The night was like a slow, merciless punishment. Every minute had dragged long as if the clock has stopped working. The night felt endless to her. She hadn't been able to close her eyes. Everytime she had tried to sleep, she would remember what had happened no matter how hard she tried to get it off her mind.
Her eyes had been on the window, looking out of it to the sky, wondering and waiting for the day to break. By the time the first weak light of the morning shone into the room, she felt Blaise climbed down from the bed to dress up for work. It was until she heard his car drove out of the gate that she finally felt lighter and relieved.
Now, she sat on the bed, her gaze on the small, empty packet of the after pill lying on the floor.
Blaise had told her to take it immediately after he had released and was done with her. Just like he had always done.
He never asked if she wanted to. He just ordered her and she always obeyed. Sometimes, if she didn't want to, he would beat her and forces it into her mouth.
She remembered how years ago, when she was still in love with him, she had secretly wanted to have his child. She would imagine a baby with his sharp jawline and her own sky blue eyes, but Blaise never allowed it. He would wait and watch her until she swallowed the pill, making sure she didn't skip it. When she finally asked him why he always insisted on her taking the pill after fu*king her, his answer was flat and final.
"I'm not ready for a child yet"
Not ready?
For three whole years?
Back then, his answer hurt. It was cold and painful to her hearing it from the man she truly loved. However now, she didn't even want to have his child. The thought of it alone made her chest tighten with irritation and bitterness. She wouldn't want to birth the child of a monster, a man that who doesn't care about her feelings and how suffocating things were for her in this house.
She turned her head to look at the sheets still rumpled from the night before. Her fingers pinched her palm so badly.
Finally, she reached out for her phone to check the time, but before she could, it started ringing. She picked it up and saw that it was her mother calling. Her finger slid across the screen, answering the phone before she brought it to her ear.
"Hello, mother"
—
Estelle climbed down from a cab, standing in front of a familiar house. She had a scarf pulled low over her head and a big sunglasses that hid most of her face. Without wasting a second, she rushed through the small gate.
The house wasn't large. It was just a modest house, but it felt more different than she remembered. Standing at the front door was a middle aged woman, pacing restlessly. The woman's hands were clasped tightly in front of her and often, she brought her fingers to her mouth, biting at them in worry.
"Mom" Estelle called softly as she walked towards her.
The woman, Amelia froze mid-step and looked at her. Estelle could see the relief washing over her face. "What took you so long to get here? I have been waiting for you"
"Where is Grandma?" Estelle didn't even bother to answer her mother's question. She walked past her hurriedly, walking straight into the house. Her mother followed her as they made their way to a small bedroom.
On the bed lay an old woman, her skin was pale, wrinkled and almost dry. Her body looking smaller than what Estelle remembered. The woman's breathing was weak, Estelle could see it. The woman's lips were dry and she looked so weak… too weak.
Estelle knelt beside her, her voice was so gentle and soft. "Grandma…" She reached out, her hand brushing lightly against the older woman's cheek. Then she turned to her mother. "What did the doctor say?"
Amelia's voice was low. "It's late-stage pneumonia. The hospital said she needs immediate treatment… but I couldn't get the money, so I brought her home."
"How much is the treatment?"
Amelia kept quiet at first. She didn't know how to start. She opened her mouth several times to talk, but she couldn't. When Estelle saw this, she frowned. "Talk, mom"
"It's one hundred and twenty thousand dollars" Amelia finally spoke up.
Estelle blinked, but she didn't want to react outwardly, so she kept an expressionless face on. However, inside of her, the number made her stomach drop. She didn't have that kind of money and she was sure… very sure that Blaise wouldn't give that amount of money to her. She didn't have a job to support her family or even friends that can help her or lend her the money for the main time. Honestly, she didn't like the situation she was in, and it felt like there was nothing she could do.
If she sat there, waiting for help from above, she would just rot in Blaise's house. She just had to look for ways to pull herself out of the mess she had put herself in.
She turned back to look at her grandmother, whose eyes had opened. Her eyes were dull and tired, and she had shade of blue as Estelle's. The old woman's lips parted as if to speak, but Estelle quickly hushed her.
"It's alright, Grandma" she whispered, taking her weak, trembling hand in hers and she lowered her head to kiss it softly. "I'm here now, okay? You don't have to be scared. We'll get you the best hospital and the best treatment"
But her grandmother still tried to speak, so Estelle leaned closer, pressing her ear near the woman's lips.
What she heard made her body go still, her heart skipping painfully.
"A-are you… in pain? Is… is Blaise maltreating y-you?"