YOU WRECKED ME

HUNTER'S P.O.V

(SIX MONTHS AGO)

Birthdays are supposed to smell like cake and candles, but mine smelled like blood instead.

"Ma, I'm home!"

It was the day after my twenty-first birthday.

My girlfriend, Vera, had planned a huge surprise party for me. Well, it wasn't much of a surprise because she threw me a party every year since we started dating. It had become a yearly ritual, so I already knew she was planning one.

All I had to do was act surprised each year and yesterday I did.

Almost everyone was in attendance. My friends, Vera's friends and a few of our course mates that I spoke to from time to time.

Vera's mother was there- and, to my surprise, so was her father, who was usually far too busy to attend events like this.

Everyone was present, everyone except the only family I had-my mother.

"Of course I invited her, we've been planning this party together for weeks."

That was Vera's response when I asked her about my mother's whereabouts. Halfway through the party, and my mum still hadn't shown up.

"I'll call her, just try and enjoy the party," Vera assured me, rubbing a soothing hand on my shoulder.

But it was hard for me to enjoy anything. The cake, my guests, even Vera's father, whose approval I'd always chased.

"She's not answering," I stated the obvious, after Vera's third call went to voicemail again.

"She's probably on her way already, you know it's a three-hour drive from her place," Vera reminded me.

"No, something's wrong, it's so unlike her."

I picked up my coat, turning to the exit to leave.

"Hunter, you can't go now, you have guests to attend to. All Daddy's lawyer friends are here and would love to see you. I'm sure she's on her way."

"But she was supposed to be here yesterday," I replied, looking at the door hoping that any minute from now, Mum will walk in.

"She'll be here. I promise," Vera said, her voice sounded so certain.

The only thing that kept me there was Vera, she had put so much effort just to make my party perfect.

She'd gotten her father to show up-her father and his powerful connections. I knew that was difficult for her to do, but she did it anyway. So, I decided to leave the second the party was over.

*

"Ma?" I called again.

Now I stood on the porch of my mother's house, ringing the doorbell continuously. I pulled the handle, but the door didn't budge; it was locked from the inside.

Quickly, I rounded the house, heading straight to the back yard, specifically my mother's garden.

I scanned the plants for a red flower pot, my Mum always hid her spare key there. I found the key and took it back with me to the front door.

The key opened the door, and I stepped in.

"Ma?" I called again.

The worry was already evident in my voice. I looked around the house-her room, the kitchen, the bathroom. She wasn't anywhere.

By the time I reached the family room, my unease had grown into something unbearably large.

That's when I noticed it-her suitcase, still neatly packed, propped beside the sofa.

Mum had probably spent hours packing for her trip to my birthday party.

𝐼𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.

Seeing her suitcase only confirmed Mum never left the house.

My heart skipped a beat, and a cold dread began creeping up my spine, but the rational part of me tried to dismiss it.

𝑆𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒? 𝐼𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.

I looked at the suitcase again, and this time, something odd caught my eye- there was a note stuck to it.

I ripped it off immediately, looking at the unfamiliar handwriting scribbled on it.

"Play the DVD"

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠? 𝑊ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠?

I tried to swallow but my throat went dry. Something was very, very wrong.

I bolted out of the living room, with the note in my hand, heading straight for Mum's room. Her DVD player was always there. She had a stack of discs, old favourites she loved rewatching.

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒 𝑎 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑗𝑜𝑘𝑒.

I looked around her room for a disc, in search of it, knocking down a few cases she had collected over the years.

I knew every disc she owned-every label, every title-by heart. I was looking for something unfamiliar, something that didn't belong.

Then it hit me- the note hadn't said anything about finding a fucking disc.

It simply said "𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑉𝐷."

A small TV rested on Mum's dresser, the remote lay neatly on top, and the DVD player was right under it.

𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑉𝐷.

I turned on the TV and grabbed the remote and pressing play, not knowing what to expect.

