Chapter 4

Getting to her room she found different boxes of shoes and bags, turning toward her mirror her eyes met with the most beautiful jewelry set she had ever seen, it was all too good to be true.

Emerald wasn’t dumb, she knew where the gift came from or where they actually gifts considering the wedding is tomorrow it was for her adornment, so she would look like the perfect wife as her father intended to say.

By the way I haven’t seen Sophie since our last encounter, I met mom downstairs and she looked indifferent as always, and dad nobody ever knows his whereabouts.

She takes out her phone, after three rings Sophie picks up “hey Sophie, where are you? Haven’t been seeing you around the house for a while now, "Emerald voiced worriedly.

“Don’t you call me ever again” she heard her say flatly as the call went off.

“Well that was something” murmured emerald as she walked downstairs.

“Mom, do you know where Sophie went? Standing behind the kitchen counter she asked her mom who was seated on the cream couch watching a movie on their flat screen 18 inches television, “she is at work” her mom replied swiftly, “work! How? When did she get a job? she didn’t tell me about it, I know we aren’t close but I am really happy for her” she said openly.

“Oh she didn’t tell you, that must be because your father gave her your position at the company, she must be feeling guilty but I know you won’t mind after all I doubt you will continue working when you get married. She dramatically pinched herself to know if it was all a dream but no it was reality, why do they keep doing this to her, “what have I ever done to this family” emerald said in bewilderment, before her mother could respond she stormed off towards her room, she sat down on her mattress and watched the sun go down as tears streamed down her face.

She has got nothing left, Emerald processed what was happening and said “I am giving up my freedom for people that don’t even care about what I want” she spat angrily, they are all insufferable Emerald thought to herself.

Looking through the window, it was dark and cloudy, lightning suddenly struck upon the skies causing the environment to be bright and then gloomy, “oh now it’s definitely going to rain, I don’t know how long this is going to take but I need to talk to Sophie; emerald muttered . Just then she sighted the flickering lights of a car coming into her driveway. At that moment Sophie alighted, “okay this is good, she’s here” she hopefully said, watching as sophie walked into the house she patiently waited till she heard her jiggling keys trying to open her door.

She knocked on her door soon after,until she had a coarse “come in”…

“How could you do this to me, you know how much I love my job” emerald angrily asked

“I know!, that’s why I took it. I told you sis if you go through with this wedding, your life won’t remain the same and I don’t mean in a good way”Sophie replied furiously.

“It’s not my doing, I don’t have a choice” emerald responded enduringly.

“As I said before, that is not my concern, I will take everything you love emerald, you can let yourself out”. She heard Sophie say in a vulgar tone.

Walking through the passage, she blindly collides with her father “watch where you going silly girl! thank goodness I don’t have to keep up with your ignorance any longer, stop gawking at me and move away” he said blaringly, as emerald stood frozenly obstructing his way;

Pushing her harshly to the edge of the wall causing a twist on her ankle at the force she fell.

Emerald fidgeted her feet trying to ease the pain, she heard a sigh as she lifted her head up, watching her father walk away nonchalantly;

Supporting herself with the pillar, she limped into her bedroom slowly, sniffing back the tear that so impatiently wanted to drop.

Slightly resting her head on the fluffy pillow, soothing into the warm breeze coming from her window, she averts her mind from thoughts and closes her eyes slowly.

Bang! Blow! Slap!! “No! Albert No!, please just stop, I beg you please”!! Elizabeth said crying profusely as Albert pulls out his belt and lashes it on her tender skin over her shoulders.

“How dare you talk back to me, you are nothing! Nothing without me!” Albert blurts out, gnashing while whipping the buckle of the belt on her back. It continued for some minutes before he got wiped out and fell on the bed snoring boorishly.

Tears course down her face sliding into her whimpering lips, the screams of her mother woke her up although she immediately knew what was going on, she was still traumatized from the last cruelty she witnessed and endured.

Emerald knew if she had come out to try to stop her father, her fate could have been worst, she was aware because it had happened severally and one day when she could not bear it anymore, her mother screams and cries for help wounded her badly, wanting to help her, she became the victim, she would never forget the slaps and cuts her father gave on her back with a sharp knife he carved her from head to toe, only the places that could be covered with clothes, he never wanted anyone suspicious of anything.

After that day nobody spoke of it, it died as if nothing ever happened, even when Sophie returned from her school trip, she had expected her mother to say something but she pretended and smiled cheerfully dressing elegantly,covering up the bruises; eventually the wounds did heal and the scars remained visible but the pain she would never forget.

Emerald thoughts, as she snuggled into her bed, wiping her tears.

She unpluggs her phone and continues to watch a new episode on her favorite movie; as the night draws closer she struggles to sleep, the frightening image and echo in her head became worse whenever she closes her eyes.

Tardily she slept after saying a quick prayer.