The kitchen was quiet except for the gentle clinking of dishes and the soft hum of a familiar tune escaping Bella’s lips. She swayed lightly, moving her hips to the rhythm as she scrubbed and rinsed, losing herself in the melody. It was her refuge—a small comfort that dulled the harshness of her reality, a momentary escape where worries dissolved into the music.
Suddenly, a heavy bang against the front door shattered the calm. Bella’s hands froze mid-motion, and she turned sharply toward the source of the noise. Her eyes immediately locked on the stumbling figure of her father, swaying unsteadily as he fought to keep his balance. It was a scene she had witnessed countless times before.
He reeked of booze, the scent heavy and clinging to the air as he staggered toward his room, barely able to hold himself upright. Late nights like this had become the norm, the constant parade of drunken returns and reckless abandon a bitter backdrop to Bella’s life. Sometimes, he would drag home strangers—pale-haired women whose presence stung Bella’s heart like a cruel reminder of everything she lacked.
She glanced at the clock, the numbers glowing 1:00 AM. The late hour did not deter her hope; she knew she had to ask, even if it was foolish to expect understanding at this hour.
Steeling herself, Bella stepped toward her father’s door, which hung slightly ajar. The moment she peeked inside, a wave of acrid smoke and stale liquor hit her nostrils, mingling into a suffocating haze. The room was a mess—empty bottles scattered like fallen soldiers across the floor, socks and shoes tossed carelessly, and the bed, barely visible beneath the chaos, strained under the weight of his neglect.
Her father was halfway undone, fumbling with his belt as he prepared for bed. The sight made her stomach twist painfully, but she swallowed hard and forced the words from her throat.
“Dad... my tuition fees?” she asked softly, the familiar question trembling on her lips. Her teacher’s warning echoed in her mind — no payment, no classes. It was a deadline that threatened to pull the last thread of her fragile future apart.
His bloodshot eyes snapped toward her, and the warmth she sought in his gaze was nowhere to be found. Instead, anger radiated from him, his chest rising and falling in erratic breaths. The menace in his stance was unmistakable, a dangerous cocktail of drunken fury waiting to explode.
Slowly, he advanced, his fist clenching the black leather belt tighter with every step. Bella’s heart hammered in her chest as dread curled in her gut.
“You worthless brat,” he snarled, voice thick with venom. “Just like your mother—whores chasing money.” His jaw locked tight, the words slicing through the silence like a blade.
“No, Dad, it’s just the tuition fees—I...” she stammered, but the words caught in her throat as his arm shot up, the belt crashing down against her skin.
A sharp scream tore from Bella’s lips as she crumpled to the floor, clutching her arm where the sting blossomed into fire. But the blows didn’t stop. Each lash drove deeper into her back and arms, relentless and merciless. She begged through tears, tears and sobs mingling into a desperate plea for mercy, but the monster before her paid no heed.
Her legs faltered as she tried to rise, to escape the punishment, but he struck them too, driving her back into submission. She raised her hands in a trembling plea, weaving her fingers together to beg forgiveness. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she whispered brokenly. “I won’t ask again.”
The sound of the belt against flesh filled the room, a cruel and unforgiving rhythm that echoed her pain. Her cries mingled with the endless assault, tears blurring her vision until the world faded into numbness.
Time lost all meaning in those tormenting hours. When consciousness finally returned, Bella found herself sprawled on the cold floor, her skin burning and bruised. Red stains—the proof of her suffering—marred the walls and floor around her.
She closed her eyes against the cold that seeped in through the window beside her mattress. The chill wrapped around her like a shroud, a stark contrast to the fire blazing beneath her skin. Her mind drifted back to memories etched deep in her soul.
“Why did you leave, Mom?” she whispered into the stillness. “Why didn’t you take me with you? I’m so alone. I feel worthless. When you were here, I was happy. Why did you have to go?”
Tears trickled down her cheeks as she clutched her plush pillow tightly, burying her face in its soft embrace. This nightly ritual of silent lament was her only solace, a whispered conversation in the dark where pain found a voice.
Her sobs deepened as she confided more to the emptiness, “People are cruel, Mom. They hurt me. Do you see? I’m broken…”
Despite the facade of strength she wore in daylight, the nights laid bare the raw wounds beneath. Each tear was a testament to the weight she bore—pain that gnawed relentlessly, growing heavier with every passing day.
Slowly, Bella rose from the mattress, the bruises aching as she moved. She shuffled to the bathroom nearby and turned the tap, the sound of rushing water filling the quiet. Her gaze caught her reflection in the mirror—a face stained with tears, eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed.
Hatred, pity, anger, shame—words and feelings collided in her mind. Weakness. Worthlessness. She gripped her dark curls tightly, letting out a guttural scream that echoed off the cold tiles. Splashing water onto her face repeatedly, she tried to wash away the pain, the past, the scars invisible to others but etched on her soul.
Breathing heavily, she stared back into the mirror, searching for something — strength, hope, or perhaps just a glimpse of the girl she used to be before the world broke her down.
Her hands trembling, she returned to her room and set the alarm on her battered phone. The time blinked back: 3:00 AM. Only four hours of sleep awaited her before the day would begin anew—a relentless cycle of exhaustion and struggle.
Tomorrow marked the start of her new job as a maid. Ria, her fierce and steadfast friend, had promised to pick her up early. This opportunity, though daunting, was her last hope to claw her way out of the suffocating debt left by her father’s recklessness.
As she lay back down, clutching the pillow close, Bella whispered a silent prayer to the dark: that the mansion she was about to enter might finally be the place where her life could change forever.