3| Family

 PARIS

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After I returned to work, I had decided I wouldn’t let Felix scare me anymore. I wouldn’t let him traumatise me any more than he already had. He wouldn’t be the reason behind my pain. If he can’t make me happy, he shouldn’t try to make me upset. I was surprised when he asked me if I was okay. I wanted to scream in his face about how much he hurt me. I wanted to cry, slap him, beat him up until he was bleeding from every part of his body but then I realized, I am not him.

I am not a heartless monster; I never will be. I guess he realized the change in me. Maybe that’s the reason he is making me work so much, to see a bit of emotion from my side, but he won’t. Around him, I feel nothing. Not pain, not relief, nothing.

I was nothing other than his assistant.

Today he made me work till 2:30am because the ---hole didn’t want to be alone all night. I walked out of the company; it was a deserted street at the moment with very few people. I had left my car at the tree of Paris so I had to use public transport. Although I wasn’t sure about how I would reach home tonight. Probably walk. I loved walking, every time I had something on my mind or I was bored or anxious or hurt or happy, I would go for a walk.

I walked towards my house as it wasn’t even far from the office. The streets were silent with 5 drunk women walking on the street opposite to mine. “Hey! Hey! Hey! Hot stuff!” One of them screamed, calling the man walking in front of them.

“Oh, come on sexy! Give us some attention…” Another one said in a very sexual tone. The others started moaning and laughing at the comment. I could sense the poor guy being really uncomfortable as they kept calling him and talking about him in a sexual way. He started walking faster and looked around very anxiously when he felt them approaching him. Before they could do anything else to him, I pulled my sunglasses and fake gun out as I held my phone up to my ear. I crossed the street and reached out to him. “Boss, we have a problem.” I said with a stern voice.

“What-

“Pablo isn’t listening, he says we need to sell 5 women to him otherwise he won’t send your daughter back to our mansion. He might kill her.”

As soon as the 5 of them heard this, they stopped at their feet and listened to us carefully.

“What shall I do sir?”

“Tell Pablo we found his 5 women and they are very much into the attention he can give them.”

“Ha-ha, they’re going to love how Pablo inserts a hot metal rod inside them” I put my phone back on my ear and said, “Get out boys, we found them, shoot their legs, now.”

The 5 women behind him ran away for their lives, tripping and falling as they tried to get away from us.

After 5 minutes of them running away I removed my sunglasses and put my fake gun inside and smiled at the boy in front of me.

“Hey, I am Paris. Are you okay?”

“Hello, I’m Joshua. Yes, I am, thank you for helping me.”

“Oh, that’s alright. Don’t thank me.”

“How are you going home?”

“Uh I don’t have my car with me at the moment so I guess I am walking.”

“Oh, I am so sorry to ask you this Ms. Paris but could you walk me home? I am only 18 and my parents would freak out if they saw me coming home this late.”

“Oh, its fine kid. Come on.”

I walked with Joshua for a while until I came across a big mansion, I was so lost in its beauty I didn’t see Joshua walk inside it. “Ms. Paris!”

“What?”

“Please, come in.”

“Huh? Uh Oh no I better leave. Take care Joshua.” I smiled at him and turned on my heels. He is this rich? Holly sh—

“Josh! Why are you so late my child?” his mother ran towards him with teary eyes. His father looked concerned and relieved at the same time.

Must be nice.

To have someone wait for him at his place every day. To have someone give him attention. Must be nice.

“Uh, miss? Who are you?” Someone tapped my shoulder as I tried to tip toe away from their special family moment. I hated interrupting families. Someone interrupted mine and ended up taking my place before I even had one.

“Uh, I-

“Her name is Paris, mom. She saved me from 5 perverts, I don’t know what would’ve happened if she wasn’t there.”

“Oh! Thank you so much dear.” His mom held my hand with both of hers with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. I looked at his father and he smiled at me with warmth and gratefulness. These people weren’t hard to read, you could see what they felt with a change in their eye’s position.

