Chapter 3: In comes trouble
The key turned in the lock, the sound echoing through the apartment like a gunshot. Sasha's heart leapt into her throat, her body tensing as she felt Emily's gaze pierce through her. She could see the questions in her eyes, the jealousy, the anger. She braced herself for the storm she knew was coming.
"Where have you been?" Emily demanded, her voice a low growl, her eyes never leaving Sasha's face. She tossed her keys onto the side table, the sound of metal against wood cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"I was at the bookstore, and then I stopped by the coffee shop to sketch." Sasha's voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes darting away from Emily's intense gaze.
Emily snorted, her lip curling in disgust. "Bookstore? Coffee shop? Since when do you spend your mornings gallivanting around?" Her voice was laced with accusation, each word dripping with venom.
Sasha sighed, running a hand through her curls. "I've been doing that for years, Emily. You know that.
I told you I was going out to sketch," Sasha tried to explain, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins.
Emily scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Sketching, hmm? Or was it something—or someone—else you were doing?" She took a step closer, her voice a low growl. "I can see it in your eyes, Sasha. You've been with someone else."
Sasha's heart pounded in her chest, her palms growing slick with sweat. She could feel the tension in the room, the threat of violence hanging heavy in the air. "No, Emily. You're wrong.
I haven't been with anyone," Sasha insisted, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep calm. She took a step back, her eyes darting towards the door, desperate for an escape route.
Emily's eyes narrowed, her lip curling into a sneer. "Don't lie to me, Sasha. I know when you're lying. You've been acting differently ever since you met that... that man at the coffe shop ."
Sasha's heart skipped a beat. "Zane? We just hung out at the bookstore for a bit and I came straight home to you I swear Emily.” Sasha’s voice cracked as her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, a mix of fear and frustration.
Emily took another step closer, her eyes never leaving Sasha’s face. “You think I’m stupid, Sasha? You think you can lie to me and I won’t know? I know you, better than you know yourself. And I know when you’re lying.”
Sasha shook her head, her tears spilling over onto her cheeks. “I’m not lying, Emily. I promise. I just met him today.
We talked about books, architecture, life. That's all. He's just a friend, Emily." Sasha pleaded, her voice breaking as she fought back tears. She felt trapped, the weight of Emily's accusations and her own guilt crushing her.
Emily's face darkened, her eyes flashing with anger. "Friends, huh? Is that what they're calling it these days? I saw the way you looked at him. The way your cheeks flushed and your eyes sparkled. I know that look, Sasha. I know it all too well."
Sasha took another step back, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum.
"Emily, please. I'm telling you the truth. You have to believe me."
Emily's jaw clenched, her nostrils flaring with each ragged breath. "Believe you? After everything you've put me through? After all the lies and betrayals?" She spat the words out like poison.
Sasha's eyes widened, her tears blurring her vision. "What are you talking about? I've never lied to you, Emily. I love you."
Emily scoffed, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "Love? Is that what you call it?
Love? You think this is love?" Emily's voice was laced with bitterness and disgust, her eyes flashing with a coldness that sent a shiver down Sasha's spine.
Sasha's tears spilled over, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "It is love, Emily. I love you. I've always loved you."
Emily snorted, her lip curling with disdain. "You don't know the meaning of the word, Sasha. Love is not what you've been doing. Love is not the lies and the betrayals. Don’t worry I will show you.” Emily’s voice was calm but dangerous, like a predator setting the trap. She took a step closer, her eyes locked onto Sasha’s, daring her to look away.
“Emily, please.” Sasha’s voice shook, a mix of fear and desperation. She couldn’t understand how things had spiraled so out of control so quickly. “I’m telling the truth. I don’t know what’s happening here.”
Emily’s face contorted into a sneer, her hands reaching out to grip Sasha’s arms tightly. “You’re a liar, Sasha. You always have been. I don’t want you seeing that man ever again” Emily growled through gritted teeth.