The screen flickered, then filled with warm, grainy footage-home videos of me as a baby. Tiny Hunter in oversized pyjamas, crawling across the living room carpet, laughing as Mum lifted me high into the air.

A nervous smile tugged at my lips.

𝑆𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑡, I thought.

𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒...𝑠ℎ𝑒'𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ, 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛.

The memories were comforting, a reminder of everything safe and familiar. I let myself relax for the first time that day.

I even laughed softly when I saw Mum carefully decorating the cake from my first birthday.

My chest felt lighter, and for a brief moment, the dread that had been twisting in my stomach eased.

Till the screen flickered.

The footage warped and the warm light of the home videos turned cold. The happy scenes stuttered, skipping unnaturally, and the sound distorted into a low, static noise.

My smile faded, something was wrong. I leaned forward, squinting at the screen, trying to convince myself it was just a technical glitch.

Then a new video started.

It was unfamiliar, not a home video. The angle was lower, the lighting dim, and I immediately recognised the tiled floors of my bedroom.

But the scene... the scene wasn't comforting.

There she was- my mother.

Scrambling on the floor, with her breasts out...naked.

A masked man loomed over her.

𝐴𝑚 𝐼 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑥 𝑡𝑎𝑝𝑒?

HUNTER'S P.O.V

(PRESENT DAY)

I staggered into the room, half-naked and slightly unconscious, my shirt was nowhere to be found.

My head is banging and a voice cut through the haze- it belonged to Vera.

"Oh my God," she whispered into her phone as her head turned in my direction.

"Hunter just walked in."

The line went dead, and Vera got up from where she sat.

My blurred vision caught her damp face, matted with tears and sweat- she had been crying.

"Who... was that?" My voice sounded hazy as I squinted at her.

Vera's head shook as she took in the pitiful state I was in.

"Hunter..." her voice broke. "Where have you been? You've been gone for days."

I tried to get words out of my mouth, but I belched loudly instead.

"You...you can't keep doing this. You can't keep disappearing," she stammered.

"Baby." I reached out, missing her by inches. "Don't cry."

I beckoned her to come to me. I wanted to feel her because she was all I needed right now.

Vera didn't move, so I went to meet her. She stood in front of me, looking the sexiest she'd ever been.

Her hair was down, spilling freely over her shoulders. Half her ass was out as her shorts also failed to keep her decent.

The crop top she wore hugged her tightly, revealing her toned stomach. And her tits... God, her big tits, her top could not even contain them.

𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘!

"Were you expecting me?" I asked, a crooked smile played on my lips as I pulled her close.

My arms wrapped around her, and I kissed the top of her head, taking in her scent.

"Hunter, you can't keep doing this..."

I ran my hands over her hips and waist, feeling the smoothness of her skin. She smelled so fucking good.

I wished she would stop talking, enjoy the moment, then let me fuck the shit out of her.

My cock strained painfully against my trousers, and I grabbed her bare ass, grinding into her front.

Vera yelped, pulling away. "Hunter, stop!"

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Because I'm trying to talk to you," she cried.

"Then shut up and stop talking," I said, anger slowly rising in my voice.

"Why are you being this way? Where did you go?" Vera asked, ignoring my pressing need for her touch.

I pushed past her. "I can't deal with this."

"Hunter?" she called. "You can't just disappear without telling anyone."

God, I wished she would stop talking.

"You can't-"

"Vera, if you don't want to have sex, I suggest you shut the fuck up and leave me alone."

My voice was harsh, and Vera instantly went mute.

My eyes stayed fixed on her for what felt like forever, daring her to speak to me again.

Her mouth opened, probably wanting to say something, but she shut it immediately.

𝑊𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒.

I marched to the mini fridge tucked in the corner of our room, ripping it open.

I scrambled through it, and there's not a can of beer in sight.

"You weren't like this before, Hunter," Vera spoke from behind me, her voice gentle.

