1

Elaine

I looked at the bruise covering my cheek.

It was the latest addition to an endless list of bruises that marked my skin, and I wondered when my life had turned into a living hell.

A year ago, everything was normal, but one night, when my father's decisions took a new turn, reality changed abruptly, doing a complete 180.

I went from being the heiress who was ready to take over the family business to being the doll of a damn sociopath. It all happened so fast that I didn't see it coming. And a year later, the thought that my entire body would be covered in bruises for the rest of my life made me shudder.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I had been physically and emotionally exhausted for months, and if I didn't do something, I would fall into the abyss of madness.

At that moment, someone knocked loudly on the door, so I quickly turned around.

“Come in,” I said hurriedly and organized the makeup that helped cover the bruises.

Indra, the housekeeper at my parents' house, rushed in, carrying the dress my mother had bought me for dinner that night.

“I've ironed your dress, miss,” said the middle-aged woman kindly.

“Thank you, Indra,” I said carefully without turning to look at her.

“Would you like me to bring you some ice?” She asked carefully, and at that moment I lost my composure.

I turned and looked at her with raised eyebrows but then nodded.

Indra was just trying to help me in the only way she could. That's why I didn't say anything to her. A few minutes later, she brought me some ice and a tissue. So I wiped my face and used the ice to reduce the swelling of the bruise.

Two hours later, I was dressed, my hair was done, and my heels were on. All that was left was to touch up my makeup before going down to the living room to help my mother welcome the guests. That's why I didn't expect Maxon, my fiancé and tormentor, to walk into my childhood bedroom like he owned the place.

Maxon walked quickly toward me, and I looked at him through the mirror.

He frowned when he saw me, and I swallowed hard.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Maxon asked in a loud, irritated voice. “You look like a cheap whore in that red dress that shows off your legs, Elaine. Change your clothes; put on something more decent, something that doesn't make you look like a damn bitch in heat.”

I closed my eyes tightly at the power of his anger, then looked down.

“It's the only dress I have,” I whispered regretfully.

That was all it took for Maxon to come over and grab my chin roughly.

His blue eyes looked demonic, and my heart began to race as he squeezed his fingers into my chin to the point of making me moan in pain.

“Obey, damn it,” Maxon said angrily, veins popping out on his forehead.

He let go of me with disgust and then slapped me so hard that he split my lip.

I closed my eyes and reflexively began to tremble, but someone called him from the hallway, and he hurried out. When I heard him going down the stairs, I couldn't help but cry with rage.

My lip began to bleed profusely.

I looked at myself in the mirror and hated myself.

I hated what Maxon had turned me into, what I had allowed to happen.

At that moment, my father came in and looked at me with a frown.

My mother came in behind him, and when she saw me, she opened her mouth, turned around, and locked the door before coming over, taking some paper, and starting to wipe the blood off me. However, I couldn't take it anymore, so I pushed her away from me.

Anger had taken over my system, and I got up quickly and then confronted my father.

“Are you okay with me being a punching bag?” I asked him with suspicion.

“I'll talk to Maxon and—”

“That doesn't do a damn thing!” I shouted angrily.

“Daughter, you must control yourself; the situation is—”

“Shut up, Mom!” I said, the anger I had held back for a year boiling over, and I clenched my fists. “Can't you see what he's done to me? Can't you see what I've become at Maxon's hands?”

My mother began to cry, but my father hugged her and then put her behind me.

“It's a sacrifice, Elaine; just hang in there a little longer, and then I can renegotiate everything so that Maxon agrees to the divorce, as agreed,” my father said calmly, and I was disgusted.

“I'm your only daughter, and you're not even moved to see me beaten and broken,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “Damn you, Dad... You sold me out!”

“When I win the governorship, I'll help you and—”

“When you win the governorship with Maxon's dirty money, I'll be six feet under after he beats me to death,” I said in horror. “Do you really think I have time? Is the need to sacrifice myself to win a damn election that almost bankrupted us better?”

“Don't talk to your father like that,” my mother said as she wiped away her tears. “We all make sacrifices, Elaine. Life isn't perfect.”

