You really think that highly of yourself

Cynthia sighed as she reminisced about the old times, touching her face and passing her hands slowly through her hair that was falling off her head in bits. Justin had cut a few strands the previous night, an action he always did after forcefully taking her. "Please Justin, don't do this" she had begged continuously but her pleas fell on deaf ears,

Justin enjoyed what he was doing, he always took breaks to chuckle and admire his work, he flogged her with his belt the moment he stepped in to the house, following that would be tying her into a bundle and kick her at all positions. Then he would take a break, his eyes shining with a bright smile. The routine had been the same since Cynthia turned eighteen seven months ago. He had once held her with love and care in his eyes, his words were soothing and made her forget her past worries. He never touched her inappropriately despite having the entire house to themselves, he claimed he didn't want to take advantage of her.

He surely played his cards well, Cynthia thought as she wiped herself, she couldn't turn on the shower because it would sting on her battered skin.

After the clean up, she walked to her closet and picked up the clothes to wear, she wore her black jeans and a white long sleeved turtleneck sweater to hide her unpleasant skin and put on pumps. She then picked up her school bag and walked out of the bedroom,

it was the last day of examinations at school and she was already running late. She planned on acing her papers because she believed it was her only option in escaping Justin's grip. He had warned her not to even try running away , Cynthia scoffed, but tears still welled up in her eyes because each time she remembered Justin, she would see his sweet smile, his tender gaze holding all the promises.

"Buzz" the bus stopped and Cynthia got in, she wondered how everything would go on after today. She closed her eyes and leaned against the seat then sighed. A few minutes later, she unknowingly slept off and had a dream, in that dream she was not weak, she left Justin and ran far far away, on the sides however, her best friend Jenna looked at her with disdain and said "you really think that highly of yourself". Cynthia who was also watching herself in her dream agreed with Jenna, it was just a dream. 

Rriing ... The incessant noise emitted by the alarm clock jolted Cynthia from her dreams. Her eyes darted over to the clock before sweeping it off the bedside table using her pillow. The next thing that came into her mind after getting rid of the noisy clock was a sweet beauty sleep, "mmmm" she murmered with a smile on her lips as she slowly lay her head for another nap but her eyes disobediently snapped open, "holy crap", she cursed loudly as she lept off her bed casting the heavy blanket aside and dashing into the bathroom.

After taking close to an hour in the bathroom, Cynthia walked out looking less drowsy, she had completed her skin care routine and walked to her mini closet to grab what to wear. As she fumbled with no success in picking out a suitable cloth, the dreaded phone call pierced through the air in her small apartment.

"Come on come on please let it not be you", she muttered under her breath as she walked to her bed and fished her phone from beneath her pillow, without checking the caller ID, she answered the phone

"hello,"her voice sounded cautious.

"Pffft" the person on the other end couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter.

Cynthia feeling confused, removed the phone from her ears and checked the ID, "damn it".

"Got you", came Bernice's cheerful voice through the speaker.

"What do you want?" Cynthia asked impatiently.

"Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you on catching the eye of Valerie Summer".

"Is it necessary Bernice?" Cynthia asked clearly getting agitated. 

"Am sorry okay, but see, you reaped big out of covering for me, I guess I wouldn't have pleased her as you did if it were me."

"So you did it intentionally?"

"Yeah, Cynthia I won't apologize again, well verbally but I have a tangible apology for you...." She paused, "you helped me big time."

"What.."

bleep bleep bleep. The sound of the call being cut shocked Cynthia, she lowered the phone from her ears and looked at it then huffed. "She really doesn't know what's good for her." Cynthia said as anger boiled up in her chest.

She had been living a relatively peaceful life, in her junior year of college, she considered herself quite established. She had a job at a coffee shop that paid quite well, rented a small but decent apartment and had interned at a prestigious tech company and was told to reach out immediately after graduation. Life was pretty fine except that she had no friends and didn't bother to make any. Well, she often shooed them off intentionally, she didn't believe she was cut out for social life. Her grades were legit and all she needed left to complete her self made utopia was the graduation certificate.

However, her little beautiful bubble was burst open when during the founders' party at  college, she was informed that she had been recommended as the last minute replacement for Bernice Sage as the final student to get to stage, she was to model on stage showcasing Valerie Summer's latest piece. Valerie was a fashion icon in Denva city, respected in the fashion industry but was also an alumni of Denva University. Previously, Bernice, the school queen was supposed to do it but she mysteriously disappeared and Cynthia, who had never appeared in any Denver University activity was  forced to replace her with no room for interjection. Cynthia sighed, it was already Saturday and she had to meet Valerie.