Chapter 2 2

The tears she'd been trying to hold back were flowing again. She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. The air was stifling, she was sweating all over, but none of that mattered to her. She wished it would all end. But sadly, her ordeal was only just beginning.

She didn't know how long she lay there, her eyes closed, her mind drifting. In the pitch-black silence, every sound became an assault. She could hear footsteps echoing upstairs, the scraping of crawling insects in the corners, and even the painful beating of her broken heart. Finally, she fell asleep.

*

The sound of keys jangling woke her. Her body immediately sat up as she waited for the door to open. The light from the hallway briefly illuminated a section of the room, but she didn't have time to see who was there. A plate was pushed into the room, and then the door slammed.

Tiana stood still for a moment, listening to the footsteps fade away.

She didn't move. She hadn't eaten since morning, but food was the last thing on her mind. She wasn't even hungry, much less wanted to eat anything from this house.

And so it went for two days. Crying. Sleeping. Thinking. Every day, the door opened three times, a plate was placed there, but she didn't touch it.

*

By the third day, she was already too weak. Her fingers barely moved, and her eyes remained closed most of the day. New tears replaced the old ones, dried on her cheeks. She heard the birds singing-it was morning. Then suddenly, the lights came on.

The brightness almost blinded her. It had been three days since she had seen anything so bright. She slowly raised her hands to shield her eyes. The door opened and footsteps sounded.

Forcing herself to sit up, she saw three women enter. An elderly woman, about fifty, was watching Tiana closely. Then she nodded to the other two women, who stepped forward and roughly lifted her up. Tiana didn't resist-she couldn't.

His feet scraped the ground as his limp body was dragged.

A door opened, and she was dragged inside. A sweet smell of strawberries filled the air, and she looked up to see where she was.

A bath awaited him, steam rising from the hot water. A maid was stationed right next to it, as if she had been waiting for him forever.

- Take off your clothes!

The old woman ordered. Tiana turned her head towards her and noticed her cold gaze, without the slightest hint of compassion. She knew that if she didn't obey, she would be forced.

She had never been naked in front of so many people, and the way they were looking at her made her nervous. Before she could even move her hands toward her clothes, the old woman signaled again. Immediately, the two women tore off her clothes, piece by piece, until only her bare skin remained.

Tiana looked down at her body. Three days without washing, locked in the dark, she stank of filth and neglect.

As if everything had been planned, a maid brought a stool and made her sit down. Another arrived with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

- Open your mouth.

The old woman, still motionless, shouted her orders in a sharp voice. Tiana looked up at her, saw an implacable hardness. She opened her mouth without arguing.

The maid brushed so vigorously that she could feel the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. She hadn't yet finished rinsing when another maid placed two small stools in front of her. She frowned, intrigued.

- Put your legs on it.

The old woman's voice cracked like a whip. She obeyed. Suddenly, the woman pushed the stools aside and forced her legs apart.

Instinctively, she wanted to hide her private parts. The slap came like a flash.

-You do as you're told, young lady.

Tiana saw stars. Her right ear was still ringing from the shock, and she blinked back tears.

She didn't need to be told again. They shaved her carefully, between her legs, under her arms-she was as smooth as a baby's.

Then, at a sign, she was helped up and into the bath. The warm water caressed her soiled skin. The scent of strawberry and lemon was soothing. She stayed there for a good twenty minutes before being led into the shower.

A woman washed her from head to toe. Then she was coated with a perfumed lotion that made her skin shine. She was made to wear a light cotton dress, and her hair was dried before being styled beautifully.

Then she sat at a dressing table while various creams were applied to her face. When she saw her reflection in the mirror, her heart sank.

She was beautiful. She always had been, attracting attention since childhood. But what was the point now? If she could choose her fate, she would rather be a beggar on a street corner... than this man's mistress.

A tear slipped, falling into the maid's palm. She hesitated, but continued her work without saying a word.

*

Then she was led into a dining room. A table filled with appetizing food awaited her. A chair was pulled out for her, and she sat down.

The old woman took a seat opposite her, staring at her intensely.

The servants prepared a plate full of vegetables for her and placed them in front of her.

- Eat. You must be hungry.

It's true. She was starving. And if she wanted to last the next five months and save her sister, she had no choice. She wordlessly grabbed the fork and began to eat.

The women watched her until she was satisfied. Then she was led upstairs to a room, alone at last.

*

Tiana breathed a deep sigh of relief as the door closed behind her. She looked around. The room was sumptuous: a large curtain covered a floor-to-ceiling window, a mirror lined the wall near the sofa, and the bed was fit for a queen. The vanity was stocked with creams and makeup-the same ones they'd used earlier.

She fell onto the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she was woken up with a light tap.

Her eyelids fluttered, and she saw the old lady accompanied by a man in a white coat.

-How are you, Tiana? I'm here to draw some blood. Can you sit down, please?

He gave her a small smile. Tiana sat down. He opened his kit, took out a syringe and a tourniquet, disinfected the most visible spot on her vein, then pricked it and drew blood in a few seconds.

They left immediately.

*

Tiana remained calm, but her heart was pounding.

They had taken her out of the cell, washed her, perfumed her, dressed her like a doll. And now they were taking her blood.

This could only mean one thing: soon, she would have to sleep with the monster.

And just thinking about it made her feel a cold shiver run through her. When she'd agreed to be his mistress instead of her sister, she hadn't considered this.