Time was something I didn't have as I hauled a cab over to the side of the busy street. The air was musty as I grabbed the top and pulled myself in. The old man smiled at me and asked where I was going.

"Lawrence Enterprises, please", I said as he typed it in and began driving towards it. My mind spiraled as I felt the burning need to go home but then I remembered why I put myself into dangerous situations. It was all for her, she was the light at the end.

"Going for a job interview?", his question snapped me out and back to reality as I wished I was going for a simple job interview.

"No, you have a nice day sir", I handed him an extra tip as he thanked me and I got out of the bright yellow cabby. The tall building stretched out in front of me as I scaled the length, remembering the times I'd held my mom's hand as she delivered lunch to my dad.

I rushed into the building as I spotted the lobby filled with exuberant plants and people yelling or fussing into their cellular phones. My heartbeat skipped a few as I walked up to the private elevator and the man let me inside. All the way to the top, I pressed.

"It's a bad day you need to go", Margie tried pushing me out of the door as her face slipped as she heard the large-scale door open and the smell of cigarettes filled the air. I heard his heavy footprints as my sister filled my head.

"Margie, trying to scare away my guests, that wouldn't be so professional now, would it. We have an appointment today, Marge so if you wouldn't mind leaving us the fuck alone", he said calmly still maintaining his business-like persona as Margie quickly returned to the desk as he ushered me inside of his office, it was dark and just as eery as I remembered it to be.

"I really must find someone to replace Margie, so outspoken and she keeps refusing the bosses for extra favors", he said as he closed the blinds so the room was dark and lonely.

I took a seat on the chair as he locked the door swiftly.

"DID I SAY TO SIT, God everything is wrong with you", he pushed the chair over as pounded into my stomach, his boots leaving imprints as he stepped onto my hands and slapping me harshly.

"YOU ARE JUST AS PATHETIC AS YOUR MOTHER", his boot hit my jaw as I tasted the blood that rushed out of my mouth.

"You're in love with him you bitch, no one could ever love you. You're sour and used. Gross and ugly", the words got to me and I believed them, wouldn't you believe your own father? He grabbed my hair and pulled me onto my knees as I cried out. He grabbed my face and made me face him as he whispered awful things into my ear. He beat me senseless, but this time it was different as I glanced at myself every now and then waiting for him to stop.

I started feeling sleepy as I fell to the floor, but I still felt the kicks and the punches, just everything altered, I shook my body, telling myself to wake up as I watched my helpless body lie there as I let a man beat me till I was unconscious. Fight back, I whispered into the girl I once thought was strong, I wasn't strong, I was worthless.

"Natalie wake up he's coming back", Margie whispered as I pulled myself up off the carpet and felt the wet substance on my forehead. Blood was trickling down my face as Margie wrapped a trench coat around me and handed me a wad of cash. I leaned against her as she put me in the elevator as she checked the corner. Everything was blurry, nothing clear.

I stumbled outside as the sun blinded me and I wandered over to a car as he asked me where I was going, but this time I didn't answer as I felt the world slip around me and I heard horrified screams from the man.

⚠️⚠️

"Female 20s, head lac and bruising all over, a cab driver called it in", the sirens blared my head as faces looked up at me and tried to calm me down, my heartbeat fast as they hauled me into the hospital.

"Get a head MRI, and let's get these clothes off, and prepare for a rape kit", I felt the stings of the light as it burned my eyes.

"Please... Please don't call my husband", I tore the mask off and whispered to her as I knew what was going through her mind.

"She has extensive scarring all up her back, for over many years I already called a social worker", I woke up in a secluded hospital bed and I scanned the room letting my worries slip my mind.

"She's awake", they removed the mask as I saw a doctor appear in my line of sight, she looked at the vitals as they ran smoothly. The doctor left as I was left alone with the person who seemed to know all about me.

"You promised me", the voice rang into my head loud and clear it sounded so familiar, but it was like I wanted to forget her voice.