“It’s not a problem ma’am. Anyone in the right mind would’ve done so.” I smiled at them and they smiled back. If they could smile any more than they already were. Out of no where my phone started ringing.

*Call from Angel of Death*

“Excuse me. I need to take this.”

“WHERE ARE YOU?”

“Sir, I believe you have no business at this time and also, what I do with the time in which I’m not working is none of your concern.”

“PARIS FUCKING SHUT UP AND RUSH TO THE CITY HOSPITAL. ALEX-

“What? What happened to him? Hello?” Shit. My phone died.

I looked at my watch but there was no point. It was 3:50am, no taxi or bus works at this time, I looked back at the people staring at me and did whatever I thought of first. “Sir, I am so sorry to be asking this but can I borrow a vehicle? My brother is in hospital and my car is somewhere in the opposite direction.”

“Sure, I will get you Josh’s bike keys, it runs fast.” He smiled at me and rushed inside to get the keys; every moment felt like an eternity. I couldn’t stand still; his mother was trying to calm me down and Josh looked at me with concern. Soon, his father came out and led me to the bike.

“Thank you so much, I will be sure to return the bike as soon as possible.” I smiled at him and drove like a maniac towards the hospital. Alex had a very sensitive health since we were children. He often got sick and hospitalised. It had now been a whole year since he was last hospitalised and the doctors thought he was getting stronger. I could feel the same anxiety rush into my veins as I tried to balance myself on the bike. ‘You can’t get into an accident right now Paris. You can’t. Alex needs you.’ I said to myself and steadied my hold on the bike as I drove faster towards the hospital.

As soon as I reached in, I saw Amanda pacing around and Felix screaming at the counter for some reason.

“Hello, I am here to see Alexander Martin.” I spoke at the counter.

“Relation?”

“Sister.”

“Identification.”

“Here.”

“Alright, you can go in and if you wish them in, please take them with you.” She pointed at Felix and Amanda, uninterested in all that Felix said. This was enough to fuel his anger. “I WILL BUY YOU! I WILL FUCKING BUY THIS DAMN HOSPITAL AND HAVE YOU BLACKLISTED. I AM WARNING YOU!”

“Okay. . . Let’s go you man baby.”

“I will have her killed.”

“No, you won’t”

“Yes, I will.”

“Felix no.”

“Amanda yes.”

Unlike me and Felix, Amanda and Felix had the best friendship ever. They’d team up against Alex and joke around like best friends. In the four of us, I was always left out. They’d hang out all the time and leave me out. At this point it doesn’t even hurt me. Although, it does hurt when something like this happens. I already know what is coming.

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“You can go now Paris. You aren’t needed anymore. We can take care of Alex.”

Although, this time I ignored him. Back then I was too scared of him to act against him but not anymore. He has traumatised me so much, he cannot do any worse.

“Alex.” I let a breath out as I stepped into the room, he had bandages around his head and his leg was plastered and hanging on a piece of cloth. “Who did this?”

“You can’t do anything so I guess it is fine to tell you, it was Felix. We got into a fight on the terrace of out building, he pushed me a little too hard and I hit my head, while falling my leg twisted.” He laughed but I was too angry to find it funny. I turned around to face Felix, with heels on I was the same height as him. My eyes filled with rage and disbelief. It wasn’t fine when he tortured me but this is fucking too much.

I took long strides towards him and slapped him. His face fell to the left side taking his body with it.

“It wasn’t enough for you, was it? It wasn’t enough for you to torture me for 20 years that now you are doing it to Alex too. What? Did the ignorant Felix Hernandez finally realise that his punching bag is torn? You need a new one now? Well, you better find someone else because I will not stand still if you hurt Alex again.” I kicked his guts and pushed him out as he coughed out blood.

“Paris, what do you mean by torture you for 20 years?”