บททั้งหมดของ FROSTBOUND : บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

~Odessa~ "Stay calm and don't force yourself. I don't want you harmed. I want you fresh and clean." The man warned, shoving a piece of cloth into my mouth, tying it behind my neck. He loosened the ropes holding me against the table, leaving the ones tied to my hands and feet, and lifted me onto his shoulders. I noticed he was taking me through the back door where no one else could notice us. All my efforts to scream for help were useless as the cloth in my mouth hardly let me breathe, not to mention scream as I saw my sister waving satisfyingly at me. The very people who swore to Dad on his dying bed to protect me once he was gone, became the reason for my misery. I was just 12 when I learned I was an adopted child of my father, lost and found by the seaside and he showed me nothing but the love of a father. The reason why Maya and my adopted mother hated me so much. They claim I came to take what father has—what does not belong to me. Even now I'm 22, what led me to the

~Odessa~ The room was quiet, except for the gentle hum of a machine and the soft chirping of birds, probably from a beautiful garden outside, creating a sense of serenity. I winced, forcing my eyes open and, through a blurry vision, the decor of the room where I was loomed over me. "Where is this place?" My brows twitched, a faint wince escaping my lips as I peered around the room. "Ma'am, are you awake?" Someone spoke, voice sounding almost in panic. Tilting my neck to find the source of the voice, standing there, was a young lady arranging flowers in the vase on the side table. Quickly, the lady put aside the flowers on hearing my voice and rushed towards me. "Ma'am, you're truly awake!" She cried, voice breathless with excitement. "Goodness, you're awake! Hold on ma'am, I'll call the doctor immediately." Before I could open my mouth to speak or even stop her, the woman vanished through the door, the quiet thud that followed instilling silence and prompting my mind to swim w

~Odessa~"Are you sure you can do this?" Margaret paused just as we stood in front of the door.I could feel her reluctance as she pulled at my hands again."Mother, there's nothing to be afraid of. Besides, you can see how strong I am now. So, there should be nothing to worry about. Besides, I'm going to be with my husband not some stranger who might be after my life." I spoke again, feeling my own anxiety getting the best of me. It was as if she was contemplating this moment I'd eagerly waited for a whole week.I took a deep breath, "You know what, Mother? You can go ahead. I want to meet him alone. I want it to be just the two of us."I wanted to share my lost moment with my husband and cry into his arms.I wanted to tell him how much I'd waited to see him and also hear him tell me how much he'd missed me— how scared he was when he thought he would lose me. And I wanted to do all these alone with him, with no eyes restricting me from how passionately I wanted to kiss him on his

~Odessa~The room seemed to shrink the moment the door shut behind him. Shutting his dangerous aura along with him as he left. Instinctively I recoiled, my body folding into itself, my knees drawn up to my chest as my arms locked around them, the desperation to disappear from this horrible reality clawing at my chest.What have I done to deserve this kind of harsh treatment from him? Where had I gone wrong?Fear settled deep into my skin, leaving me trembling with tears blurring my vision. The tears continued freely down my cheeks, my mind in chaos trying to understand what was happening around me. But everything felt foreign. Still sobbing, Margaret wrapped her arms around me."Ju–Juliana, are you okay?" She whispered.I forced my gaze up at her gentle face contradicting my devastated one."Come, stand my dear." She said, urging me up. Taking the duvet and dabbing it over my shoulders, I felt the bed soft beneath me as I sat down.Contrary to the man I believed was my husband, my

~Adrian~My shoulders pressed against the wall, a bottle dangling lazily from my fingers. More bottles lined the floor, scattered and toppled. Some with a stubborn inch of whiskey left, some empty reflecting the life I couldn't recognize anymore.The room was dark, the air suffocating. Dust floated lazily in a spiral, light faintly illuminating the dark room from an old bulb that hung loosely on the ceiling.The room smelled of alcohol, of grief lingering in every corner.I tipped the bottle back and swallowed. The liquid sloshed, a hot burn sliding down my throat that did nothing to ease the pain in my heart.I didn't hear the door creak as Mother came rushing into the room. "Adrian," She ran to my side, eyes sweeping over the mess of bottles. "Son, you need to stop locking yourself up in this attic. Stop doing this to yourself." She reached for the one in my hand, gripped it firmly, and pulled it away. "Stay away from me and give that back to me." I slurred, my voice thick and jag