"I fucking warned you," I said furiously.

"You can talk to me, you don't tell me anything anymore," Vera began to cry.

"Where's the beer? Where did you put it?"

"Away! Because I knew you'd do this," she screamed at me.

I stormed at her, grabbing her shoulders. She couldn't even look at me, her head bent as she cried profusely.

"Just tell me where you put it," I said as calmly as I could.

"You were never like this, Hunter. Please talk to me," she said, ignoring my questions.

"Stop!" I yelled, pushing her violently, watching her fall hard to the ground.

𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘. 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡.

Vera was on the floor, holding on to her arm, crying.

"Vera Baby, I'm sorry," I whispered.

But there was something about this that excited me. Seeing her on the floor in pain, her current state kept the blood flowing in my cock.

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑘. I thought wildly.

I turned away from her, trying to drown that thought from building further.

I was regaining consciousness, and I didn't want that. I needed alcohol now. I thought hard, taking a quick scan of the room. My eyes stopped at one of Vera's drawers.

𝐵𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑜.

I hadn't found my beer yet, but I knew it would be there. I also knew it would be locked.

I walked to the drawer, tugging the handle, it didn't open.

My assumptions were right. Vera had locked it, but a stupid lock and key wouldn't stop me.

I kicked down the drawer, it broke as it fell, and my beer cans came rolling out.

Quickly, I took one, snapping it open and pouring the contents into my mouth.

My throat burned, but that didn't stop me from taking another can, downing the contents of it also. The alcohol hit immediately, and I was glad.

Whatever happened next, whatever I did, I'd have the alcohol to blame.

I turned to Vera again, my eyes narrowed.

She still held her arm, she was still in pain, and there was nothing I wanted more than to twist her arm all the way back, causing her more pain.

I took a step towards her, pure wrath in my eyes. Vera saw this, and she struggled to get away from me.

As she crawled, the memories I had buried so deep returned to me in quick flashes.

Mum on the floor, just like Vera...

"Hunter, please," she begged.

"It seems you want something from me," I said as I walk slowly towards her, dropping the empty can on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I don't," she sobbed.

"No, Vera, it's a little too late for that. Tell me what you want?" My voice was louder than her pathetic cry.

"I'm sorry, Hunter. I care about you."

"If you cared, you wouldn't have hidden my beer," I yelled, grabbing her by the arm that hurt.

Now my face meets hers, and all I saw was fear. She closed her eyes tightly, sobbing so hard.

𝑌𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚...

My chest stung with pain, immediately feeling sorry for her.

I loosened my grip on her arm.

"Vera Baby," my voice breaking instantly.

Her eyes opened, blinking through her tears.

"I'm sorry," I begged, like my senses had finally returned to me, like that "thought" had put me in check.

I bit hard on my lip to keep them from trembling, and Vera watched through teary eyes.

I held her face in my hands, wiping all her tears away. Vera's frozen, not knowing what to do with herself.

I pressed my lips against hers, tasting the saltiness of her tear-stained lips. I pulled away, but that single memory returned again.

My mother, screaming in agony.

I seized Vera's arm again, yanking her up to her feet, listening to the sound of her own agonising scream.

VERA'S P.O.V

Hunter's palm struck my cheek, forcing my head to snap to the side. For a split second, there was nothing, just a ringing white noise flooding my ears-then the sting came hot.

"What do you want from me?" My boyfriend questioned.

He was drunk again, I knew that the second he came into the room, before he went looking for his beer.

"Hunter," I whispered, my voice inaudible.

"I'm here now Vera, what do you want from me?" He repeated.

My mind scrambled and my thoughts tripped over each other. What answer did I have to that?

I had many answers because I wanted many things from Hunter.

𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡, 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡.

But I knew better than to say any of that.

"Nothing," I cried instead, too afraid to confront him.

The look in his dark brown eyes changed, not anger exactly, but something much worse.

Hunter lunged towards me; his fingers closed around my throat before I could even gasp.

