Chapter II

"Come on, Fleur! Is Memphis Altamirano the one you say is your boyfriend?" Andrei asked curiously.

"Y-yes, D-did you know h-him?" She asked and Andrei just nodded in response, "T-take me with him, p-please!" she begged.

Andrei glanced at her before he speaks, "Okay, I'll help you but in one condition," He said.

She nodded.

After his duty in the village, Andrei took Fleur home to clean up, He told her that she should be presentable to face his best friend so that he wouldn't get angry with her.

"Oh, Andrei? Who is that?" Mrs. Cruz opening question when they entered the house. 

"Aahhh! Fleur, Memphis' ex-girlfriend," Andrei whispered back to her, He even put his mouth close to his mom's ear.

"Is that so? And why does it look like that?" She asked again, He just shrugged.

"We just caught her stealing from a bakery and then she told us about the boyfriend she was looking for. It's Memphis so I said I'll help her talk to Memphis," Andrei whispered to Mom.

"Oh go ahead then do you want me to clean her first?" Mrs. Cruz asked and Andrei just nodded in agreement, "I know that you always bring a beggar here to the house to bathe and feed them," she whispered further and approached Fleur.

"Hello," Fleur greeted Mrs. Cruz with a forced smile.

"Daughter, come here, let's clean your body," Mrs. Cruz invited her, Fleur immediately followed her to the bathroom.

"Why you're so dirty, young woman, huh?!" The mother asks. 'This child's dirty but even if her skin is full of mud and sores you will know she's beautiful' she says in her mind, "You have so many wounds!" She added.

Mrs. Cruz rubbed Fleur's skin with a hand-shaped scrub to get rid of the mud on it, She also let the water continue to flow from the shower to rinse Fleur's body immediately.

She let Fleur continue taking a shower and when she was done, Mrs. Cruz took Fleur to her room to get dressed, "Here's what you wear first daughter," She handed her the clothes and underwear, "I'm sorry that is all I have, I only have one child and it's my son, Andrei!" She added.

Mrs. Cruz left her in the room to let Fleur get dressed alone, When she went down she saw her son waiting downstairs. "Mom, is she okay? Did she take a bath?" He asked.

"Yes and getting dressed," The mother replied as she walked towards the kitchen.

"What are you going to do?" Andrei asked when she picked up the medicine kit.

"You know, Andrei! Just cook what we can eat and when she comes down she needs to eat too, I'll just clean her wounds," She said and left him in the kitchen.

Mrs. Cruz knocked on the door first before she opened it, she saw Fleur turn around and face the mirror, "Daughter? Come and let's clean your wounds," The mother calls her attention.

"Thank you Auntie," Fleur said and turn around, 'I'm not mistaken and this child is very beautiful even though there is an elongated wound on her face and small wounds around it you can see its beautiful appearance' she said in her mind.

"Nothing, daughter,"  She replied to her, "What happened to you and why you are full of wounds?" She asks while cleaning the wound on Fleur's face.

"Ahhm," Fleur thought, "When I was still on the road, walking I often got into fights———"

*** flashback ***

"Miss! Wake up!" Fleur woke up to a strong kick from a man at her side, "Go away!" it was trying to kick her again when she stood up that cause the man to lean on the floor.

Fleur just took the things and her cardboard bed and was about to leave when suddenly the man blocked her, They were four big men, two in front of her, one on the left and the other behind her, the wall was on the right if she can sum it up they're all surrounding her.

"You can't leave, HAHAHA!" The man's laughter on her left caused goosebumps.

"Yes, Miss! We'll make you happy first," One of the men in front of her said and lent his hands but she avoided it. 

"HAHAHA! I think I'll she's gonna fight?!" The man behind her said and held both of his hands on Fleur's shoulders from behind.

"P-please, I-i'll leaved," even though she was shaking, Fleur was able to say that.

"HAHAHAHA!!" they laughed at the same time, "Miss beautiful, you don't have to be afraid of us because we won't hurt you," Another man in front of her spoke.

He stepped closer to Fleur but she steps back away but she felt the arms of the man behind her so Fleur was pushed to the right, all the men are in front of Fleur now, while she was leaning against a wide wall.

"NO!! WAIT!! DON'T COME NEAR!" Fleur shouted but it was as if no one could hear her, "HAVE PITY ON ME! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?!" She begged.

"You know, Miss ?! We'll make it fast!! Don't be scared!" One of them said.

"NO! PLEASE, NO!!" Fleur pleased them to not touch her but as if they didn't hear her.

Fleur got no choice but to fight back whether she knows that she is just weak and they're all strong, "P-PLEASE!!" Fleur begged one more time but they just laughing coming through me.

When they're already inches apart she pulls up the knife in her bag, "I SAID DON'T COME NEAR!!" She shouted and sway the knife to them.

They were stunned when she waved the knife which signaled her to run away from them, Fleur just kept running until she could see the tall buildings around.

But even though she couldn't rest, She saw them in distance and they were looking for her, in fear Fleur ran again and didn't expect to slip...

***end***

"I slipped so the knife scratch on my face," the fear was obvious to her at that time.

"Let it go, daughter and you are safe now," Mrs. Cruz reassured her.

"Thank you Auntie," She still forced to smile at her

Mrs. Cruz continues cleaning her wounds and puts some ointments to lessen scars on them, Suddenly Andrei knocks on the door.