"Your mother she made me promise that you would be safe, that he wouldn't hurt you as he did to her all those years", she yelled at me as I saw the well of tears flood her eyes.

"I... I'm sorry", I told her as I watched her break in front of me. Nurses don't cry with their patients but when they're family they do.

"Let me call Nolan, let me report this, get justice for you and your mother he'll be locked up for life I promise she had proof too, photos, videos", she begged me to report it but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"He has my sister and if I do any... anything he will kill her", I told her as she breathed heavily and I heard her voice cut deep as she cried out.

"I'll help you get her back, the police they can do it", she looked me in the eye and promised me things she couldn't deliver.

"You can't help me, no one can help me", I told her as I turned to a side and she hugged me.

"How long is this supposed to go on, huh, how long?", she asked me as she yelled loudly and I saw her pull out her phone. Her fiery eyes stared into mine and I didn't know how to answer her question, because I truly didn't know.

"Don't call him", I looked her dead in the eye as she stuffed the phone back in her pocket.

"I'm reporting this", she grabbed the clothes that had my bruises and the images the doctors took as I screamed at her no.

"The police, won't do anything don't you understand he owns the police, he donates every year to the police a hefty amount of money", she put the bags down as I grabbed my phone as it was ringing rapidly.

"Hey sweetie", Nolan said softly as I heard the engine of the plan roaring in the background.

"Hi", my voice was dry and filled with sorrow. He was so sweet and caring and all I did was lie. I knew if I told him he wouldn't stop until I had my sister and Daniel and Melissa would be in jail, but he would know.

"How was the trip?", I cut the silence in half as I knew he was listening in on the background.

"It was good, it's beautiful in Dubai, I'm at a layover flight. Also, Alison is coming over, she said she wanted to talk to you about something.", he said as I whispered under my breath.

"That's good, Nolan I have to go, I love you", I told him as he said it back and hung up the phone. Clara gave me a look as I tucked the phone in my pocket.

"You realize he probably already knows, right. Your last name goes straight to the top, he probably already got a call", I hoped it wasn't true.

"When can I go home?", I asked as she rolled her eyes at me. Clara was stubborn, she was the stubbornness, I didn't have from my mother.

"You're not going home". She declared as I began ripping the patches off of my chest and arms. She pushed me back down and reattached the sensors.

"You don't understand", I told her as she looked at me like she's heard of it many times before.

"You've been lying to all the people you love, your family, yeah I guess I don't understand", she yelled at me as I felt torn apart, she really didn't understand.

"I don't have family, don't you understand that my mother died, my sister was taken from me, and my father is a maniac, so I'm sorry if you can't understand why I want her back so bad and that I would do anything for her", I yelled at her as the tears fell mercilessly from my eyes. She saw the hurt in my eyes and as much as she pushed, in the end, she was just like Nolan.

"Listen I'm sorry okay, I know how important she is to you, but you can't let yourself get hurt like this", she explained to me and I understood her thinking, but I had priorities, my sister was on top and my health was second. She's the one thing I have left of my mom. She sat next to me softly and held me something that I hadn't felt in a while.

Clara's youth never faded as the grey hairs grew in, she must've been my mom's age when we came to the hospital the first time. She had waited off going to the hospital because they were broke and she was in a toxic marriage. He didn't care about her health, but yet she still stayed. She still loved him with all her heart, she saw his violent ways but chose to ignore them. She saw the evil behind the mask but didn't want to accept it. She had married her high school sweetheart, married at the beginning of college. She didn't know any different from him, and I wish I had told her she deserved more, but I was too young to see the ways he would manipulate, abuse and make us feel so belittled.

"My shift gets off in 30 minutes, I'll grab your discharge papers and then I'll take you home and see this penthouse of yours", she smiled as she wiped the tears away from under her eyes. I thanked her as she went to grab the doctor.

