I got home, exhausted, trying to shake off the events of the day. The moment I stepped inside, I saw Aunt Maria sitting on the only couch in the living room, pressing a bandage onto her arm. She quickly tucked it away when she noticed me. I pretended not to notice."
"Bella, you're back," she said, tucking the bandages away.
I dropped my bag by the door, my gaze fixed on Aunt Maria as she tucked away the bandage, pretending everything was fine. It wasn't. It never was.
"Why do you let him treat you like this?" My voice was sharper than I intended, but I was too exhausted to care. "When are you going to wake up and realize he's never going to change?"
Her expression tightened. "Bella, I don't want to talk about this."
"Of course, you don't," I scoffed. "You never do. You keep making excuses for him—'he's just going through a rough time'—as if that justifies anything."
"Bella—"
"You've been saying that for years. And what has he done except make your life miserable?"
Before she could answer, a voice cut in, dripping with amusement.
"Two pathetic beings, throwing shade at my brother."
I turned to see Selina, Uncle Roberto's ever-present sister, lounging in the doorway like she owned the place. Because, in a way, she did.
Did I mention she lived with us too? That she and her brother made our lives a living hell? And that Aunt Maria allowed it—because she was too in love to see the truth?
I clenched my fists, swallowing my frustration.
Aunt Maria had always been my safe place. When I lost my parents, she became everything—my guardian, my protector, my mother when I no longer had one. She gave up her life for me, raising me like I was her own.
But that was before she married him.
At first, Uncle Roberto had seemed charming. He made her laugh, promised her a good life. But his words had been nothing but empty air. It didn't take long for the mask to slip, for the affection to turn into control. He made her feel like he had done her a favor by marrying her, and she let him.
And now, she was trapped.
I wanted to shake her, to make her see what I saw. But no matter what I said, she always held onto that desperate hope—that one day, things would change. But they wouldn't. And lately, things had been getting worse.
"You have no right to talk about my brother like that-"
"Oh please, Selina," I scoffed, cutting her off. "You actually think you have a brother?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"I'd rather have no brother at all than call him my brother." My voice was laced with anger.
Selina smirked, but her tone dripped with venom. "Well, technically, you don't have a brother."
"Yes, and I'm glad I don't," I shot back. "At least I don't have to call a drug addict, a woman-beater, and a jobless leech my brother."
"You bastard!" She lunged at me, her hand raised.
"Enough!"
Aunt Maria's voice rang through the room, sharp and desperate."Bella, that's enough," she scolded, her expression torn between exhaustion and frustration. I clenched my jaw, the anger boiling inside me. Without another word, I turned toward the door and grabbed my coat.
"Bella, where are you going?" Aunt Maria asked, her voice softer now, almost pleading.
I yanked the door open. "To my other job," I muttered. "You know, since I'm the only one in this house working two jobs, not leeching off my brother's wife's or my brother's wife's niece for money." And with that, I slammed the door behind me.
Now what? My shift wasn't until 11, and it was just past 7. I sighed, feeling the cold seep into my bones. I pulled out my phone and called James. No answer. I tried again. This time, he picked up.
"Hi—" I started, but he cut me off.
"Hey, babe, I'm really busy right now. I'll call you back when I'm done. Love you."
"Okay, I love you too," I said, but the line had already gone dead. Great. Now I had no choice but to head to Scarlet's place. With that, I started walking, hoping to save on cab fare. I stopped in front of a burger shop, my stomach growling in protest. Giving in, I stepped inside and ordered a burger.
While waiting, I let my eyes wander outside, watching the world move around me. People walked by, each heading in different directions, lost in their own lives. Some couples strolled hand in hand, their soft laughter blending with the city's hum. My mind drifted back to that night—James holding my hand, his lips pressing against mine.
A blush crept up my face. I never told him that was my first kiss.
Catching my reflection in the window, I groaned. My cheeks were as red as a tomato. God, make it stop. It was just a kiss, but my thoughts refused to let it go. Shaking my head, I dropped my face into my hands, trying to will away my embarrassment.
"Here's your burger, miss."
I looked up to see a woman in her thirties placing my order on the table.
"Thank you," I muttered, quickly taking the tray. Anything to distract myself. I unwrapped the burger and took a big bite, letting the warm flavors melt away my thoughts. The burger tasted amazing, and I took another bite, savoring the warmth. As I chewed, my gaze drifted outside again, only to land on a couple kissing passionately on the sidewalk.
I nearly choked.
What is wrong with me?
I grabbed my drink and took a sip, trying to compose myself. Why was my mind running wild like this? I wasn't some love-struck teenager. For Christ's sake, I'll be turning 22 in a few hours.
Still, my thoughts kept circling back to James. We had been together for eight months, and kissing was as far as we had gone. It wasn't that he didn't want more—he did—but I wasn't ready. The fear of getting pregnant while my life was still a mess terrified me.
James was a responsible man with a respectable job, but that didn't erase my fears. I hadn't fully explained to him why I kept holding back, yet he never pressured me. He always said he'd wait until I was ready, that one day I'd change my mind.
And honestly... I felt like that day was getting closer. With the way my mind kept wandering and how my body reacted to just the thought of him, I couldn't help but wonder—how much longer until I finally give in?
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down and focus on finishing my burger in peace. The last thing I needed was to keep spiraling over things I wasn't ready to face yet. By the time I was done, I pulled out my phone to call Scarlet—only to see that it was already after 10.
WTF? How?
I blinked, completely baffled by how time had slipped away from me. Well, there was no point in going to Scarlet's place now. Good thing I hadn't called her yet, or she'd be pissed.
