Kylie had no clue what time it was or where she was right now. She had kept on walking, and the surrounding scenery had slowly started to become unfamiliar. But that did not matter to her; she had just wanted to get away, get away from that horrid place. Finally, she sat down on a bench at a busy kid's playground. School had been let out so little kids and their parents were milling about the playground having fun before they went home for the night.

Kylie's heart ached at sight; all her life, this was exactly what she wanted, a loving family. But God had never granted her most yearned for a wish. As she watched the fun sight, tears started to roll down her cheeks, for what she experienced throughout her life at the hands of her father, step-mother, and step-sister, and what she experienced just now with Aiden.

​​

She had no one in her life to share her experiences with, and she had no one to turn to when she felt sad and lonely. Kylie sniffed and tried to curb her tears when she saw a little girl watching her. Through her tears, she smiled at the girl who responded by running away.

"That's right, I make everyone around me run away," Kylie bitterly said to herself.

Feeling more alone than she had ever felt in her life, Kylie picked up her cell and dialed Ethan's number, not caring that he might be busy. She waited, but Ethan did not pick up as his phone was turned off. Kylie scrolled through her contacts and dialed his secretary. A woman picked up on the other side.

"Hello, Parker Industries. How may I direct your call?"

"Can…can I please speak with Ethan?" Kylie's voice wobbled as she was on the tip of a breakdown.

"Mr. Parker isn't available now. May I know who's calling?" The woman replied seeming, annoyed. Kylie did not know who the woman was, and she could not tell her that Ethan was her husband.

"My name is Jules Finch," Kylie lied, knowing that Ethan will understand it was her. "Please let him know it's an emergency and to call me back immediately."

"Miss, I already told you that Mr. Parker is busy and will not be able to call you back today. However, I will leave a note on his desk," the woman huffed and immediately hang up the phone without giving Kylie a chance to respond.

Kylie felt that same ache in her heart return. She knew she was being unreasonable as Ethan was busy, but she could not help but feel absolutely alone in the world. Kylie looked up at the blue sky and smiled. It was such a beautiful day, bright and sunny. What a paradox, Kylie thought. Why was the world allowed to be so beautiful when her own world was falling apart? Was God this cruel?

***

Kylie finally called a taxi after spending the whole afternoon sitting on that bench. She only got up because she had started to receive weird looks from parents. Not wanting to create a scene, Kylie decided to head home even though she was dreading it. Something so horrific had just happened to her; how could she function and do everyday tasks?

Kylie unlocked the front door quietly and tiptoed inside. Taking a quick look inside, Kylie was thankful when she did not see the chef or housekeeper inside. She ran upstairs, locked the door, and fell against it feeling absolutely drained. Her body felt weak and vulnerable as if she had just run a long marathon even though she had been sitting all afternoon.

Kylie sighed and sat down on the bed, slowly starting to take off her clothes. She was dreading looking at her body, but it had to be done. Standing in front of their full-length mirror, Kylie gasped in shock. Her upper arms and shoulders were covered in dark bruises and stood out even more against her pale skin.

There was a deep cut on her leg, which had been bleeding heavily. Kylie guessed that it was from when she had latched onto the door to stop Aiden. She lightly touched the cut, and a sharp pain shot through her leg and thigh, making her hiss in pain. There were random bruises littered here and there on her body, which surprised her as she did not think she had hurt herself that bad, physically.

Kylie went and sat down on the bed again, grabbing her cell. She felt a strong feeling bubbling in her stomach, a feeling of intense pain and longing. She wished Ethan was here right now. Kylie dialed his number again, but still, his phone was turned off. She then redialed the secretary who picked up and repeated the same greeting as before.

"Yes, please, may I speak with Mr. Parker?" Kylie changed her technique and tried to change her voice. However, the woman recognized her immediately.

"Miss, I already told you Mr. Parker is busy. Plus, he does not have anyone in his contacts listed as Jules Finch, so please stop calling. Otherwise, I'll block this number."

Kylie chucked her cellphone across the room, relishing the voice of it cracking against her mirror. Smiling, Kylie picked up a vase and tossed it against the glass with all her force. The broken glass shattered in front of her, and the fractured mirror almost brought a sense of peace within her. Seeing something else broken in her surroundings made her feel almost 'normal.'

Kylie walked closer and picked up a large piece of broken glass, testing its sharpness by sliding her finger down the side. A drop of blood sprouted from her finger and trickled down, but Kylie did not care. She smiled and walked into the bathroom, turning on the tap for the bath. Yes, a nice warm bath sounded perfect right now.

Kylie felt her muscles slowly releasing from their tense position when she sat in hot water. She felt dirty and used and wanted herself to be clean from all the filth. Kylie grabbed the loofa and scrubbed hard, almost making her skin pink and raw from all the scrubbing. But no matter how much she scrubbed, the feeling of being dirty and used did not escape her body, heart, and mind. She could still feel Aiden's hands dragging her into the room and forcing her against the wall.

How would she ever feel clean? Kylie almost cried as she tried to think of the answer to this question. Kylie looked at the piece of glass she had placed at the side of the tub. It was almost as if she had an epiphany at that moment. Of course! Of course, she knew of a way to get clean. There was only one way!