Name: BRUISED PETALS
Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

Chapter 1 Bath Bonding

I smiled at my newest gift, the delicate pearl earrings Dad gave me four months ago. They weren't new anymore, but I still treated them like treasure. I held them up against the warm light, watching them shimmer for a second, before placing them carefully into the velvet lined drawer beside my bed. I closed it slowly, as if slowness would make the night stall.

The clock read 10:30 PM. I traced the numbers with my eyes.

"Today's over," I whispered to myself, though the quiet felt heavier than it should have.

Slipping out of bed, I padded over to the closet and pulled out my soft white bathrobe. The room was silent, so silent I could hear the distant hum of the air conditioning and the occasional tick of the clock that sat on wall.

I undressed without turning on the main lights. I didn't need them. I knew every inch of my room, from the scratch on the mirror frame to the barely there ink stain on the carpet. Familiarity made the dark feel safer.

Just as I slid off the last piece of clothing, I heard them, soft careful footsteps approaching. Unhurried. Deliberate. My stomach tightened, not from fear, but anticipation.

It's time, I thought.

I didn't flinch. I didn't try to cover myself, either. I threw on my robe loosely, fingers tying the knot as the door creaked open with a slowness that always set my nerves on edge.

"Vanya, dear," came the whisper. Smooth. Soft. Cold.

"Mom?" I answered in the same hushed tone, turning slightly.

She stood in the doorway. Her face was blank, not angry, not kind. Just... empty. Her eyes glinted with something unreadable. She wore her satin nightgown, the one with lace at the sleeves and faint lipstick on the collar.

"You're going to bathe?" she asked. The question didn't need an answer. She already knew.

"Yes, Momma," I said.

She walked past me like a shadow, brushing the air beside me but never touching. I stayed still as the sound of running water reached my ears from the bathroom. A faint flicking sound followed, scented candles being lit, one by one. Lavender. Rose. Vanilla. The scents layered the air with sickening sweetness.

I didn't move. I waited.

When the water stopped, I drifted in like a ghost.

She was kneeling beside the tub, stirring the water with one hand, the other clutching my pink loofah. Rose-scented oil floated in swirls on the surface, hiding whatever lay beneath.

I let my robe fall and stepped in. The water was too warm, always too warm, but I didn't flinch. I never did. I sat quietly, knees pulled up, arms resting loosely at my sides.

She scrubbed my skin like she was washing guilt off a floor. Her hands weren't rough on purpose. That was the problem, this was care in her mind. This was love. I sat there, head tilted back slightly, eyes fixed on the wall tiles.

Then she paused.

I knew the rhythm. I knew what came next.

She stood slowly, reached into her wig, and pulled out two silver clips, the ones she usually used to pin her curls back when they drooped. She held them delicately, like heirlooms. But they weren't meant for hair tonight.

My heart slowed, not in fear, but in quiet surrender.

She walked to me. Knelt again. Opened the clips. And fastened one to each nipple.

A sharp breath escaped my lips, but I said nothing. I curled my toes beneath the water, eyes still on the marble. The pain burned slow, like a brand sinking into skin.

Then came the candles.

She picked two, held them carefully. Her eyes didn't even blink. I knew what she would do. I'd known for weeks now. Maybe months.

She tilted the candles, and the wax began to drip.

First a drop.

Then another.

It landed across my chest, my collarbone, the soft slope of my stomach. It burned, but not enough to scar. Just enough to remind me.

I didn't scream. I didn't cry.

"This is the part where I should cry out in pain," I thought. "Where I scream for someone, anyone, like a normal person."

But I didn't. I hadn't for a long time.

You see, I'm not so normal anymore.

And my mother?

She's not insane. Not completely.

Just a few screws loose. Just enough to turn a soothing bath into a performance. A ritual.

She thinks it's teaching me something. Discipline. Control. Toughness.

But all it's teaching me is silence.

I stared ahead, listening to the last of the wax drip, each drop a quiet beat in the longest song I've ever known.

When she was done, she stood, wiped her hands on a white towel, and said, "Your hair isn't braided dea" she said caressing my cheeks "Come" she said as the walked out of my room.

I didn't answer.

The wax hardened.

The water cooled.

And I stayed there, long after she left, but It wasn't over just yet more awaited me in the room.

You'll also like

A Second Chance With The CEO After Divorce

Blackfish

3.8

Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"

Woke Up Married

Judith C-Tagoe

4.7

The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.

Chasing Back What's Mine

G~Aden

3.9

"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"

Mr. Nelson Winning His Ex-wife's Heart

Amye Hochschild

4.9

In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.

Rising From Ashes: The Heiress They Tried To Erase

Sarene Vosgerchian

5.0

Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.

Secrets Of The Neglected Wife: When Her True Colors Shine

Ariela Lomeli

3.9

After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."

BRUISED PETALS

About

Contents