Chapter 2: Eviction Loom

LANA

He parted my legs and positioned himself between them, his gaze locked onto mine. Opening his mouth, he said, "It will be a little painful at first, but you will feel good as we go on."

My entire body tensed, but I could already feel his penis nudging at my opening, and I was dripping wet.

"Relax; you’re so wet," he said, pulling me tightly into his embrace.

Before I could fully process what was happening, I felt intense pain between my legs. I tried to move, but he held me firmly, not allowing any space to escape.

"Relax; the pain will soon go away," he cautioned.

As I closed my eyes, tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t know how long it took, but soon I began to feel a sensation I had never experienced before, and it felt incredible.

"Umm... oohhh," I moaned as he began to thrust in and out. I felt his fingers around my neck as he breathed into my ear, "You are so sweet, Lana. I can’t get enough of you."

This drove me wild, and I grabbed onto the bedsheet, moaning even louder. He remained on top of me for what felt like a long time before he groaned, and I suddenly felt warmth spreading on my lower abdomen.

Looking down, I saw that he had pulled out and released himself onto my stomach. He flashed me a smile and promised, "I’ll get a bowl and a clean rag to clean you up."

I blinked my eyes, the last thing I remembered before drifting off. When I woke up and turned over in bed, I saw Bernardo sleeping soundly beside me. As I touched the bedsheet, I realized he had changed the old one; I had no idea when he had done that.

A headache throbbed at my temples as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My legs felt unsteady, and I tried to get up, but they trembled beneath me, forcing me to sit back down. I felt weak.

Just when I thought I could gather myself, incessant banging echoed from the door. I didn’t want to face whoever it was, but I sighed in resignation, knowing it was probably my mom, Stella, who had once again slept at the doorpost.

Reluctantly, I reached for the doorknob and opened it. My mom stepped inside, glaring at me with fury. "Little slut! Why did you let me sleep outside? You're a jinx! I regret being your mother—your very sight disgusts me. Just go and die!"

I was taken aback when Bernardo emerged from the bedroom, stepping in to intervene. "Darling, stop cursing at our daughter..."

I was surprised by his attempt to stand up for me; he had never done that before. But I knew all too well that it would only escalate the situation.

As I expected, Stella's anger shifted toward him. "Who the hell made you the judge? Did I ask for your opinion? You're not even a man—stop pretending! Get the hell out!"

Listening to their familiar argument, I sighed helplessly. It was still morning, and I could already feel the heaviness of the day ahead.

I barely took three steps toward the kitchen when I heard Bernardo roar, "If I hadn't picked you up from the street, you'd still be begging with a bowl!"

I poured myself a glass of water and drank, trying my best to block out their voices as they continued to argue and fight.

They had been at it for a long time while I was in the kitchen, trying to whip up something for breakfast with the meager ingredients we had. I sighed, doing my best with what little we had.

When I finally stepped out of the kitchen, I could hear their voices rising from the bedroom, followed by my mom's chilling scream: "Bernardo, you slapped me, you bastard! I’ll beat you up!" 

That was all it took to ignite another fight. I grabbed our plates and carried them to the dining table, anxiety gnawing at me. My mom had never lost a fight to my stepfather, but that didn’t stop me from worrying.

As I dug into the noodles I had cooked, heavy footsteps thundered out of the bedroom. I looked up just in time to see Bernardo bolt past me, cursing, "Crazy woman, lunatic!" 

He stormed out of the house, and my mom yelled after him, "If you’re a man, come back here, bastard!" When it was clear he wasn’t returning, she huffed over to the dining table and joined me for breakfast. After she finished, she retreated to her room and fell asleep.

I didn’t go back to Uncle Sule’s store; I was tired of being a salesgirl. Instead, I decided to look for a job later that evening. It was summer, and I couldn’t afford a taxi to help me hunt for work.

I don’t know how long I had been asleep, but I jolted awake to my mom’s furious voice at the door. "Fuck you! You’re just a landlord, not God! What’s so special about this rundown apartment, huh?"

I turned toward the door, dread pooling in my stomach. Mom was in a heated argument with the landlord, and our rent was three months overdue.

"I’m going to kick you out of this apartment, Stella. Don’t think you can intimidate me. I am not afraid of you!" the landlord threatened.

A headache blossomed in my temples as I felt the weight of the situation. What could I do to calm him down? 

Before I could think, my mom slapped the landlord and spat, "If you don’t get out of my face, I’ll break your damn head and make sure you can’t walk home!"

My heart raced. I realized we were in deep trouble now. The landlord was a close friend with the Kenny brothers, who had a reputation for causing chaos on the next street.