02

Stella

(Edited once)

After the last bell rang, I bid my goodbyes to Skye. I felt like it was the last time I might ever get the chance to see her, so I cried in her embrace. I knew that we still had our graduation ceremony, but it was two months away. A senior student had a kidney transplant two days ago, and he needs two months to recover from the surgery, so the school was considerate enough to postpone the ceremony for his sake.

I had a bad feeling concerning Raymond’s guests, and I was more than worried about returning a bit later than usual. Sorrowfully, I was forced to oblige. I took deep breaths as I reached the house. “I hope nothing bad happens,” I whispered before I opened the door and entered. Raymond was nowhere in sight, so I rushed to the bathroom to take a quick cold shower to cool my nerves.

Five minutes later, I got out of the bathroom, fully clothed, and started cooking dinner. I was thrilled to cook when Raymond was not around because cooking reminded me of Mom and her gentle hands, which taught me how to cook from such a young age. She would always say that the way to capture your man’s heart was through deliciousness. I was still waiting for that man to make his grand appearance in my life and save me from this hellhole.

I glanced at the clock, and it was fifteen minutes past six, so I had fifteen more minutes to put the last touches on the dinner table: the dessert.

I fled to my room as soon as they stepped foot into the house. Luckily, I was done with dinner. They were loud, but I ignored them. It was always better to disregard some behaviors and save me from a fist. “I want out! I want to be free…” I cried in agony as I looked at the barely visible moon. “What did I do wrong? How is that fair?” I whispered.

I stayed in the same position for an hour until I heard what I had hoped to avoid. Raymond called me to meet his guests, and I felt the color drain from my face. The last time I met some of his guests, they hit me for their entertainment. They were vicious men with rotten minds, and they could surpass Raymond’s torturing methods if they wanted. However, my dear brother would stop them just before I passed out so he could finish the job.

I looked at my face through a small mirror placed on the floor and saw Dad’s eyes. The thought of him made me less tense, so I gathered my courage and exited my room. “Stella! Move it.”

“I’m here,” I announced as I stepped on the last staircase. As Raymond saw me, his smirk widened, and I winced at its meaning. I looked behind him and saw the same five men I met before. They were the guests who beat me up. I wanted to scream; however, I knew that I would make matters worse. Therefore I remind silent.

I stared at them and noticed their lustful eyes traveling all over my body. My flesh was covered, yet I felt too exposed to their wandering thoughts. I needed to get out. All the mental and physical abuse came down on me like a bucket full of icy water, and I almost vomited. I was terrified.

I needed to get out.

“Stella, thanks to your body and face, I was able to make a fortune. The stage is yours, guys. Feel free to touch her wherever you desire.” My head snapped to meet his gaze, and I almost lunged at him. There was a limit to everything. I would never give up my innocence for these mongrels. As long as I was still breathing, I would not hand the only whole thing in my life. I was cherishing it for the one, and not for scums like them. But it was apparent that the major bastard of them all was my brother. I was repulsed beyond reason. “No!” I managed to say after my inner battle subsided. “Never.”

Raymond was shocked at my sudden outburst since I never raised my voice or spoke against his words. He recovered instantly and grabbed me by the hair. One of a girl’s weaknesses was her hair because pulling it hurt too much. “The fuck did you say?” he screeched. I spat on his face and glared.

“I fucking said no!” as I repeated what I said louder, he punched me in the cheek. I was about to fall down, but he did not let go of my hair. Instead, he delivered another punch to my stomach. I gasped for air and felt tears threatening to fall. I refused to obey anymore. I refused to be submissive.

“Well, ain’t you a brave little sister,” he mocked. I frowned at the word sister coming out of his dirty mouth. It was clear to me that he was drunk and high, though that did not stop me from defending my honor.

I arched my eyebrows. “I’m not your sister. You lost the right to call me that when you were eighteen and I was just ten. A fucking child, remember? You lost your role as a brother when you started beating the shit out of me! I am done with this bullshit.” I yelled. He tightened his grip on my hair, and I winced in pain. I should not be suffering from his ways. I should fight my way out.

“You will obey me. Now, strip from your clothes, and give these gentlemen the show they deserve.” He exclaimed with an irritated tone.

I scoffed and let out a humorless chuckle. “Gentlemen? You must be high! Oh wait, you freaking are. I will not listen to you anymore. I am not afraid.” I was horrified.

My last statement made him go completely nuts. He grabbed my shirt and ripped it apart, leaving me in my sports bra. I tried to pry from his grip. Still, he was stronger than me. “You were saying?” he asked, and I wiggled my body to escape. He removed my pants as I was screaming, and he received a lucky kick from me to his knee. “You bitch!” he yelled and slapped me. I looked at the men, hoping for a miracle to happen, but they enjoyed the show. They waited patiently for me to be fully naked, which would never occur. The only thing that was to my advantage that night was the fact that I decided to wear shorts under my pants in addition to underwear. I had a gut feeling, and I always trusted my instincts.

“Let us see that sexy body of yours. I can’t wait to taste it!” one of the ugly men said, and I wanted to kill him. If only I could release myself from Raymond’s deadly grasp. I could if I just strick at the perfect moment.

I looked at the front door and noticed that it was slightly ajar, and I saw a glimmer of hope as my immediate plan formed in my head. I looked back at Raymond and sighed. “Mom and Dad would be so disappointed in you. They would be revolted to even call you son. You are a disgrace. I despise you.” I shouted at the top of my lungs and saw his eyes twitch. I knew that I had hit a nerve because he never liked to talk about them.

His hand loosened for a split second when he raised his other hand to hit me with a vase that was near him. I took that as my chance and lifted my knee fast and hit his sensitive region. He winced in pain and let go of me. I did not think twice. I ran out of the house and sprinted like my life depended on it, which it did.

I heard footsteps running behind me, and I knew that his friends were following me. They would not let me escape when they put money on my body. I did not look back, and I did not stop. I just kept on running.