io's

le

Not quiet. Just this... eerie, choking silence. The kind tha

ading. Pages open, eyes glazed over. My mind wasn't in the room

't here

ia

t in this rotten life and even

it had power over me. I didn't need to look out the window to know wh

rtain with her snake eyes. "He's here," she whisp

ed to

nts. God, I hadn't even had a drink today, but I wa

He had that clean, polite kind of face. Not too young, not too old

, voice steady, col

, fluttering around with wine glasses like we were throw

e said. "I represent

like I didn't know. Like I wasn't drowning

" His tone didn't change. Not a threat. Just the tr

pened it with shaking fingers. It wasn't long. Maybe three pages. But

f a mistake I

free. No interest. No more knocking at your door. In

. "Marry? Arian

e protected. Provided for. That's more th

lin

cruelly. Just..

f I sa

. Flat. "Then your debt comes

e table. A warning. Or pressure

who this man is,"

d to. You just

. No threats. No bribes. Just f

drink and lit a cigarette, blowing th

smiling like a cat

"This is madness.

at who disrespects me in my own house? Who sn

ed. "What did

hind your back. Kissing him. Probably more. What kind of

Couldn't. My s

d about her when we couldn't afford dinner last week. Or when I had to pawn

g at the empty gla

I have,"

And if you don't let her go, we're all de

n't r

knew the

iana two

ung to the doorframe lik

aybe

og!" she yelled, tears streaming down

I couldn't. I d

saw something in her ey

tr

ing, white

eet before they

Her room was too quiet. Greta pretended she didn't notice. Act

I no

damn s

one day,

ack. No words

like we were trash. I didn't even fight. I knew it was co

h broke somet

me bite my tong

, I couldn't feel my bac

through the walls every night. Funny. She used t

ing at the ceiling. Lettin

y. Whoever he was... at least he cared eno

wasn't

was

my da

d her f

er face in my dreams. And eve

hat's j

t's not

's wha

I ta

damn