With a sigh, I grabbed my bag and stood up. I had to start heading to work. My shift at the club would begin at 11, and by midnight, the place would be packed. If I didn't hurry, I'd be late—and the last thing I needed was another problem to deal with.
I arrived at the club, nodding at Mike, the bouncer, before heading inside. The bartender waved at me, and I returned the greeting. The DJ was already warming up his equipment, filling the place with a low hum of music.
I made my way to the back to change into my waitress uniform, but just as I was about to pull my shirt over my head, a sharp smack landed on my ass. I flinched, startled.
"Oh, how I've missed that soft ass," Clara teased with a grin.
"Crazy girl," I chuckled, swatting her hand away. "Get off me, you pervert."
"You're lucky I'm 6 o'clock, or else—" she trailed off, shaking her head dramatically.
"Shut up and get changed," Sasha chimed in. "Greg will be here any second."
Clara groaned. "Ugh, really? Did you have to ruin the mood by mentioning that asshole?"
"He's your boss," I reminded her, pulling on my uniform.
"Exactly—that's the only reason he's still alive," Clara muttered.
"Same thing I told Mike," Sasha added with a smirk.
I laughed, shaking my head at them. "You two are impossible."
Just then, a sharp voice cut through the room. "Where the hell are you people?"
We all turned at the same time.
"Speak of the devil," Clara muttered under her breath.
"Greg," we all said in unison before scrambling to finish dressing and rushing out to meet him."Do I have to remind you guys of your duties?" Greg's annoying voice rang in our ears."Where are the others?"
"They're on their way," Sasha replied.
"Well, then tell them when they arrive that their salary for this month is split in half," he said with that ridiculous gold tooth sticking out as he smirked. We all groaned internally but scattered around to do our jobs. I was in charge of the VIP section—lucky me. I hated this job even more than the coffee shop, but the tips and salary were too tempting to pass up.
My aunt had no idea I worked at a club. I told her I was working at a convenience store, and I had to keep it that way. If she knew, she'd never let me set foot in here—the risks were just too high. Walking around a room filled with depraved, horny men was a nightmare in itself. Not to mention the fights, which sometimes escalated to full-blown shootouts. But I had no choice. I just needed to stick it out, save enough money to rent my own apartment, and finally break free from Uncle Roberto's clutches.
The VIP section was reserved for our richest customers—CEOs, politicians, and old married men looking for "fun."
"Hey, what's your name?" one of the VIP clients asked. There were two of them in the ward, both in their fifties."My name is B, sir," I replied. We all went by the first letter of our names here—it was part of the club's rules.
"B, get me a stripper. A blonde one with big boobies," he said, gesturing with his hands. The other man laughed. "Me too. Two blondes with big boobies."
"Right away, sir." I stepped aside and made a direct call to the stripper ward. "Two blondes with big boobs for the VIP exclusive, please."
"Got it," a voice responded from the other end. I hung up and turned back to them. "Two minutes, sir. They'll be here shortly." They both chuckled and continued their conversation. My eyes landed on their wedding rings, sitting boldly on their fingers, and my stomach churned. Cheaters. I wondered what their wives thought they were doing right now. Probably assuming they were still at work.
A few minutes later, the girls arrived, giggling as they approached the men."Do you need a room or just a lap dance?" one of them asked.
"A room," they both answered without hesitation. Disgusting. I muttered under my breath. One of the men handed me a tip. "Here, B. Take this."
I forced a smile, pocketed the money, and took my cue to leave. I stepped outside and saw Sasha, looking around nervously as if making sure no one was watching.
"Are you okay?" I asked, noticing the way her hands fidgeted."No," she whispered, on the verge of tears. Instantly, worry gripped me. Sasha was tough—just like Clara. Whatever had shaken her like this had to be serious.
"Talk to me, Sasha," I urged, trying to reassure her."Not here," she murmured, still glancing around cautiously. "Follow me."
Without hesitation, I followed her as she led me to the staff room. My heart pounded as I silently prayed it wasn't something terrible.
The moment we stepped inside, I stopped her. "What's wrong, Sasha? Did someone hurt you? Did Greg try to—" I clenched my fists, ready to explode. If Greg so much as touched her, I was going to kill him this time. He wasn't just an annoying boss; he was a pervert. Several former employees had accused him of harassment and worse, but their complaints always got buried—because he had money.
"Sasha, talk to me! And why is it so dark in here?" I reached for the switch and flicked on the light.
"Happy birthday, Bella!"
Five of my colleagues shouted in unison, with Clara standing front and center, holding a small birthday cake. My breath hitched. "Oh my God..." I was speechless. They started singing, and I felt a rush of emotions swell inside me. I wasn't expecting this—not here, not tonight.
"Come on, make a wish!" Arora urged, grinning.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and wished. I wish for my life to get better. I wish for my aunt to realize she married a monster. I just want our lives to go back to the way they were before he came into our world.
When I opened my eyes, Clara was smirking at me. "What did you wish for?" she asked, her curiosity shining through.
I let out a small laugh. "For you to stop spanking my ass."
"Nah, that wish isn't coming true, girl," Clara said, winking. We all burst into laughter.
"Where's the damn knife? Let's cut this cake!" Sasha cheered."You know what, Sasha? You should quit this job and go into acting," I teased. "You really had me there."
"See! I told you guys I could do it!" Sasha beamed, looking smug.
As my friends laughed around me, I forced myself to smile. For the first time in a long while, I felt seen, appreciated. But beneath the warmth of the moment, that nagging unease remained-like something was waiting in the shadows, just out of reach.
"Just then, we heard a gunshot. The laughter died instantly. For a second, no one moved, no one breathed. Then came the second shot-closer this time. And just like that, the night took a deadly turn."