Sold Again

Vittoria 

The days after I get to spend the night in Domenico’s room are always my favorite. 

The family often doesn’t pick as hard on me as usual. And this is not only because Domenico keeps telling them to let me be because they would fuck up his toy, but also because they get immense pleasure out of the idea that I must have endured a terribly painful and humiliating rape. 

I have always wondered why he told them this, but as soon as I heard him boasting about this in front of his father and brother, I took my chance. Every time I left his quarters fed and rested, I put up an act. 

I started limping and clasping my supposedly hurting stomach. Once I even injured myself, cutting my skin open with a small knife as I was in the kitchen to smear a bit of my blood randomly on my body and a few appliances I was using. It was a great success as his mother left me alone for an entire week. She seemed to take everything she needed out of her mocking, but that was okay for me. 

The only dreadful thing was to hear Domenico talk about it, thinking about how he would make it real one day. 

And it wasn't something I would be able to survive.

“Bitch!” Cinzia calls me, making me scurry out of the kitchen and into the living room. “Make us coffee.” 

I bow before I run back into the kitchen and make the coffee to serve them. Only as I’m putting the coffee cups down on the wooden table, do I notice the sleazy man sitting on a couch. His stinky cologne has me looking up at him, and he bares his yellow teeth as he smiles at me. Cinzia grabs my arm as soon as I’ve put the cups down, getting me to stand upright. 

“This is her, Antonio. What do you think?” She asks the man with his double chin and his little eyes remind me of a pig. 

“She is cute, but way too skinny.” He scratches his chin pensively as he eyes me up. “But that is nothing we can’t work with. We will have to deduct the feeding before she can be sold off from the price we will get for her as well.” 

My blood freezes in my veins as I stare at him wide-eyed. Inexplicably, my gaze falls onto Domenico instinctively, but he just watches me with a frown. 

Gulping down the urge to ask him about what is going on, I stand back up straight, redirecting my gaze to the sleazy pig. 

“Ha!” Cinzia barks out. “You are such a scammer, but what can we do? Take her!” 

My eyes widen as the man nods and gets up, closing his jacket. I feel my panic expanding in my chest and feeling like this would be me facing my final doom. 

And I surely wouldn’t make it out alive. 

Sprinting over to Domenico, I throw myself at his feet, wrapping my arms around his leg. “No, please! Don’t let him take me.” I plead in a whisper, feeling him push at my head to get me to let go. “Please, I don’t want to leave you!” 

I don't know where this sudden desperation comes from as I must be thankful to finally be free of this devil. 

Domenico looks as if he is so disgusted with me that it breaks my heart. 

Cinzia stomps over, ripping me off him. “Let go!” 

Even before she has turned me around fully, she slaps me hard across my cheek, sending me down to the floor. 

As she cusses me out, I feel Domenico picking me up. “Behave, toy.” 

His voice shatters my heart completely, and I claw onto his shirt as I sob into his chest. 

Arriving at Antonio’s car, Domenico lets me down onto the backseats. He grabs my hands, ripping them off his shirt. 

“No, please! Dome! I won’t cry, please. I’ll do everything you want.” 

His cold expression morphs slightly before he regains his posture. I think that it might be because I dared to say his name for the first time ever, but I might be hallucinating through my fear. 

I sob as I continue to plead but he just clicks his tongue. 

As soon as he has freed himself fully from me, he takes a step back, closing the door in my face. 

*** 

The drugs Antonio and his companion gave must be wearing out as I blink my heavy eyes open. They drugged me as my crying must have gotten unbearable during the ride to this shabby industry hall. 

Clearing my throat, I get up groggily, and I halt in my movement as a tingling gets my attention. 

Looking down at what could have made the sound, I follow a chain up to my neck, only to discover that I have been collared. 

I jerk up, clasping the cold metal around my neck as I turn around to see that I have been tied to a radiator. 

My rising panic reaches its peak as I hear someone nearing my stained mattress, without having any possibility to escape. 

“You are quite the troublemaker for a slave.” Antonio’s falsetto voice matches his pig-like appearance. “They told us you were domesticated.” 

He stops to stand before me with his hands in his pockets. “It would be better if you would behave. Your family will get less money if we have to sell you drugged. Your price is already low as you aren’t a virgin anymore.” 

I gulp down my protest as I don’t want to snitch on Domenico. Lowering my gaze, I nod. “I will behave. Please don’t cut their money even more.” 

He scoffs, as he takes out of his jacket what looks like a brioche. Picking it up hungrily, I devour it instantly. 

I don’t care that he laughs at me as he turns around to walk away. “We have to feed you properly before we start showing you to clients.”