Sasha’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden outburst, her fear turning into confusion. Before she could respond Emily had grabbed her by the hair and was dragging her to the living room.
Sasha cried out in pain, her hands clawing at Emily's grip, but it was no use.
"Let go of me, Emily! You're hurting me!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
But Emily just laughed, a cold and cruel sound that sent shivers down Sasha's spine. "You think I care?" she sneered. "You think I give a fuck about your precious little feelings?"
She shoved Sasha onto the couch, causing her to cry out in pain again. Sasha tried to scramble away, but Emily grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back, forcing her to arch her back.
The pain was intense, and Sasha let out a whimper, her hands instinctively reaching up to try and pry Emily's fingers from her hair.
"Please, Emily," Sasha begged. "Please, stop. You're hurting me."
Emily sneered down at her, her grip tightening even more. "I know I am. And I'll keep hurting you until you understand that you are mine, Sasha. No one else is going to have you. Do you understand me?"
Sasha's eyes filled with tears as she nodded, the pain too much to bear. "Yes," she managed to choke out.
"I understand."
Emily's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Good. Now, let's make sure you really remember who you belong to."
Sasha gasped as Emily's free hand yanked at her clothing, tearing at her blouse and skirt. Sasha tried to struggle, to fight back, but Emily's grip on her hair was like a vice, and she couldn't gain any leverage. The pain was immense, and Sasha felt tears streaming down her face.
"Please, Emily, please stop," she begged, her voice ragged and broken. "You're hurting me. I promise I won’t see Zane anymore. Please let me go” Sasha cried, begging for mercy. Emily’s face was a mask of anger and hatred. Her eyes were black with rage and her lips were pulled back in a snarl. She looked like a wild animal, ready to pounce.
“Oh I know you won’t. No one cares about you! No one loves you but me. Zane won’t dare even look at you after I’m done with you” she sneered, her voice low and menac
ning.
Sasha's heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in short gasps. She knew better than to argue with Emily when she was like this. She was like a raging bull, ready to charge at anything that threatened her territory. And right now, Sasha was her territory.
"Please, Emily," Sasha begged again, her voice hoarse from crying. I promise I won't see him again. Please, just let me go."
But Emily was not listening. She was in a rage, her mind clouded with jealousy and anger. She ripped off Sasha’s top revealing her full breast. Her hand reached out and groped her breast hard.
“I am yours,” she growled. “All yours.”
Sasha cried out, the pain excruciating. She felt Emily’s hand squeezing her breast hard. “Please stop,” Sasha pleaded, her voice ragged and broken.
Emily ignored her pleas. Instead, she leaned down and bit Sasha’s nipple hard. Sasha screamed, her body convulsing with pain and shock. Tears streamed down her face as she felt Emily’s teeth sinking into her sensitive skin.
“You are mine,” Emily repeated, her voice a low growl.
She released Sasha’s nipple, only to bite down on the other one, making Sasha scream again. “Only mine,” she insisted, her grip on Sasha’s hair tightening, causing Sasha to cry out in pain.
Sasha tried to squirm away, but Emily’s hold on her was like a vise. She could feel her scalp burning, her hair being yanked out at the roots. Her body was covered in bruises, her skin felt raw and on fire. She knew this wasn’t love, this was abuse. But she was too afraid to say anything. Too afraid of what Emily might do.
Sasha felt Emily’s free hand trying to unbutton her jeans.
She flailed her legs, trying to kick away, but Emily’s grip on her hair was unyielding. “Please, Emily, don’t do this,” Sasha pleaded, her voice raw and hoarse from crying and screaming. “Please, just stop.”
Emily’s laugh was cold and cruel. “Stop? Why would I do that? You’re mine, Sasha. Every part of you. And I’m going to make sure you remember that.”
Sasha felt her jeans being torn open, the sound of ripping fabric joining the symphony of her screams and pleas. Emily finally released her grip on Sasha’s hair. She almost would have felt relieved if it wasn’t for searing pain from the kick to her side from Emily’s boots.