"Hi, I'm Angela, I'd like to discuss why you're in the hospital", she sat down lightly as she handed me a pair of new clothes.

"Would you like to press charges against whoever did this to you?", she asked me softly. I shook my head softly and she didn't seem surprised. She told me I didn't have to considering I wasn't a minor.

She sat down and talked with me for a while, asking questions from a serious standpoint to something I would ask a friend. I told her I wanted them to keep it, so when I did take him to court I would have evidence.

"I don't want my husband finding out", I told her discreetly as she wrote it down.

"Mrs. Clementé I will do everything in order to make sure he doesn't know, most spouses get upset they came", She said suggesting it was Nolan who was hurting me.

"It's not my husband, whose doing this, I just don't want him to know because I haven't told him", Angela looked at me kindly as she assured me I didn't need to explain who had done it, to her.

"Angela, may I have a word?", the doctor asked as Angela stepped away and went outside joining her. They seemed to be talking as I waited patiently.

"I understand you told Angela, you wanted to know about the damage to your body and that you didn't want to take it the police yet", she asked softly just like Angela, they all walked on eggshells around me, not too loud, not too touchy, they were calm. I nodded ahead not wanting to discuss how little the police could truly help me.

"You had rib damage, it seems to be healing on its own, you had a fractured ankle, which is healing on its own and we stitched your head up, but you may experience that your vision is not yet clear and don't drive for the next 3 weeks, and this may help clear up some scars, but if this happens again please come back", she suggested as I took the cream, I signed myself out as she told the doctor she would look after me.

"So where are we going", Clara asked as she loaded me up in the car and took her personal belongings with me as I wore clothes from the gift shop, as they had taken mine.

"Why don't we grab some food before, it's on me.", I suggested as we picked up some burgers and fries. I pointed her in the right direction as she saw the tall building.

I leaned against her as we got in the elevator carrying our food as we felt the elevator go higher and higher until we heard the ding.

"Wow, this is humongous", Clara looked around as she marveled at the view from the balcony, as the breeze kicked in.

The rest of the night she had asked me questions about my mom, vice versa, and I wanted to know more about Clara. Turns out when I was small I had met Clara's family and friends considering my mom and she had become close.

"Hey Hunny, just wanted to say goodnight", I called him as it went straight to voicemail, he may have already been sleeping.

Clara slept over as I wouldn't let her leave this late at night, she was such a sweet person, and it didn't surprise me that my mom's favorite nurse was Clara.

When I woke up Clara had left for work as I felt the grossness stuck on my body. I stood in front of the mirror as I began taking my shirt along with my loose shorts.

Scars ran down from my ankles to the healing stitches that had been tucked under my hair. My stomach was a light shade of purple as I stung at the pain as I brushed my finger over it.

My shoulders were a light red, I was worthless, bruised, and used just like he said. Nolan would never want me now, I turned my back around as I saw the dark red gash torn up, from his cleated work shoes. I sat in the warm tub, brushing over every impurity I saw from myself.

"Natalie, sorry I missed your call, the crazy times in Dubai", he said as I felt so safe hearing his calming voice, and I wished he was sitting next to me.

"It's okay, it's just really nice to hear your voice", I told him as I smiled wishing he was with me.

"I really miss you", he whispered as I could tell he was in the room with other people.

"I miss you too, when will you come home to me?", I asked him as I urned for his soft touch and the way his words floated off his tongue.

"I'll be back as soon as I can", he responded and then had to leave as one of his many business meetings was happening. I was alone again, nowhere to go and no one to turn too.

The water had turned freezing cold, and the soft plush bubbles had turned into fragrant water. I grabbed a towel and dried my loose ends to each individual toe.

The city sky unraveled and the nighttime came in a swift movement. I grabbed a cup of tea and sat out at the balcony overlooking the city of Seattle. It was peaceful and breezy, and I watched it as the sun set in front of my eyes. The soft breeze put me to sleep soundly as I dreamed of a day where my sister had returned to me.