6: PIERCED WITH INSULTS

I COULDN’T go near our house as it was already morning. And Callan kept preventing me to even take just a single step farther from the car. “It’s not safe for you to go,” he said, his voice low.

Why do you care? I wanted to blurt out but I had no voice. I had no more strength. It felt like my soul had been sucked out of me. I stared at nothing and felt nothing. 

“My men will inspect the house and will inquire what happened,” Callan kept saying. 

Even if I wasn’t responding to him, it was a shock that he was still talking to me. 

How could a man you don’t know be this concern after he had just blatantly neglected me the night when I was desperate for help? I glared at him and tried to stand up, but he held me by my wrist and stared back at me—as sharp as he ever could, like he was sure I could understand what he meant with just a hint in the eyes.

It took long before I tore away my gaze at him then back to our house—burnt by the fire and a faint smoke snaking through the atmosphere.

“Oh god,” I mumbled taking in what just happened. My father who had succumb to death from his illness was shot beyond death and were left stuck with my mother inside our burning house.

I lost strength to gather myself, I was shivering from head to toe. It seemed all hope left me. The heavens might be punishing me at this point. How could my parents suffer that way with me being so helpless!

Two men gathered through the crowd and asked questions as they looked at the surroundings but then the sound of sirens started wailing from the distance and they all looked at us.

Callan nodded at them then motioned to the car. Their next movements were quick and calculated.

With all my strength lost throughout my body and my chest weighing so heavy, I felt myself getting lifted off the ground. I may had suffered wounds on my heels as the man who had carried me glanced at them.

“If you walked through your feet without shoes for much longer, you’d have to get stiches.”

“How dare you speak to me like you care?” I spat out my words like venom. But instead of having a tone or anger, it came out with a squeak of pain.

“We have to leave quickly,” Callan said to the driver as he positioned me to a seat. My eyes were staring at our house—glued to our burnt walls. I muffled my sobs on my palms. I really did lose my parents in just one unfortunate night.

“Why do we have to leave? I want to check if my parents were still inside when out house burned!” I protested, trying to get away from my seat. But no one attempted to listen.

Callan didn’t talk to me as the car maneuver back to the road that we had gone through just half an hour ago.

“What did you gather from the crowd?” he asked instead. But he did not look at the backseat. He kept looking on the road as the car was running.

“Ravij, they said the couple was left inside the house while it burned. There were bodies. They think the daughter was abducted.”

They called him Ravij. He was indeed what my mother referred to. I made it to the right residence, asked for help at the right destination that my mother had instructed to do. But because I was denied any help as soon as I got there, I ended up getting back late.

And things lead to this!

I looked at the man who spoke, it was Aakil. His expression was the same as the rest of the men, focused and serious—his full attention was in delivering the message.

Callan looked at me, his eyes squinted.

I gritted my teeth as I glared at Callan. His name was foreign on my lips but it’s already engraved on the list of names that I hated to the core.

The sun was slowly rising from the east and I was sobbing underneath each breath, grasping onto the fact that I couldn’t do anything to help my parents. They died in the most brutal of ways.

I won’t even be able to prepare a funeral for both of them

In the middle of crying, my hand just lifted from my side.

With so much force, I brought it to his cheek. The sound of the forceful slap echoed inside the care. If you had only listened to me when I asked for your help! If only you didn’t leave me on the road to weep all alone presumed as a beggar. I would have still rescued my parents!” I burst out crying. I did not hide my tears; I did not swallow my sobs. I bawled in front of these men who looked so tough. They would likely react nonchalant to my words. Guilt would not appeal to them nor crying. I would look like a fool. But who the hell cares!

Silence engulfed the car. Callan was stunned to even look at me with my palm held up high after giving him a strong slap to his face. He looked at me with total shock. I could see redness on his left cheek. His smooth skin looking like a flushed tomato.

Then I saw his throat move and his jaws clenched. “Why did you do that?”

I raised my chin up, “Because you deserve it.”

“Drive to the mansion as fast as you can, Miles. I must know who this woman is.”

I wiped my tears. On the inside I was breaking, maybe on the outside too because my tears wouldn’t even stop. But I gained courage after speaking for myself. After letting out my anger through my words.

I hovered onto my palms, as I starter crying once again. My life has changed. My most loving parents now lost. Right now, I am surrounded by men I don’t even know. Even sitting beside the man whom I should be married to.

Slapping him with all the strength left in me. Out of anger and pain…

I don’t have any other choice.

There were bumps on the road. A few people started roaming at the streets. The car was running and nobody was paying mind to any of us.

I did not sit in silence, I started movement from my seat. I looked at everybody and yet they seem to avoid having a single chance of an eye contact.

After a long drive, the car passed through the tall metal gates and parked in front of the lavish mansion. Then a hand clasped on my wrist pulling me out of the car.

“Move fast woman!” Callan muttered. He did not dare look into my eyes. And just half-dragged me out of the car. “You must know where you should stand.”

Callan’s voice had a hint of frustration as he looked at me with brows almost meeting each other on his forehead. Then he lets go of my hand with force. It was enough for me to take a few steps backwards to gather my balance.

“Your face screamed anger. Like you want to slap me on my right cheek this time,” he said in a monotone. His words and actions were subtle but calculating. His glare felt sharp and his jaws were still clenched all while he was observing me right in front of him. “How could a gullible woman like you pretend to act tough in front of a ravij?” Then he spit right so close to where I was standing, showing his disgust.

The men that went with us to our house gathered behind him and they all clutched their waist as if gesturing to grab their guns. That was an attempt to silence me with intimidation. Their stance was nothing short of a well-trained body guard.

But the man in front of them stood right in front of me with a stance like a boss who knows everybody has to follow his orders or else something serious will happen.

The front porch of their house was adorned with fresh flowers and plants. From a distance I would mistake it as just an extravagant mansion by some wealthy as family that has troubles blending it with the lives of the commoner society that they decide to settle in this isolated residence. But looking at him—as one of the owners, there has to be something more to that.

Then it kicked inside of me, I am currently under their premises. Also, surrounded the people who are on their side. Yet, I just slapped the ravij in front of them.

Fear is the last thing that could still envelop me.

Losing my parents. Now alone and doubtful if I could still survive around these types of people.

I smiled at him, staring blankly ahead. Guess, I already accepted the worst that could happen to me.