“Shut the hell up and be the whore I know you are” Emily said shoving her whole fist into Sasha’s folds.
That pain made Sasha black out. The next thing she knew she was laying on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. Pain was throbbing everywhere, and she tasted blood in her mouth. Her body was a mess, black and blue, and she was covered with dried blood.
“Go clean yourself up. I have to go to work” Emily said barely looking at Sasha as she fixed her clothes while walking out the door.
She slowly got up and looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t recognize herself. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. She had been through this many times, but this time it was different. She felt broken.
Not just physically, but emotionally too. She was a shell of the person she used to be. A person she barely recognized anymore. Sasha stood under the scalding water of the shower, her body trembling as the hot water washed away the pain and the blood. But it couldn't wash away the memories. She couldn't unsee the cruelty in Emily's eyes, the hatred in her voice. She couldn't unfeel the pain, the humiliation, the betrayal.
As she stepped out of the shower, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The reflection staring back at her was a stranger. Her body was covered in bruises, her skin raw and red. Her eyes were hollow, and her hair was matted and tangled. She barely recognized the woman in the mirror. She looked broken, defeated.
She wrapped herself in a towel and sank to the floor, her back against the cool tile wall. She buried her face in her hands and let the tears flow. She cried for the pain, for the humiliation, for the betrayal. She cried for the woman she used to be, and for the woman she wanted to be.
Eventually, her tears dried up, and she was left with a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She felt empty, like a shell of herself. She had to do something, she couldn't keep living like this. But what could she do? Where could she go? She was trapped, her heart and her body belonging to someone who only knew how to hurt her.
She stood up, her body aching with every movement. She wiped her face with the towel and looked at herself one more time in the mirror. She took a deep breath and made a decision. She couldn't keep living like this, she didn't want to. She had to find a way out.
She wrapped her towel around herself and went to her bedroom.
She knew she had to gather her strength, to think clearly. She opened her sketchbook and flipped to a blank page. She started to draw, her hand moving almost of its own accord. She drew Emily, her features twisted with anger and hatred. She drew herself, her body broken and bleeding, her eyes filled with tears. She drew the apartment, the mismatched furniture, the worn carpet. She drew Zane, his eyes soft and kind, his smile warm. She drew the bookstore, the coffee shop, the park where she used to sit and sketch. She drew her dream house, the one she had designed when she was still in school, the one she had never built.
A place of her own, where she could be free, where she could be herself. A place where there was no Emily, no abuse, no fear. Just her, her dreams, and her freedom.
As her pencil glided across the page, Sasha let the tears flow once more. But these tears were different. They were tears of hope, of determination, of a longing for something better. She knew she was in a dangerous place, a place where her life could be snuffed out in an instant if she wasn't careful. But she also knew that she couldn't keep living like this.
As if on que he phone buzzed. A message from Zane.
‘Hey my company is throwing a mixer downtown at this new bar this weekend. I would love if you come with me. As friends of cours. Winky face’ Sasha looked at the message, her heart fluttering at the thought of spending time with Zane again. But then she remembered the violence and humiliation Emily had inflicted on her earlier. She looked at the drawing of her dream house, the one she had designed but never built. She knew she couldn't keep living like this, trapped in this cycle of abuse. But she also knew that she couldn't just walk away. Not yet. She had to be smart, to plan carefully. To make sure she was safe.
She replied to Zane's message, her fingers lingering on the keys.
‘Sure. I will see if I have time in my schedule. I can’t wait’ She clicked off her phone and looked at it for a moment, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and fear. She knew that Emily would never approve of her going out with Zane, especially to a social event. But she also knew that she couldn’t keep living like this, trapped in this constant cycle of fear and violence. She needed to start taking control of her own life, and that meant making her own decisions, even if they were difficult ones.
She looked at her sketch of the dream house again, her eyes filled with determination. She would go to the mixer with Zane, as friends of course.