Four

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My heart beats wildly in my chest as I try to comprehend what Ethan just revealed. The woman who I thought is my mother is my aunt. For the past three years, I thought she was my mother. The DNA report said the match was 99.99%. I have been paying her hospital bills for more than a year. Is that also a lie? My head spins as I try to understand what is going on. Even after the divorce, I held it all together because I thought I had a family. I thought I had a mother. I had someone I can call family. Even though aunt is a member of the family, is she really family if she has been lying to me all this time. I have been working so hard to save a woman who is been conning me. I put all my savings and future on hold of a lie.

I have to lean against the door so I don't fall. I should cry or scream but right now I feel numb. I don't know what I should think. I feel like everything around me is falling apart. I slowly move towards the stairs gathering all my strength. As I reach the door to our room, I hear footsteps and I hope it's Ethan coming to tell me he just made everything up because he was angry with me. I want to hold on to him. I feel like everything is spiralling out of control and I need someone to hold me together. I lean against the door and rest my forehead on the door waiting for him to come and hold me.

The person comes closer and I know its not Ethan. The hair in the back of my neck stands when I feel his breath on my shoulder.

"1 million. I will give you 1 million dollars, Cara", Sandro says behind me. His Italian accent is more pronounced now that he is reeking of alcohol. I immediately realize the danger I am in. Being alone in the mansion with Sandro is not a good idea. I try to open the door but he holds my hand and stops me.

" Now now cara, we are talking business. You can't leave without giving me an answer", he says as his hands run all over my body feeling me up. I try pushing him but he is too strong.

"Let me go. I have no business with you", I say struggling to get off his grip. From the first time I met Sandro before I married Ethan, he has been behaving inappropriately. I ignored his advances and always stayed with Ethan when he was around. I know Elsa hates me so much because she once saw him groping me. I tried to explain but she won't believe my words. She said I was trying to seduce her husband because he was richer than Ethan. I thought she will tell Ethan and stop our wedding but she never said anything to him but continued to insult me every chance she got.

Yesterday while I was sleeping, he came into my room and was touching my thighs. When I woke up, he tried to kiss me. If it wasn't for James coming to check on me, I don't know what would have happened. James was furious and was ready to create a ruckus. But I asked him not to tell anyone because I didn't want to cause any problems before the party. Will and Elise deserve a celebration. But right now I feel by ignoring his behaviour, I made a huge mistake.

" You looks Bellissima. I am ready to pay any money to have you tonight", he says trying to kiss me. I push him away but he won't budge.

"I am not a w***e. Let me go or I will scream"

"Scream you will Cara. But not the way you think. Accept my offer and make it easy for both of us.", he says pulling me to him.

"No, let me go", I say and start screaming for help.

" help. Ethan, James. please help".

"F***", he says and drags me to the door next to my room. I struggle and fight but he is stronger than me. He pushes the door with this shoulders and throws me inside and locks the door. I try to get up but my flats get caught in my dress and I fall on my butt.

" You can scream all you want but no one will hear you. This room is soundproof.", he says walking towards me removing his clothes one by one. I push back trying to put as much space between us as possible. I look around to find anything to help me. But I don't find any. The room is dark with sofas and a huge screen.

"Cara, there is nowhere to go. I don't want to force you. But you are giving me no choice.", he says removing his belt and moving closer.

"Please let me go. When Ethan finds out, he will not let you go", I say tears roll my cheeks.

"Ethan was fine with it when I asked him in the bar", he says removing his pants. I don't believe him. Ethan may hate me but he will near let anyone hurt me.

" You are lying. Ethan will never let anyone hurt me"

"Is it so? From what I gathered he thought you are a who*** and was ready to pay a quarter million".

My heart stops beating when he mentioned Ethan's offer. Did Ethan really think so little of me? Not in a billion years did I ever think Ethan will propose something like that. He did ask and it shattered my heart. If he could ask that, could he give me away to his brother-in-law like I am some kind of toy? The very thought destroys me.

Sandro took advantage of my distraction and jumps me. I fight him with all the strength in my body and push him away and run for the door. But he is faster. He grabs me and throws me on the floor. I hit my head and blackout.

When I regain consciousness, he has tied my hands to the leg of a seat and is top of me. Terror sets in when I remember what happened last time. I tell myself that I won't go down without a fight and I knee him in the balls. He curses and rolls on the floor in pain. I try to free my hands from the belt but it won't open. I scream and shout hoping anyone will hear me. But soon Sandro pulls himself together and slaps me hard across my face and proceeds to rape me as I scream and shout hoping someone would come. But nobody came. When he was done, he loosens the belt. I lay there staring up at the ceiling feeling like an utter failure.

" You saved me a million dollars. Maybe next time, take the money.", he says as he gets dressed and leaves.

I lay there for a long time feeling hopeless. Why was I even fighting? There is no one who cares what happens to me. I don't have a family. The woman who I thought was my mother is my aunt. The person I love more than anything in this world thinks I am a who**. I don't have a job or a place to live. I am just wasting away Earth's resources. What difference does it make if I am alive or dead? No one is going to miss me. I am like the maple leaf in the fall. No one will even notice that I am gone. The thought pushes me to do something which will end all these miseries. I slowly get up from the floor and limp back to my room. I walk into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I look like the way I feel. Broken.

I find the razor and take out the blades. In one sharp move, I cut the vein on my wrist. I see the blood ooze out and soon fall on the floor. I stare at the ceiling feeling lightheaded. I close my eye hoping I am taken somewhere far far away.