Chapter 10: Anne - Siberia 3
I didn’t say Yuri’s name because I naively believe that he might be kind to me. He’s just as bad as the others, but he’s the only one who didn’t touch the flight attendant. Maybe he isn’t the type of man who sleeps with anyone. If he refuses to take part in this, and Dimitri tries to make me choose someone else, I’ll insist it’s either Yuri or no one.
“You should have chosen me,” Dimitri murmurs before shouting, “Yuri, come here. Anne wants you to take her virginity.”
His lie makes me cringe. I want nothing to do with any of them.
From somewhere deeper in the cabin, Yuri’s voice cuts through the air. “Why do you always try to drag me into your shit?”
I knew Yuri was the right choice—but to be fair, Dominick and Ivan probably would’ve said the same thing.
My relief, however, is short-lived when Yuri adds, his tone sharp with irritation, “You know what? Fine. I’ll do it—maybe then you’ll finally leave me the hell alone.”
More sobs rise to my throat.
I try to keep calm so I can think of a way to convince them to allow me to leave, but I’m so scared that all I can do is cry.
Breathe. This will happen. The only thing you can do is to not fight it. They expect you to do so.
Fighting will make it worse. It is best to accept that this will happen.
Yuri enters the living room in only a pair of sweatpants. He takes one look at me, then says to Dimitri in Russian, “Why do you always have to drug them?”
I pretend to look confused at him, not wanting them to realize that I understand what they are saying.
“Do you want her to fight you?” Dimitri retorts.
Yuri shrugs. “Forcing someone to do shit is not my thing.”
If you don’t want to fuck me, then why did you accept?
Dimitri presses a kiss to the top of my head. “She chose to give her virginity to you.”
Yuri makes a disgusted face. “Who still cares about that in this day and age?”
“Only insecure men,” Dominick says.
But Dimitri adds, “For many women, their first time is very special, so make sure Anne never forgets this night.”
Yuri’s disgust deepens. “Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for her.”
“She hurt your girl, so fuck her,” Dimitri says coldly. “She’s finally getting what she deserves.”
Ivan steps into the room, Arthur dangling from his left hand.
Pure terror floods me. Why… what is he doing with my teddy bear?
“She didn’t just hurt our girl, she killed her,” Ivan corrects him. His voice is cold like ice.
Dominick notices Arthur. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of sleeping alone.” He swings an arm around Ivan’s neck and pulls him closer. “I can keep you company.”
Ivan shoves him off. “Fuck off! Besides, it’s not mine—it’s hers.”
Their attention shifts to me.
“Put Arthur back where you found him,” I croak, my throat raw with fear.
Ivan shoots me a venomous glance. “Who the fuck is Arthur?”
I swallow hard. “My… my teddy bear. Please.”
Ivan lifts his hand until Arthur dangles in front of his face. “I was wondering what a grown-ass woman was doing with a stuffed toy, but I assume this is important to you. Да?”
Da. Yes.
I try to lie, but a whimper slips from my lips, letting everyone know how important Arthur is to me.
“In that case, I’m going to hold on to Arthur,” Ivan says, and the words make me cry harder. “He and I are going to have a lot of fun.”
He looks down at my teddy bear. “Isn’t that right, buddy?” Then he tilts Arthur slightly, pretending the bear nods, before turning his cold smile back on me. “Don’t worry. I’ll take pictures of our adventures together.”
“Please! Please, give him back!” I beg between sobs, my voice breaking. I’ve never felt more helpless than I do right now.
Ivan’s expression hardens, his tone turning cruel. “You took something important from me because you were jealous. Now I’m going to do the same.”
“I’m so, so sorry!” I cry out. “Pushing Isla into that frozen lake has always been my biggest regret.”
Yuri lets out a hollow laugh. “Saying sorry won’t bring her back. She was the only thing we ever wanted, and you took her away from us. So we’ll do the same to you—strip you of everything you hold dear until there’s nothing left. And even then, it still won’t be enough.”
Something shifts in Yuri’s gaze. In Russian, he says, “If this bitch wants me to fuck her, then so be it. But I will wait until the drugs are out of her system. I want to look into her eyes while I fuck her so she will always remember that the first man inside her is someone who hates her so much, and that she did nothing to stop me. I will do everything I can to break her.”
“The side effects will wear off soon,” Dimitri informs us.
“In that case, I’ll go see what else she brought with her,” Ivan says, then leaves.
One by one, they leave until I’m the only one left in the living room.
It doesn’t take long for their voices to reach my ears.
“Look at this—the suitcase is full of books,” Ivan laughs.
“What kind of books?” Dimitri asks.
“Women like her read only one type,” Ivan replies with a sneer. “The porn kind. So they can fantasize about the dick they will never get.”
But Dimitri says, “The Maya doesn’t look like a porn book to me.”
Dominick speaks next. “Let me see.” A couple of moments of silence follow. “Come on. Don’t tell me you actually believe she reads this. She only brought it here to make us think she likes history or whatever the fuck these books are about. I bet she never opened any of them.”
The sound of paper tearing follows. Someone laughs.
“Oops,” Dominick says.
They’re ripping my books. Why? Why are they so cruel?
I cry until there are no tears left, listening to the sound of my precious books being destroyed.
By the time they return to the living room, the side effects of the drug have mostly worn off.
I get up from the sofa, my legs shaking, and go to Ivan. I hit his shoulders with my fists while I scream, “Why did you ruin my books? Why?”