or sigh escape. Her brows creased each time the whip landed on her back and her mind counted the number of times it had. Finally, the whipping stopped but Aurelia didn’t dare stand up just yet,

ia.” He spoke, breaking the heav

throat. She understood that all he did wa

t had bubbled inside of her. She didn’t recall twisting the poor girl’s arm, neither did she recall throwing her to the ground. It had happened just so fast. Aurelia hated herself at that moment. She hated that she couldn’t stop her voice from shaking as she told him everything. It was on very few occasions that her father had whipped her—so few that she coul

the room returned to its qu

e, Lia. Next time, when this overwhelming feeling comes

no

to school tomorrow.” Leading her to her room, he carefully tu

ng near her moved away from her. Aurelia sighed. Now, she was getting the privacy she wanted but actually in a wrong way. she walked to her class and sat on her locker, not minding the sea of eyes that followed her every move. She brought out her notebook from her school bag and just then, a shadow cast on h

ng her notebook open while doing a mental check-up on her insides so the raging feelings won’t catch her unannounced. Almost immediately, her book was c

ould finally kneel at her feet and beg for forgiveness under the watch of the entire class but as usual, sh

them, “Looks like someone is asking for an

r mind when she halted abruptly, her words dying in her mouth. It

who w

anger, “Wh

donis that popped out of those famo

you in any way?” Bel

e first time somebody was standing up for her in school. He was handsome, one fact she couldn’t deny. His smile could make all the girl

doubt running through her min

ankful? I’m trying to

. Did he really come fo

g the entire class who had been watching the mini-drama play out to burst out laughing. Bella felt h

a quietly slipped into her seat, feeling both embarrassed

r classmates already, Nicholas.” She comment

at Bella, “The people here a

lent. Class, this is your n

n’t it weird that they were having a n