5

As if the space between us, or even the furniture in the room, could protect me from them, I positioned myself on the other side of the room, the panic growing inside me, the certainty that if my mother really wanted to inseminate that sperm into me, there was nothing I could do to stop her.

“I wouldn’t be asking if there were another way. Look at our situation. A child from that man could change our lives forever. It could pay for a good college for you. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

“Mom, wake up! I’m not going to get pregnant by a man I don’t even know. I’m not going to be part of this.”

“You won’t have to do anything,” my mother’s voice whispered, as if she were sharing a dark secret. She moved even closer, her eyes locked on mine, as if I were prey about to be consumed. “When your belly starts to grow, the school year will be over. You’ll lock yourself in the house and won’t leave until the baby is born.”

The coldness in her words was overwhelming, each syllable sounding like an irrefutable decree. My stomach twisted, a feeling of nausea mixed with dread. The image of it... my altered body, time passing with no way out... it all formed in my mind like a vivid nightmare.

She took another step toward me, her expression growing even more distant. “You won’t even have the trouble of raising it. I’ll do that for you.”

Those words sounded like a sentence. There was no room for choice.

“You promised my father that you’d never involve me in your schemes, in exchange for the alimony.” I brought up the alimony because the fear of losing that money, which wasn’t much but was guaranteed, always made her back off from involving me in her plots.

“I know. But it’s almost time for you to turn eighteen, and the alimony will end. It’s better to risk having something better.”

“I’m not doing this!”

“This ungrateful bitch doesn’t have to agree, she just has to obey!” Sandra shouted. “She’s been living off us for a long time, it’s about time she paid for the expenses.”

“That’s not true!” I yelled, my voice coming out louder than I expected, full of anger and hopelessness. “I support myself with the money from my job! And there’s the alimony, which I’ve NEVER seen a penny of!” I was overtaken by irritation, my body trembling with indignation. “I go with mom to every one of her jobs! We were at that billionaire’s house just last week!”

“Are you going to throw that in my face now?” My mother made a hurt expression, completely theatrical.

Sandra took a step closer to me, her light brown eyes full of aggression, fixed on my face. “Just lie down and spread your legs, you fucking idiot. It’s way past time for you to do something for this family. It’s not just us who have to sacrifice.”

As if I had the power to see the future, I foresaw what was going to happen and trembled from head to toe, overcome by the certainty that they were going to force me to do that, without giving me any chance to defend myself, to fight against the three of them.

Still, acting purely by reflex, clinging to some instinct of self-preservation, I ran toward the exit door, certain I’d have some chance to escape, get to the street, and ask for help.

However, Daniel was much faster and stronger. Before I even had time to turn the doorknob, he had already reached me. He grabbed me around the middle with both arms and pulled me toward him, ignoring my protests.

I screamed, kicked, thrashed, attacking him with my long nails wherever I could reach, but it was a futile effort. He was much bigger and stronger, and soon had me back on the bed, positioning himself on top of me, completely overpowering me, even though I never stopped fighting. Even after exhaustion took over, I kept struggling and trying to break free.

Still driven only by an instinct for self-preservation, I ran toward the door, desperate. The sound of my quick footsteps hitting the floor echoed in my ears, a final silent cry of hope. I can do this! I just need to get to the street… Call for help… I thought, my inner voice trying to convince me that there was still a chance.

But Daniel was much faster, stronger, and before I had time to turn the doorknob, I felt his heavy hands grabbing me.

No…

In a brutal movement, he grabbed me around the middle, his arms squeezing me tightly, pulling me towards him, ignoring all my protests.

"No!" I screamed, trying to break free. "Let me go, Daniel, please!"

My fists pounded his chest, my long nails trying to dig in wherever I could, but it was as if he didn’t even feel it. He was relentless, as if determined to keep me there, and I... all I could think about was how to escape.

I screamed once more, the anguish rising in my throat. "Don’t touch me! Let me go!"

But he didn’t listen.

He didn’t stop.

In seconds, he forced me back onto the bed, and before I could process it, his body was on top of mine, immobilizing me completely. Even though my body was trembling with fear, I kept fighting.

"No, Daniel!" I kept shouting, my voice trembling, but I didn’t give up.

I kicked, thrashed, tried to bite, do anything that could give me even a small amount of control over the situation, but nothing worked. He was too big, too strong.

My breath was becoming harder to take, my arms were heavy, and fatigue began to take over, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t let him win.

"Cut it out!" Sandra said, helping Daniel hold me down. "It’s like we’re trying to kill you. It’s just a pregnancy, for fuck’s sake! In a few months, you’ll be free and loaded with cash. You’ll be able to do whatever you want with your life."

I didn’t realize when my mother had left the room, but the moment she appeared again, coming from her bedroom, it felt like a punch to the stomach. She was holding a small syringe, and I knew exactly what she had in mind.

The clear liquid inside was a sedative, something she would use to silence me.

What hurt me the most wasn’t the object itself, but her cold gaze. The indifference with which she treated the situation. It was as if everything she was doing was something normal, unimportant. Like I was just a piece to be moved in her game.

I looked at her, and in my eyes, there was a sadness she seemed to not notice, or maybe didn’t care about.

There was no one else there to help me, no one who would listen.

A thousand times, damn it!

"No, Mom. Please, don’t do this."

"I wouldn’t do it if I had another option, but I won’t miss this opportunity to change our lives. Besides, there’s still the possibility that the pregnancy might not happen."