Chapter 1 Living Hell

Esmeralda's POV

"Should I go back? No, I guess it's too late now." I contemplated. I tore the lower end of my gown as I walked further into the woods. I was running from Gustavo, the number one drug leader in Columbia, to whom I unfortunately married. I was running for my dear life but the safety of my boys weighed heavy on my heart.

"Should I go back to get them?" I mumbled as I paced around, my eyes moving in different directions as I peered through the looming darkness that had swallowed me. Leaving the mansion without his consent was a huge risk for me. But I couldn't stand his disgusting sight anymore. The pain, abuse, and ill-treatment was unbearable.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't see the trap ahead of me, as I walked right to his men, who were camouflaged in the forest as trees.

“Let me go!” I yelled, as one of his men yanked me from behind, dropping me on his shoulders like a bag of potatoes. His muscular arms grabbed my petite waist firmly. “Keep quiet madam” one of them sneered at me from behind. I punched his rigid back with all the strength I had in me, but he didn't flinch.

“The boss has been looking for you all over the mansion, ma'am,” Pablo said to me, beaming a smile. Pablo was my husband’s assistant, he always wore a kind smile, but beneath that smile was a mafia monster who had taken countless souls to the great beyond with his gun. The guard placed me down as Pablo led me into the black-tinted SUV that was parked by the roadside.

As we drove back to the mansion, I felt my heart racing. My chest clenched rapidly. I knew I was in serious trouble. We arrived at the mansion, and it was blooming with darkness. I had lost track of time.

Two muscular men followed me into the building, with each holding a loaded M-16 rifle. Tears pooled down my face as I walked slowly to the room right in front of me. The lion's den itself.

There he was, seated behind his desk, the most feared Mafia lord in all of Medellin with his arms crossed against his chest. I cringed in fear as I sat before him.

“Esmeralda my darling,” his voice made my heart skip a beat. “What makes you think you can run away from me? After we've had three handsome boys together,” he smirked at me. The air reeked of tobacco and whisky.

“This is where you belong sweetheart, here with your family,” he added, his gaze burning into my very soul, as he trailed his finger across my face before grabbing my jaw tightly.

I yelped in pain. “I'm sorry Gustavo,” I whined as the tears in my eyes flowed freely as the pain in my jaw intensified.

I was a nobody.

My existence didn't mean much to anyone either. I was married off to Gustavo as repayment of a long overdue debt by my Aunt Martha. My late parents were peasant farmers, who had nothing but their strong will to farm and desire to succeed. Their life took a tumultuous turn when they gave birth to me. They lost their farm and their livelihood to the war and with no choice, they brought me to live with my father's Aunt in Medellin. Ever since they dropped me, they never looked back.

“You are my property now darling, don't think I'm ever letting you go,” he whispered in my ears as I could feel his hot breath on my ear. I felt shivers run down my spine. His eyes were so dark, they seemed to swallow the light in the room. His tattoo could be seen, peeking from his shirt, stretching down to his right arm and the scorn on his face made it clear that he was already pissed.

I closed my eyes waiting for my time to come. Having seen him kill so many people in the past, it was safe to say that he could kill me any minute from now. He enjoyed seeing people suffer and was not a man to be messed with.

“Please forgive me. I… I didn't know what came over me” I emitted as my voice trembled in fear.

He stared at me for what seemed like an eternity before answering the phone that was already ringing by the corner of his office.

“Hello?” he growled into the phone.

He didn't say much, only nodding his head occasionally as he jotted down on his notepad. I couldn't make sense of the conversation but I knew it was an important task, one that involved moving a consignment.

"We will get the job done," he uttered and dropped the phone then turned towards me, “Go rest now, because tomorrow is going to be a big day. Pablo and a few of my men will escort you to a dinner party, where you will be supplying our regular to a foreign client. I'm counting on you. Don't try anything stupid if you ever want to see our sons again,” his voice, reverberated across the entire room.

“Please, I'll do anything you ask. Just leave my children out of this. They are innocent, ” I pleaded.

“Take her to her chamber,” he growled.

One of the men yanked me up roughly and I was taken to my room, which was more of a prison cell to me. As I got in, the door was locked from outside, to prevent me from escaping again.

I slid to the floor, as tears cascaded down my face. I couldn't bear the excruciating pain that was rushing through my entire body. I needed to find a way of escaping this nightmare with my sons.

The thoughts of my late parents flooded my mind.

What were they like? Do I have any siblings? Would life be like this if they were alive?

Everything became blurry around me as I felt fear wrapping its cold hands around me. I quickly discarded the distressing thought in my head as I tried to calm my heart which was already clenching through my chest.