I answered and loosen my grip on her little hand. 

“Okay, momma. I will go sleep now. Good night, I love you," she uttered using her sweet and endearing little voice. 

“I-I love you, sweetie. Please remember that...” If only I could see her right now, I am certain she's now giving me a beam.

After saying those words, I heard her footsteps away from me, making me sigh, and started overthinking nonstop. I covered myself with the rag I saw lately and started closing my eyes for me to temporarily forget everything that is happening to me.

—

I woke up due to the rays of the sun coming from the small window, and heave a breath upon noticing that I lost my voice. My throat hurts so bad, my stomach's now mumbling, so as my trembling lips.

I tried not to cry, since this is what I want, and decided to stand up. I need to be strong for myself. It’s been 3 days since that day happened, and I could finally go out from this four-cornered hellish room.

A sigh escaped from my lips when I noticed that the door is now open. I instantly moved my body to go out and did my morning rituals as if nothing happened. I am so tired of crying. My phone from my side table vibrated, making me fish it, and answered the call while busy mending my wounds.

“Hello?” I tried hard to stop my voice from cracking, but I failed.

“Phoria? Oh goodness! I’ve you since decade! Is this you? Are you okay? What happen to your voice—”

“Yeah, it's me. What do you want?”

“I called after Leira said, you've been beaten by Steffano again—”

“Uh, Leira and I are just playing around. Don’t worry about me, Gerine. By the way, how’s your trip?” I asked out of nowhere, trying to divert the topic. 

Of all people, she knew me too well. 

I heard her sigh. “I don't know what happens to you, but the Euphoria I know is a strong and independent woman. And to answer your question, I am doing great and will be going home soon. I will surely kick your husband's ass if I find out that he's hurt—”

“Don’t speak nonsense, Gerine. You know, you can’t do that.” I chuckled fakely to change the atmosphere between us. 

 I heard her shrug, making me roll my eyes. She bid her goodbye and ended the call when someone from her line called her.

I then fixed my hair and started heading to the kitchen to cook him breakfast. It’s still six in the morning, and I guess he’s still dreaming on his bed. I turned the speaker on beside the kitchen and started motioning my body to slice the ingredients while following the rhythm of the music. 

Steffano is not fond of having housekeepers in his house. It is too obvious that he wants me to suffer, and be one of his slaves. I sighed upon slicing the onions, trying to stop my tears from falling.

Why would I cry just because of this shitty vegetable? 

“Momma? Milk?” A sudden voice appeared from nowhere when I am about to flip the bacon. I smiled upon watching Leira scratching her eyes, still wearing her sleepy face. She’s too adorable to watch. 

“Sure, sweetie... Just sit here first, mmkay?” She nodded, smiled at me, and sat on the small counter made only for her. 

“Is it painful, momma?” I was about to fish the milk in the refrigerator when she asked that. I was rooted in place and diverted my gaze to her who was surprisingly staring at my shoulder whose now filled with bandages. 

I smiled and poured the milk into her favorite glass after giving it to her with a reassuring look. 

“Please remember that your dada is a good man, okay? Maybe, he’s just tired from work.” I patted her head and sat next to her. 

She pouted and drank her milk before giving me an eye, observing my every action. 

“Still, you’re hurting, momma. I don’t want you to get hurt... I’m also hurting—” 

“Sweetie, momma is fine. I’m strong, like you, right?” I held her chin, making her giggle, and hugged me. 

Because of this little kid beside me, I felt like I am still lucky despite my hellish situation. 

“I love you, momma...”

“I love you more, remember that. By the way, go take a bath now, you still have a painting lesson, right?” I asked. 

“Can I skip? So tired, momma.” She pouted again and gave me a puppy stare. I giggled and pinched her cheeks. 

“Silly. You can—”

“Where’s my food?” Steffano’s voice echoed from nowhere, resulting for me to almost heave a breath. I gulped upon watching him wearing nothing on his upper part. His six-pack abs are proudly staring and saluting at me. I felt like I will be drooling—

“I said, where’s my fvcking food?!” I got startled when he yelled, for I was rooted in place for seconds before digesting his question.

“I-I’m still cooking—oh my goodness!” I shouted when I found out I forgot to turn off the flames on the stove!