Chapter 2: Her life

‘Listen to me please, I actually ran from my house and was seeking a shelter to spend the night, saw your car parked and unlocked I hid inside’ she hurriedly said in one go, she was shivering badly, it was not like she haven’t seen guns before but to pointed at her with intention of shooting was obviously her first time.

Her hand was still in the tight grip of Antonio, when Enzo laughed sarcastically.

‘Do I look like a fool to you’ he came close to her and hissed, the street light helped looking at each other.

‘Please trust me, I am not lying’ she shook her head and pleaded to him, she wriggle her hand to get free from the grip.

‘I don’t trust anyone, you are coming with me and we will talk their’ motioned Antonio, he went back to his old seat, whereas Antonio was now sitting with her at the back seat, tears roll down from her face, it was not what she expected, she ran from her house to find the peace in her life, but stuck with these some sort of killer or whatever they were, she just wanted to cry for herself and that was what she did, silently weeping, thinking about her life before tonight.

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Riley was nineteen years old, living with her father, stepmother and brother, her mother died giving birth to her and her father Thomas Campbell blamed her for the death of her mother and hated her for this reason. Soon he was overcome with the grieve and fell in love with Nora, at that time she was one-year-old.

The hate his father has for her never subsided, instead it increased by the time thanks to her stepmother. Her brother Hudson also hated her, she never complained after she came into the high school. She learned and accepted the fact that her family hates her and will not ever accept her.

Her life was just like others who lives with their stepmothers, she has to do all the house chores, cook meals for them and do the part time job as well. When she was entered into the high school, she was told by her parents that they will no longer full fil her needs, she has to earn to feed herself.

Not like she was pampered before, the life was going tough but she was fine with it until she saw her brother taking drugs and more to her dismay, Hudson saw her watching him taking drugs. He was though three years younger than her, but his built and height made him stronger and intimidate over him, beside they both knew whose side the parents will take.

She agreed to her brother she will not tell to their parents about this, but it opened more misery into her life when he started asking for money from her for drugs buying, she tried to deny him very first but he threatened her and thinking of her life she gave up, things were going this way and she became use to of this until today, when their parents had gone for the dinner and asked them to go to bed, they will be late. Riley was all alone, soon after they left Hudson also went out, she didn’t dare to stop him nor she was interested in his matters, but just in one hour he was standing outside her room asking for the money.

The month was already ending and the money she was left with was for her travelling and lunch expense, days were remaining in receiving her salary. She denied politely to him explaining her reason as well, but the spoiled brat her brother was has to abuse her, that was enough for her, she accepted every sort of behavior, torture and bad words her family throw at her but she will not accept physical abuse.

She picked the lamp from her side table and hit it on his head, when she hit him once he stopped due to pain and sudden blur in his eyes, but soon he recovered and jumped on her more violently, dogging him, she hit on his head from back side, she knew she had hit him hard and there he was lying on the floor unconscious.

She covered her mouth in utter shock, she swiftly realized what has happened and what had she done.

‘They will kill me’ mumbling, tears start to fall from her eyes, she crouched down on the floor beside her brother, she ran her hand in his hair.

‘I’m sorry’ a sob escaped from her mouth.

She immediately wiped her tears and stood hastily, it was the time she takes decision for herself, for her safety and peaceful life. Determined she shoved her few clothes in her back pack, money she had and went into her father’s room, opening the draw he keeps the money, she took from them as well. She knew she will be needing them, until she escapes from this city and find any job.

Before leaving she came into her room, she glanced at her brother and the room, she bit her lips, she was feeling guilty to do this with her own brother, but she has to defend. She run downstairs and close the main door behind her, she checked the time on her watch, considering their past trend of coming back to home after dinner, she had an hour to reach somewhere safe and with this she runs to her left, as the distance was increasing between her and the house, her heart was cheering, she will be free, but she never thought she will get stuck in such a weird and endangered situation.