I Am Your Owner!

“Mother? Are you okay?” Bella asked.

Bella waited anxiously. She was really afraid that someone would catch her using the telephone without the heartless owner of the house knowing. Bella might get punished. She had to hurry and return to her room. But her mother never answered. There was only silence that enveloped them. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Mother? Are you still there?” Bella asked. Still no answer.

“Hello? Is it still connected?” Bella is still making sure.

“Mother?”

After there was only silence, Bella could finally hear her mother’s voice again.

“I’m all right, Bella,” her mother answered.

Bella breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that.

“Mom, I’m fine here too. That man, uncle, he was the one who kidnapped me. Now I think I’m at his residence.” Bella reported it to her mother, of course, in a whispered voice.

“Mom, I need your help. Please report to the police about my kidnapping. Ask them to come to Mr. JuMaverick’sllius Maverick’ place. He’s very evil,” said Bella. Her hand holding the phone tightened. She remembered the planned murder that Jullius had committed against her father. She wanted to report it immediately to her mother and the police. But Bella held it in for now. She wanted to stay by her mother's side, ensuring that she wouldn't be alone when she learned about her husband's murder.

“No.”

THUMP!

That instant made her heart beat twice as fast before finally returning to normal. One eyebrow was raised, her lips were pressed tight, she was confused about what to say.

“No?” Bella repeated her mother’s words.

“What do you mean by ‘no’, mother? I don’t understand,” continued Bella. Several thoughts started to swirl through her brain, but Bella tried to push away the bad feeling.

“There’s no need to report it to the police,” answered the mother.

Bella was surprised. She didn’t expect her mother to say something like that.

“But why? Uncle did something inappropriate. And I’m in danger now, Mom. We really need to report it to the police.”

“No, Bella. I said no,” answered her mother stubbornly.

“Why? Give me a reason.”

“Our family is in danger, Bella. Jullius can make us lose everything. That man threatened me, threatened your sister. He will imprison us all!”

“What?”

“You don’t know Julius. He is someone with power! We are nothing, Bella. And now you think that reporting it to the police will fix everything? NO! It’s so useless!” Bella could hear her mother’s labored breathing. There was a tone of anger that her mother was trying to convey, either to her or to Jullius.

“But I know something that can destroy him.” Bella still hasn’t given up.

“Who do you think you are, Bella? I said, you’re nothing. You can’t destroy him.”

Both of her eyes suddenly filled with tears when she heard her mother’s words. Why did her mother become like this? Why didn’t her mother worry and defend her at all? Does her mother really not care about her anymore?

 Bella squeezed her left chest, which was still throbbing with pain. She felt like she had been betrayed.

“Mother. What’s wrong with you? You… are so different.” Her voice was shaking. Bella bit her lower lip to hold back the sobs that were almost released.

Bella could hear the sound of breathing. “You can’t do anything. Neither did your stepfather, let alone me. Until your father’s debt is paid off, before we can pay for the losses that Jullius incurred, we will still be in this situation,” said her mother.

“Don’t you love me, Bella?” her mother asked.

Bella was silent. She wanted her mother to continue her words.

“If you do love me, so please, you must obey him. Don’t make Jullius angry. That’s the only way. Do everything for me, for our family.”

“W-what?”

“Yes, Bella. Please, my daughter. You are the only hope.”

Nobody spoke. Bella was confused about what to answer.

“Now, go to sleep.”

“But—”

Beep.

 Before Bella could refute her mother’s words, the phone went turned off. Bella stared at the telephone receiver for a long time before finally putting it back in its place. Bella was still standing in that place. Her gaze was so empty. A part of her seemed to have disappeared somewhere.

“Have you talked to your mother?”

Bella turned her head quickly when she heard the voice. Her eyes widened. Bella stepped back, but her foot tripped over something and she fell.

“Ahh!”

Her butt hurt as it collided with the hard marble floor. Jullius snorted. The man seemed very calm. He still stepped closer to Bella, who was still slumped. The young woman was still trying to avoid Jullius. But her back hit something.

Bella tilted her head. Apparently, it was Damian’s foot that was blocking her. Since when has Damian been behind her? The feeling was that the man was behind Jullius. It seemed Bella was too focused on Jullius that she didn’t realize Damian was moving closer to her, too.

Bella looked forward again. She couldn’t avoid Jullius anymore. The man was right in front of her. Jullius squatted down so that now their faces were almost level.

“Disappointed, huh?”

Her hands were clenched into fists.

“So, you know?” Bella assumed that Jullius already knew all this.

A thin grin appeared on that handsome face. Jullius brought his face closer to Bella.

“Do you even know me, Bella?” he whispered. There was a note of satisfaction there. That annoyed Bella.

“Don’t play with me. I’m not the right person for you to fool. Report me to the police, huh?”

“You!”

Jullius clamped her chin between his fingers. This time, Bella didn’t turn away at all. She looked at this man bravely. The fiery anger that Bella showed once again made Jullius very satisfied. The reaction he knew would come from her.

“I am your owner, Bella. Mark that on your mind. Know your limits. You’re just a weak young woman,” said Jullius. Every word was said with great emphasis on making Bella aware of her position here.

“You have no other choice but to serve me. Accept your fate. As I said, I will make you suffer.”

Bella’s face was thrown to the side when Jullius roughly removed his fingers from her chin. Bella’s face was covered by her hair.

Jullius stood up. “You’re alone, Bella. You have no one in this world. Nobody cares about you. Even your own mother,” said Jullius, before finally, the man was no longer visible to her eyes.

Bella still had her head down. Damian still faithfully stood behind Bella.

“Go back to your room,” said the man.

“And I hope you don’t forget the advice I gave you. I’m serious about what I say. If you want to be safe from my master, you must obey him.”

Bella was left alone. Without anyone knowing, Bella cried. Her fate was even worse this time.

“Why? Why did it become like this?”

***

This was the worst morning Bella had ever experienced. She woke up feeling really bad. Bella felt like she was carrying all the weight on her shoulders.

She had been silent all this time, sitting on the edge of the bed. Various thoughts were spinning in her mind.

She clashed her fists with the nightstand. “No. I can’t give up! This is not the end of everything!” Bella said with determination.

“I can face all of this! Julius. That man couldn’t make me weak and bend the knee to him. I have to find a way!”

Bella stood up, she went into the bathroom. Bella doesn’t know if there is CCTV in the bathroom, either. She looked at every corner. There is no CCTV here. The bathroom is the only her safe place.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. “That man can’t possibly not have weaknesses,” said Bella. Her eyes looked fiery.

“I can conquer that man and turn things around! I won’t let him bully me! Julius. We will see. Who will win?!” said Bella very confidently.

To be continued…