Chapter 44: Helpless

Chapter 44: Helpless
MERA

My head spun, lights flashing before my eyes as I groaned, a metallic taste spreading in my mouth. "I asked you nicely not to hit me. Why do you want to make me angry?"

I heard his sickening voice say, and tried to crawl to my phone, which was only a short distance away. Reaching for it, I quickly pressed the speed dial, but he grabbed it and threw it across the room, shattering it.

Grabbing my hair, he pulled me to my feet, and I screamed as he dragged me across the room, cursing.

“Shut up! Shut the fuck up!” He screamed back, slamming my back against the wall and pinning me against it.

"Camillo will be here soon, Lorenzo." I lied in an attempt to scare him off. I hadn't heard from Camilo since the incident with Ava yesterday, and I wasn't sure if the call had gone through or if he would even care to know why I'd called.

“Is that right? You must think I’m a special kind of stupid if you think I’m going to fall for that. Your fuck buddy isn't going to come here while attempting to earn Ava's forgiveness for screwing you. Do you think he wants to hang out in the same place he got busted at?" He said, and I realized he was right: Camilo would not come.

“Lorenzo… please. Don’t-”

“Shh… it’s okay,” he said, pulling me to his chest. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mera,” he added, and I sobbed, trembling, helpless against his chest.

“If you do what I say, I promise I won’t hurt you,” he said, pulling back after a moment. "You want that, don't you?" he asked, tucking a strand behind my ear before cupping my cheeks and wiping away my tears with the pads of his thumb.

“Don’t you?” He asked again, leaning in toward my face, his thumb tracing over my bottom lip, seeing how I hadn't responded, and I nodded, my lips quivering as all the fear returned.

"Good." He kissed my lips, eliciting a loud whimper. "Now, we are going upstairs, and you will do everything I tell you. Yes?"

“Lorenzo, please don’t hurt me again.”

“I told you, I'm not here to hurt you, Mera. You’re lucky… I’m saving you from what’s coming. I will keep you and Noa safe," he said, making me cry even harder, terrified by how insane he sounded.

"Now, come.” Stepping back, he gestured for me to walk, but my mind screamed at me to flee. So I kneed him in the crotch, causing him to double over, groaning in pain. I took advantage of the opportunity and dashed upstairs, but screamed as he grabbed my leg just as I was about to climb the final steps.

I fell hard, hitting my face on the steps, and for a moment, I was dazed as I desperately scrambled for my bearings. He grabbed me right at that moment, but I managed to roll over and kick him in the face as he attempted to crawl up my legs

A grunt tore through his chest as he let go, and I crawled the remaining steps before getting back on my feet and running to the bedroom. Fumbling for the door, I threw it shut, but he was already there and blocked it with his foot.

Throwing my body against it, I tried to force it closed, but I realized it wasn't working. He was too strong, so I ran to the dresser, looking for anything to defend myself, and found a pair of scissors.

"Don't come any closer!" I warned, pointing the scissors at him, but my hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't take me seriously. "I mean it, Lorenzo! Please… don’t... hurt me.” I tried to be strong, but my voice broke as he slowly approached me, like a lion stalking its prey.

"But you continue to make me hurt you, Mera. This is all you," he said, lunging for the scissors, but I managed to sidestep him and cut his hand. "Shit!" he yelled, looking at his hand before a sinister smile spread across his face.

"I will have to punish you for this. You know that, right?" he asked, and right at that moment, Noa whimpered on the bed behind me. I looked back for just a moment, and it was a big mistake.

Lorenzo lunged for the scissors again, and he grabbed them before the back of his hand connected with my face, sending me sprawling back on the bed.

"See what you are doing? You've woken him up. Do you want him to see you like this?" He seethed, grabbing me roughly by the collar and throwing me to the ground. Groaning, I suppressed a scream. He was right. I didn’t want my baby to see this.

I tried to slide away from him, begging him to stop. "I thought you were a good mother, Mera," he spat, bending down and pulling me back up with my hair again.

“Come here, I don’t want him to see this.” He dragged me to the next bedroom, threw me on the bed, and then straddled me while I writhed, scratching him in the face.

"Hey! Stop! Stop this nonsense, or you will not like what I do to him!" That halted me mid-movement. I'd rather die a slow, agonizing death than endanger my baby.

"I don't want to hurt you or him, but I swear I will if you keep doing this shit."

“I’ll stop… I’ll do whatever you want… Please don’t hurt him.”

"Good," he said, caressing the side of my face before kissing my forehead.

“Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?”

"You cut me, Mera. Don't you see the blood running down my hand?"

“I’m sorry, Lorenzo. I’m sorry… please don’t do this.”

"If we are going to live together, you must learn obedience. So I have to punish you until you understand."

"I promise not to do it again. Please, I swear. I’m sorry,” I pleaded, desperate as his hand moved down my face to my chest, gradually undoing my buttons. “Please, Lorenzo." Think about Camila... She-"

“I don't give a damn about that stupid bitch," he spat, abruptly getting off of me and off the bed. “Take your clothes off,” he ordered, taking his shirt off, but I didn’t move.

"Don't you ever tell me about that annoying bitch again! She's served her purpose. Now take your fucking clothes off! You don't want me to say it again, Mera."