I opened my eyes in surprise and then shook my head, incredulous at her audacity.

“I hope you don't dare cry at my funeral,” I said ironically. “Don't pretend you loved me when it's clear you never did.”

I went to the bathroom and locked myself in for a moment.

They didn't say anything, but when I came out, there was a long, sober black dress on the bed. I laughed angrily, but then I fixed myself up, covered my bruises, and got dressed quickly.

When I went downstairs, I stood silently next to my mother.

She didn't say anything, but she was watching me anxiously, so I decided to ignore her. I just smiled and greeted Maxon's partners who arrived for dinner, as well as the people from the political party that supported my father and the senators who were coming to hear the new proposals.

I behaved like the trophy wife Maxon wanted me to be.

The dinner was quiet, but I just ate in silence, and everything was going well until dessert was served. Indra served me some tiramisu, and I thanked her with a look. I loved tiramisu madly; it was something that fascinated me, so I was about to eat it with gusto until Maxon took my hand.

“You can't eat this, darling, ” Maxon said in a loud voice, but one laden with false affection. “You told me you need to lose a few more pounds so that your wedding dress fits you like a glove, so it's best not to eat dessert.”

I looked at Maxon in disbelief, but he squeezed my hand, so I nodded.

“You're right,” I whispered.

“Love is so beautiful,” said a senator. “It's nice to see couples so concerned about the details of their wedding.”

I swallowed hard, and Maxon let go of my hand.

“It's obvious that Maxon wants to have the most beautiful bride at the ceremony,” said one of my father's political allies, old Bob. “And he will. Elaine is a beauty and a girl like no other. The education Paul and Lena have given her is impeccable. I've seen it with my own eyes.”

Maxon lifted my hand and kissed it.

“You're absolutely right; that's why I want our wedding to be perfect,” Maxon said proudly, and I had to fight the urge to vomit.

Everyone commented on our wedding.

Some wanted to know where we would go on our honeymoon, while others wanted to know if we would start having children once we were married, and they asked a lot of questions that Maxon answered without hesitation. I just nodded and excused myself to go to the bathroom, but when I returned, they had completely changed the subject.

“The supernatural beings want a new meeting to redefine the treaty we have,” said a senator in a somber voice. “The beasts want a broader agreement with humans, and the House of Representatives is debating the issue. The president seems willing to give in. Apparently, he has already met with Arsel Dubois, the Alpha who leads them all.”

“That's crazy! Those disgusting supernatural beings already have their claws in our lands, especially those damn werewolves,” Maxon said angrily. “We must prevent that, especially if that Dubois guy is involved. That creep has become a bigger nuisance than we ever imagined.”

“That's why we have to change everything with the new elections. We must change governors, mayors, senators, and the president,” my father said firmly. “We must make a risky move, or we will continue to be the damn playground of the supernatural. It is time to strengthen ourselves as humanity and regain our power.”

Hearing that speech had become a recurring theme in my family for five years, maybe a little longer. But it all started when my father lost a bidding war against a large werewolf corporation led by the Belmont family.

From then on, my father had declared his hatred for supernatural beings.

I didn't think like him or like most of the others at the table. The truth was, I thought that perhaps supernatural beings were much freer than humans would ever be.

I said nothing, and they continued talking until they moved on to a private conversation in my father's office. That gave me the freedom to go back to my room and breathe a little, to focus on my next step.

The wedding they talked so much about would not happen.

I would rather die by my own hand than continue to give Maxon power.

I was ready when the meeting ended late, and I waited quietly in the living room for Maxon.

When he approached, I took his hand, and we hurriedly left my parents' house and got into his luxury car, and I remained silent. He seemed genuinely calm, which only meant that he had a good plan, but I didn't dare ask.

We arrived home in a hurry and got out quickly, so I took advantage of the fact that he went straight to the bathroom to hide the last thing I needed.

I didn't expect Maxon to come out minutes later with the plane ticket I had hidden in the dirty laundry.

He looked at me with anger, and I froze in fear.

“Are you trying to run away from me?” he asked in a sinister voice.

I just swallowed hard.