He drove me into the wall, claiming every inch of space around me-the impact rattling through my bones.

He leaned in, his eyes met mine, and they showed no mercy.

This was the first version of Hunter, the drunk one. The one that scared me and the one I had to deal with now, because if I didn't, there would be consequences...consequences I could not physically handle.

Air slipped away from me completely, and my face flooded with heat until I knew it must be crimson. My eyes filled and then overflowed as fresh tears slid shamelessly down my cheeks.

Then everything started to fade.

My mouth opened on instinct as I searched for a word-a plea, anything to voice out, but nothing came. Just a raspy gasp caught in my throat.

I was too breathless to speak, too overwhelmed to move.

"Just a little more," Hunter growled lowly.

My eyes fluttered, fighting to close- but I didn't let them.

Hunter loomed over me, reminding me how small I could be, how little he could always make me feel.

One hand remained on my throat, while the other moved to unbuckle his belt, throwing it behind him.

He revealed his cock, hard, thick and throbbing. I watched through half-lidded eyes as he traced it firmly with his free hand, his motion controlled. Every line and vein was amplified in my vision, impossible for me to ignore.

His hand ran over it as he continued to pleasure himself, stroking and twisting aggressively to his liking. Beating it harder while his fury eyes remain fixed on me.

His fingers dug further into my windpipe and my eyes pleaded, but his grip only tightened more.

A heavy weakness spread through me, and everything felt far away. Hunter, the room, even my own body-I was barely hanging on.

If I gave up now, only God knew what would happen. I wondered if Hunter would stop if he saw I was passed out, if he saw his Baby girl was really, truly hurt.

I knew one thing, I knew this was the last night Hunter would ever treat me this way- I couldn't give up now.

𝐼𝑓 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤, 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑦. 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑒; 𝐼 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜...

But my eyes gave up already, rolling to the back of my head.

𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑛𝑜. 𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠. 𝑀𝑦 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑡, 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡...

Luck was on my side, because that involuntary act seemed to do it for Hunter. Watching my eyes roll back threw his body into an immediate fit. It triggered him and he reached climax immediately.

A jagged groan ripped from his throat, and his head snapped backwards, his entire body tensing violently.

Streams of thick fluid spurted from the tip of his cock, dripping onto my thick thighs, left bare.

His hand shook against my neck, as it did, his grip loosened, and air gradually returned to my system. I drew it in, desperate for it.

I forced my eyes open, then slid down the wall as Hunter lost his grip. My limbs were unable to support me, leaving me drowning in the pool of my unconsciousness.

The air I longed for moments ago slowly began to suffocate me and every nerve in my body screamed with the intensity of it.

Hunter moaned. "Fuck."

He bit down hard on his lip and staggered forward. His hands reached out to grip the wall, holding on for a moment before staggering towards the bed, falling freely onto it.

I remained in the corner of the room, exactly where he left me, afraid that even the slightest shift would draw his attention back to me.

My face streamed with tears, and my hands clasped gingerly around my neck. I whimpered, crying with each touch, every brush of my fingers sent a fresh wave of panic through my body.

𝐼𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠, 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑒𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠.

"Vera," he called my name, his voice softening suddenly, just like before.

This was the second version of Hunter. The one that I'd wake up to the next day. The one that would swear he didn't mean it, or claimed to have forgotten, making everything worse.

"I need you to be quiet."

But I couldn't; his words didn't soothe me. I couldn't calm myself, not after everything... I just couldn't.

My chest heaved as he spoke.

"You know what happens when you don't listen. You know what happens when you cry."

I knew, and yet I still didn't stop.

"You're asking for something you won't like."

His harsh words were followed by a low, humourless laugh rumbling from the depths of his throat.

I heard the bed creak as he got up, I heard him walk towards me, his footsteps light and quick.

"Get up."

I should have listened, I should have stopped crying and done what he said.

I feared for my life once more.