Chapter 1

ARLETTE’S POV

The dinner plates clatter as tense air fills the room, silence radiating from every corner of the well-lit room. The shivering hand of the maid drops the porcelain bowl of beef stew on the table, creating a mess.

“You stupid... silly ugly thwart. Are you blind or fucking ignorant?” father yells out, his hands balling into angry fists.

Neil freaking Winthrop, Mayor of shelter Valley, a small town with a mighty influence.

Stuttering, Mary curtsies, her eyes focused on her toes as she apologizes. “I am... so... so... sorry Mr. Winthrop, I’ll clean up the mess,” she manages to complete her sentence.

Mary’s apology is being greeted by dad’s angry eyes as he bangs the table causing my heart to leap in fear.

“Get lost now,” he says and the maid scurries away, her legs barely able to carry her.

Daddy is an authoritarian, everyone around fears him and I hate that so much.

“Arlette, you get up and clean the damn table,” he says and I gulp lightly.

“Let her eat her food, Neil, the maid will do so after we finish eating,” Mom utters but I see the twinkle of discomfort behind those bright eyes.

The next thing that resonates the room is a slap from dad to mom and Tony, my baby brother screeches in tears as I push back my chair reaching for mom.

“Are you alright?” I ask, my voice breaking as her face contorts in pain.

“You do not dare interrupt when I am speaking to my children. I am their father, and I can take them away from you at any time,” he screams out at her, and I reach out for a napkin to clean my mother’s tears.

Dad’s fatty hand reaches out to grab my arm, and he wields me towards him as the smell of tobacco mixed with his expensive rum explodes in my nostrils making me want to gag. I fear him, of what he will do to me. I cannot fathom living a life without having to protect mom and Tony from this beast that we share his DNA with.

“Ouch! Daddy, you are hurting me,” I cry out hoping that he will let go of my arm. He doesn’t, rather what he utters next makes me gasp.

“I’m just getting started, young lady. Who is the young man that was seen hovering around you today when you went to the store, huh? Or you thought I wouldn’t find out? You cheap slut, all you do is live under my room, eat my damn food and whore yourself cheap.” he shouts to my face and my lips part as I try to defend myself.

It happened so fast that I couldn’t fathom anything. First, a slap thundered on my face and it threw me to the floor. I heard mom’s voice crying, begging dad to stop, but we both know he wouldn’t until his male ego has been satisfied.

How better will that itch be scratched if not by hitting his wife and kids? I wonder as I watch him unfasten his belt from around his waist.

With each stroke that landed on my body, I wished that I could drive a knife through this neck, or anything. I cried as I tried explaining to dad that the boy was no one to me but a random stranger asking for directions.

Too late, I guess. Because everyone in this town works for dad and they wouldn’t dare to go against him.

The pain was becoming unbearable and then a loud crash came down causing a groan to escape dad’s lips. I open my eyes to see dad’s eyes widen out of his sockets as he stares blankly before collapsing on the floor, blood gushing out of his head.

Mom was quivering a few steps from him, her hands shaking as if she couldn’t believe that she had just crashed a vase on her husband’s head to save her little girl.

“Oh, my baby, I am so freaking sorry, sweetheart,” she cries out as she hugs me tightly.

**********

“Lettie! Lettie! Lettie! Wake up, come on girl, get out of your head now!” I hear a familiar voice call out to me as I come into consciousness.

Blinking severally, I feel breeze on my cold cheeks and that makes me realize I was having a nightmare.

Again.

“Charlie,” I cry out looking up at my best friend and roommate, tears swelling in her own eyes.

“It’s okay, baby, the monster are in your head, they will never get you here, remember? You are free from your past,” she says.

I might be free, but at what cost? And dad still has a substantial influence in my head, and I fear what he must have done to mom and Tony now that his favorite punching bag has escaped his clutches.

“Let’s go clubbing, please, I need to dance away my heartache,” I say and Charlie laughs out lightly.

“I know exactly where we should head to. There’s an Italian club in town, I hear they’ve got hot stuff who could pop that cherry of yours,” she teases.

“Shut your mouth Charlie, or I’ll kiss it and pop your own cherry instead,” I mock ad she laughs out her voice heavier than before.

***

MOTARRIO CLUB

11:34 P.M

Music popped through the speakers, and I feel the vibrations on my skin. We’d gone for shots when we had entered the club and then cocktails each. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to get laid, but right now with a group of frat boys talking to me through the loudspeakers, I doubt if I truly want that.

“What about we go back to our dorm, huh?” a blonde hair that looked like the group leader smiles at me and I nod feeling tipsy already.

“Nah, I am fine, I’ll just look for Charlie and head on home now,” I tell him as I wave politely at his friends, finding an excuse to leave.

When his tight grasp tightens around my wrist, I squeeze in pain and pull away, but it was too late, I felt the guys drag me out of the club as the cold evening breeze flash through my lungs.

“You owe us this, bitch. You got free drinks, now, we get a pass for your sexy body,” the frat boy says.

My thoughts aren’t clear as panic grips me as memories of my dad’s violence flash through my eyes. I hear the sound of car wheels halting and I am pushed into the car. I should fight back but I am too drunk for this. My thoughts aren’t even clear, but I fear for Charlie and how she will be frantic when she can't find me.

“God please save me,” I whisper a small prayer, knowing if there was a God, he’ll be too busy to come save a stupid girl like me from being kidnapped by frat boys.