It had been a week since that dreadful evening, yet the agony was still in my body,the pain still fresh brewing in my memory. Each step sent sharp pains through my legs, and my face remained sore from the wounds inflicted by Xavier. My spirit was crumbling slowly, but I resolutely kept it hidden from everyone…..
*****
The dining hall buzzed with laughter and the sweet scent of freshly made food. Everyone was present, including Xavier's mother, who had made it abundantly clear that I was merely an unwelcome nuisance in their home. I stood quietly at the corner, waiting for my usual scraps when Victoria suddenly cried out, catching everyone's attention.
"My jewelry! My diamond necklace is gone!" she shouted, feigning shock as she clutched her chest.
The room fell silent, and a wave of dread washed over me. I knew exactly where this was headed. I had seen her wearing that necklace just earlier; it couldn't have simply disappeared from her neck just like that.
"We need to check everyone's bags," Victoria insisted, her voice tinged with phony concern. "I'm certain we'll find it."
Xavier's mother quickly concurred, "Yes, we must search everyone's belongings. We cannot harbor a thief in this house never."
The maids' bags were searched one by one, yielding nothing. My hands shook as a guard seized my bag. A sickening sensation gripped my stomach as he spilled its contents onto the floor. There it was the diamond necklace nestled among my few possessions.
Gasps erupted around the room. My heart raced slow and unsteady, and my eyes scanned the table; they all understood this was a setup, yet no one spoke.
Xavier lunged at me immediately, grabbing a wine bottle from the table and smashing it against my face before I could react. The glass cut into my skin, and an intense pain radiated through my cheek. Blood trickled down as I crumpled to the floor, my vision blurred by tears and agony,seer pain, something I knew nothing about.
"You filthy thief!" Xavier roared, kicking me in the ribs and unleashing another wave of pain on my battered body. "I should have realized you were just a pathetic liar."
I coughed, the taste of blood filling my mouth, my body quaking from the impact. But I barely had time to recover before Victoria approached me with a steaming hot pot of water. Panic surged within me, and I tried to crawl away, but two guards held me back.
With a malicious and dangerous smile, Victoria poured the boiling water onto my back without a moment's hesitation.
A bloodcurdling scream escaped my lips as the searing heat scorched my skin. The pain was unimaginable, and my body convulsed as the burning sensation spread, leaving angry, steaming wounds. Tears flowed down my face, but no one came to my aid; they merely watched, entertained by my suffering.
Xavier's mother stepped forward, her eyes filled with contempt. "You are a disgrace, Isabella. A lowlife, a pathetic nobody." Her voice dripped with disdain,pure hatred. "Did you truly think you belonged here? That my son would ever love someone like you? You're trash, a worthless human being."
I sobbed, clutching my injured skin. My body was devastated, my spirit shattered and Broken into pieces. But she wasn't finished with me yet,not yet.
"You should be thankful Xavier allowed you to stay here," she said. "But now it's clear that was a mistake. Victoria is the only woman worthy of my son. You? You're just a blunder, a blemish on this family,a black sheep."
My chest tightened as I struggled to stifle my cries. The humiliation and pain were unbearable. All I wanted was for it to end. I wished to vanish.
As if that torment wasn't sufficient, Xavier yanked me by the hair and forced me to stand. "Get out of my sight you bastard," he spat with disgust. "I don't even want to see you."
I staggered away, nearly unable to maintain my balance. My skin throbbed with pain, hot pain from my back, my body pleaded for respite, but none was forthcoming. I longed to scream, to fight back, but what was the use? They had already won.
With weak, unsteady steps, I moved toward the hallway, desperate to escape the cruelty of that room. Just as I was about to turn the corner, my world shattered entirely again,more brutal shatter.
On the balcony stood Xavier and Victoria, entwined in a passionate embrace, furking each other like they owned the word, completely oblivious to my presence. My breath caught in my throat. The physical pain faded as a deeper, more excruciating heartache took hold of me, everything from frying pan to fire.
Tears streamed down my face as I witnessed the man I had once loved, the one who had vowed to cherish me, giving himself so willingly to another woman right in front of me.
A broken sob escaped my lips as my knees buckled beneath me. My heart felt like it had been torn apart, crushed under the weight of betrayal and cruelty.I was nothing to him. Absolutely nothing.And in that moment, I understood I had lost everything....