Lilith Steele awoke with a jolt, the early morning light seeping weakly through her curtains. The remnants of sleep dissolved into the sharp sting of memory. Rhett Barone's words—cold, domineering, inescapable—echoed in her mind: "From now on, you are mine." Her heart thudded as though those words had been branded into her very soul.
"No," she whispered fiercely, forcing herself upright. Her body disagreed with her resolve; pain radiated between her thighs, raw and relentless, a constant reminder of what he had taken. Her skin was littered with bruises, his mark stamped upon her in violent declarations. She dragged herself to the mirror, her breath catching when she saw the purple-black hickeys circling her neck like a cruel necklace.
She covered what she could with a scarf, dabbing layers of concealer over the darkest blotches, but the damage was too deep to hide. Every move brought a flash of discomfort. Still, she clenched her jaw, dressed in modest, loose clothing, and forced herself into the world.
---
The steel gates of Avelore General Hospital loomed ahead, sterile white against the busy streets of Serelis. Lilith limped through its polished glass doors and approached the reception desk, her voice almost too faint to hear.
"I… I need to see a gynecologist."
The receptionist gave her a practiced smile, directed her to the second floor, and minutes later Lilith sat in the waiting area, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. When her name was called, she followed a nurse down the corridor, her heart hammering.
The gynecologist, Dr. Marianne Holt, was a woman with kind eyes and a steady tone. She asked Lilith questions that made her cheeks burn, questions she wished she never had to answer. Lilith's voice shook, but she forced herself to recount enough for the doctor to understand.
Examination was humiliating, but necessary. The cold instruments, the probing hands—it all made her flinch, and flashes of the night tore through her like shards of glass. Finally, Dr. Holt straightened, her expression gentle but serious.
"You have significant swelling and bruising," she said softly. "It's going to hurt for a while. You'll need to avoid sexual activity until you heal, otherwise you risk tearing and further complications."
Lilith's throat constricted. Avoid sex. The very thought of it made her want to crawl out of her skin.
Dr. Holt scribbled on a prescription pad and handed it to her. "Take this—Diclofenac. It will help with inflammation and pain. Also, apply the topical cream I've added here. You'll feel sore for a few days, but with rest and care, you'll recover physically. Emotionally…" The woman paused, her eyes searching Lilith's. "That will take more time. Be patient with yourself."
Lilith nodded, silent tears slipping down her cheeks as she clutched the papers.
---
After picking up her prescription at the pharmacy, she sat in the hospital restroom and followed the doctor's instructions. The stinging relief of the medicine settled through her body slowly, easing the throbbing ache in her thighs. She stood with less of a limp, though her soul still dragged as heavily as before.
She made her way upstairs to the long-term ward, where her mother lay still, pale and unmoving, her chest rising and falling with the aid of machines. The sight broke Lilith anew. She sank into the chair beside the bed, gripping her mother's hand with desperate tenderness.
"Mom," she whispered, her voice breaking, "I don't know how much more I can take. Father… he's destroying me. He—he gave me away like I'm nothing, like I'm just a piece of his deals. And the stranger from that night…" She choked on the name, shame and fear twisting inside her. "He ruined me, Mom. And I can't even tell anyone. I don't know what to do. Please… please wake up. Please save me."
Her tears fell unchecked onto her mother's blanket. She sat there for nearly an hour, pouring her fears, her anger, and her exhaustion into words her mother could not hear. Finally, wiping her face, she kissed the older woman's hand and forced herself out of the room.
---
As she stepped into the corridor, her phone buzzed. The name flashing on the screen made her blood freeze: Karl Creed.
Her boyfriend.
Her chest constricted, panic surging through her veins. She couldn't bear to hear his voice, to imagine his questions, to face the truth of what she had become. With trembling fingers, she declined the call and immediately placed his number on Do Not Disturb. Shame gnawed at her heart like a relentless parasite.
She turned to leave, but just as she reached the elevators, a firm voice called her name.
"Miss Steele."
It was Dr. Kevin Grant, her mother's attending physician. His expression was professional, but his tone carried a weight that made Lilith's stomach twist.
"Your father has not paid this month's medication bill. Without it, we won't be able to continue her treatments."
Her pulse spiked. "How much?"
"One hundred thousand dollars."
The floor seemed to tilt beneath her feet. One hundred thousand. That was everything she had left—her savings, her future. Her lips trembled as she reached into her purse and handed over her card.
"Charge it," she whispered hoarsely.
The payment went through. Her heart shattered. She walked away with empty hands and a hollow chest.
---
The streets of Serelis blurred around her as she wandered aimlessly, clutching the weight of her loss. By the time she reached her small apartment, she was drained, her spirit fraying at the seams.
The door swung open, and suddenly a body flung itself into her arms.
"Lilith!"
It was Ivy Stone, her childhood best friend and the twin sister of Lucy, Lilith's late confidante. Ivy's embrace was fierce, her laughter bright as she shook Lilith by the shoulders.
"You didn't tell me you were back in town, you wicked girl!" she teased. "I missed you so much. Come on, smile, don't look so gloomy. You've always been the serious one."
For the first time in days, Lilith's lips curved upward. Ivy's energy was a balm, dragging her briefly out of her despair. They reminisced, laughed, and shared stories of the past, Ivy's presence lighting up the dim apartment.
But the fragile peace shattered when Lilith's phone rang again.
Her father.
She answered reluctantly, and his voice erupted like fire through the speaker.
"You stupid girl! Do you realize what you've done? Mr. Marlowe is furious, and you've humiliated me again! You stood him up, and now you'll pay for it. Come back to the old house now or you'll never see your mother again."
Lilith's hands shook, her face contorting with fury. "You're a monster!" she screamed. "You've done nothing but destroy me, and I swear, one day you'll regret everything you've ever done to me!"
He sneered through the line. "Defy me, and watch your mother die."
The call ended. Lilith hurled the phone across the room, trembling with rage.
"I'll switch Mom to another hospital," she muttered through clenched teeth, determination burning in her veins. "He won't use her against me again."
---
That night, she and Ivy sat together with bottles of wine sprawled across the table. They drank until the world blurred at the edges, until Lilith's pain dulled into hazy laughter.
When her body could no longer hold itself up, she slumped onto the couch, her eyes closing as Ivy covered her with a blanket. The last thing she heard was Ivy's soft voice whispering, "You're not alone, Lilith. I'll never let you be alone."
And for the first time in days, she let herself sleep without nightmares.
---