Sandra at first didn't notice it, it was the way Aurora sipped on her coffee.
She sipped on in as though it was painful as her eyes were slightly red from crying before.
Sandra waited for an answer as the silence grew longer.
She felt that something was off since today but couldn't quite prove it.
As she stared, waiting for a reply, Aurora too was fumbling trying to get an answer without telling her friend much.
Getting tired and really uncomfortable from the stare, Aurora gave a sigh and quietly, with trembling fingers, dropped her cup on the table, slowly glancing up at Sandra, and used a napkin to clean it off.
"I..I..hit my face on the door of my bedroom by accident..and by accident, I mean I didn't wear my glasses so everywhere was slightly dim for me." She continued, "so I tried to clean it before you came." She finished, taking a huge gulp of coffee, which wasn't a good idea as it burned her tongue as it glided down her throat painfully.
But she didn't give away any reaction.
Sandra wasn't stupid and Aurora knew that.
Sandra didn't buy the idea at all. She knew that Aurora was sixty percent clumsy most times but still had brains.
There was no way Sandra would believe that Aurora could 'mistakenly bump her nose' on a door and it would bleed her mouth like that.
And how dark could it be that her friend couldn't see and 'bump' her nose on a door.
And not only that, why was Aurora wearing heavy makeup in the night!
It just couldn't make any sense.
First was her change in behavior, then her lips, now it's the heavy makeup.
All this Aurora kept quiet and waited for the worst to happen.
She'd known Sandra to be very…calculative and curious and she always got her answers.
Sandra folded her arms, getting irritated by the silence.
Aurora had never hidden anything from her since she was fourteen. The only thought that came to mind was –
"Derrick."
Aurora froze hearing her call that name. She still hadn't recovered from it.
She could feel the tears trying to break free but held it.
Sandra bit her lips as she might have gone too far but she couldn't be silent when her friend was obviously suffering from something bothering her.
"I'm sorry, but Aurora, stop hiding what's bothering you," she took a breath and exhaled, then continued, "you are my friend and as such I need to know what's going on. I can't keep quiet and see you suffering without uttering any word. And yes – Derrick.
I never trusted that guy with you at all from the start. I was just being a supportive friend then but now I feel stupid for not speaking up back then.
I should have done something then and I always blame myself for that. I should have stopped that relationship, I should have never taken you to that club in the first place." Her voice broke as she spilled her heart out.
It still felt like it wasn't enough, her tears streaming down her face as she hiccupped uncontrollably.
Aurora, watching all these, immediately hugged her best friend as tightly as she could.
She couldn't hold her own tears again as she saw her friend crashing in front of her.
They both stayed in that exact position, the coffee and biscuits left untouched and cold.
After a long time of crashing out, then silence.
Sandra had looked around and saw how they'd both deserted their snacks and couldn't help but chuckled.
"I guess we've made a mess here."
Aurora joined in the laugh but then stood immediately leaving Sandra confused, till she came back with a bowl of warm water and a clean cloth.
Sandra kept quiet as she watched what Aurora planned to do.
Aurora dipped the cloth in the water and gently swiped her face with it.
Slowly removing all the makeup, as Sandra sat startled.
The makeup slowly started to clean off, Sandra became more and more surprised as the swell and mark on Aurora's cheek became visible. And gasped,
"Aurora…what –
"I tried to quit my job." Aurora said monotone, not looking her in the eyes.
"Was it…him?"
"No – Viktor."
Sandra's facial expression was that of confusion, as she couldn't fathom who this 'Viktor' was.
"Who actually is this… Viktor ?"
Aurora sighed weakly as she exhaled loudly, her fingers together in a tight grasp fidgety, her heart in an upbeat as she didn't know how or from where to start from.
Sandra held her hands softly and reassured her, " Aurora there's no pressure in telling if you feel uncomfortable talking about such a person, I understand."
With a look of defeat, Aurora shook her head, "No,I should have told you this a long time ago…don't say a word please?"
At that, Sandra stayed still, heavy at heart but listened with open ears.
"So…" Aurora started.
"After that night at the club, the night Derrick and I exchanged contacts, we or should I say – he started chatting me up on socials.
At first everything was good, we talked like friends and he understood me really well. I even told you about him countless times then.
After a few months of chatting, I saw him as the only person I could ever trust. So with that thought of seeing him as an angel, I told him of my daily struggles and whatnot.
He gave me an offer to work at the club saying that his good friend owned it. At first I was really skeptical about working in that kind of environment but he assured me that it wouldn't be a bad idea, so I agreed…and that's when things took a dark turn in my life."
She said as tears were slowly forming in her eyes but still kept on with the truth.
"The next week, after all the assurance of safety and a good pay, I agreed upon following him to meet his so-called 'friend'.
And I was beyond shocked that it was the same club we first met that his friend owned and didn't bother to ask any further questions then, which I still regret.
He took me upstairs to the owner's office and that was where I met Viktor.
I never liked the kind of auto he gave off but I couldn't question it either."
Aurora clenched her jaw as her throat burned from holding the tears from falling and trying not to falter in her speech.
"The signs were there but I was so blinded by 'love' that I didn't catch the signals they were giving each other.
Too blind that I didn't know I was a prey and a part of their plan.
Viktor of course gave me the job and my joy knew no bounds then, that I was finally going to live the kind of life that I wanted.
So I thought…"
Aurora's posture shifted as her mood dampened the more, her voice more monotone than before with hidden pain in them.
Sandra couldn't do anything as she so clearly wishes to erase all the pain her friend had passed through.
"As the nights went by, I had finally gotten the job, but…it wasn't all rainbows there.
I witnessed murder, torture and kidnappings most nights.
And I wasn't allowed to speak a word, or else I would end up with the same date as the others.
Viktor made me do so many things I wished to erase and cut off from my mind but I can't.
Every night more and more happened, and I couldn't speak a word."
She gave a painful smile and continued,
"Now he can't allow me to quit because I know too much, and that's how everything happened."
Sandra couldn't hold her tears as she immediately hugged her tightly, with whispers of 'I'm so sorry' and 'this is all.my fault'.
Which wasn't any of hers but couldn't help but blame herself for.
Aurora laughed and held her cheeks, "no worries and it was never your fault – I do not blame you and I never did. But I can't be in defeat, I need to do something."
Sanra frantically nodded and released her from the hug.
"What can I do to help?"
"I don't know now but I'm yet to find out soon." Aurora replied as she stood and dropped their used utensils and leftovers on the fridge.
Unbothered, like they never had an episode just a few seconds ago.
"Are you staying over?" Aurora asked as she came back to the sitting room.
"I wish I could, but tomorrow I'll sleep over." Sandra said as she checked the time and saw it was almost late.
"Please take care, I promise to stay over next time." She said as she hugged Aurora tightly.
Aurora smiled, "you too and you better come over."
They both giggled and Aurora saw her off before locking up and heading straight to her room.
She washed her face, went through her socials and slept off.
In not less than an hour, her doorbell rang. At first she wondered how it was possible since Sandra left in less than an hour, and she wasn't expecting anybody at this time of the night.
She checked her time and it was pretty late.
Annoyed as she was, she tossed her duvet away recklessly and headed downstairs as the doorbell rang repeatedly.
But this time something felt off.
The way the intruder was ringing the doorbell felt off, her gut feeling was telling her something was wrong but her curiosity got the best of her.
With trembling hands and a fast beating heart, held on the doorknob having double mind on whether to open it or not.
And her curiosity won and the sight in front of her made her pale.
"Miss me darling …
********