Chapter 1
NATALIE'S POV:
"Why is life unfair with me?”, I muttered looking at the photo frame in my hand. Tears welled up in my eyes looking at the childhood picture of me with my mom and dad. Such a carefree life I used to live when they were alive.
" Natalie”, I heard aunt calling me from the living room. I quickly kept the photo frame under my pillow and ran towards the living room. I saw her seated on the sofa with Uncle and a man who was in his mid-thirties. The man shifted his gaze at me and looked at me lustily.
"Come here", Aunt ordered me. I clenched my shirt and didn't move an inch from my place. " Don't make me repeat my words", she yelled angrily and I got startled listening to her loud voice. Tears started to roll down my cheeks.
The man who was seated with Aunt and Uncle told, "You speak to her and then let me know.” He glanced towards me for the last time and left from there.
No sooner did he leave, then my Aunt came towards me and slapped me. I rubbed my cheeks to ease the pain and looked at her with tears in my eyes.
She fisted my hair and dragged me to my room, while Uncle followed her.
I cringed in pain, but she didn't care and pushed me on the bed.
"You bitch, how many times have I told you not to disrespect me, but you never understand”, Aunt said angrily holding my jaws which caused me to wince in pain.
"1am sorry", I cried.
"Maria, leave her”, Uncle Tony said in a stern voice. He also beats me, tortures me, but why is he worried for me now, I was confused. He came towards me and caressed my face but I pushed his hand away which made him angry. He fisted my hair angrily and told, " I don't want any marks on your face, or else I would have beaten you badly"
He left my hair angrily and left the room not before telling Aunt Maria to convince me. No sooner than Uncle Tony left, Aunt Maria held my shoulders harshly and told, "You're getting married tomorrow". Her words shocked me to my core. I looked at her with teary eyes and she continued- "Henry Machado is a businessman, and he has set his eye upon you. I want you to marry him", said Aunt Maria and I started shaking my head in a no.
" Please no, Aunt. I don't want to marry him. He is 15 years older than me and I have also heard that he is no less than a beast", I cried.
Aunt Maria yelled angrily, "You bitch I'm not asking you, I am informing you that tomorrow is your marriage with him."
I kept on refusing which made Aunt Maria angry. She called Uncle Tony, who came with a leather belt in his hand and they started to assault me. I was crying in pain, begging them to stop but they behaved as if they had become deaf and continued torturing me the entire night. Everything seemed to blur in front of my eyes and darkness engulfed me.
The next morning, I woke up with tremendous pain in my body. I tried to stand up on my feet but fell on the floor again. I heard some voices from the living room. I dragged myself towards the door and peeped through the keyhole. I saw Aunt Maria, Uncle Tony, and the man who was with them yesterday, and AuntyMaria informed, was a famous business tycoon Henry Machado.
He gave a bundle of notes to Uncle Tony and told, "This is the advance. I'll give the entire money when I get Natalie.”
"She is all yours", said Uncle Tony, laughing. Tears rolled down my cheeks. How could they sell me, how can someone stoop so low for money? Suddenly I heard footsteps approaching my room, my heart started beating wildly. I lay down on the floor with my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. The knob of the door opened & Aunt Maria came inside. She patted my cheeks to wake me up and I opened my eyes.
" Get ready quickly, you're going with Henry", Aunt Maria told in a cold voice. I held her hands and requested her not to send me with him but she ignored my pleas and threw the clothes on my face. "15 minutes. I want you in the living room in 15 minutes”, Aunt Maria ordered and left closing the door behind. I went to the bathroom and stood in the shower. The hot running water relaxed my body. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. But I composed myself.
" No Natalie, you cannot lose hope. You cannot give up easily and go with that womanizer"
I quickly dried myself with a towel and wore a pair of jeans and a white shirt.
I grabbed my scarf and the photo frame from under the pillow and ran towards the window. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped from the window. I fell badly which caused bruises on my elbows and knees but I didn't bother about it. I stood up, dusted my dress, and ran as fast as I could.
It was night now and I came very far from home. The hustle and bustle on the streets went silent. I was fatigued, famished, and thirsty as I was starving for 4 days. I kept on progressing further until I reached a deserted muddy road, which was enclosed by jungle. I felt someone's gaze on me. I started walking quickly, trying to find an escape from the jungle. There was silence in the atmosphere and I could hear the rustling of the grass as I walked.
It was more than an hour, I was trying to search for a way out from this jungle. My legs were hurting, and tears were rolling down my cheeks. I sat down on the heap of leaves and cried at my fate. Suddenly I heard the howling of a wolf. I wiped off my tears and stood up.
My eyes went to a wolf who was standing in front of me. It was huge, black in color. I was terrified and who wouldn't be? My hands and legs became icy cold and I started to tremble. He was about to pounce on me, but suddenly another wolf came in between and pounced upon him. I heard the faint howlings of wolves and rustling of grasses.
The sounds were coming closer. It all felt like a nightmare. My eyes started to get heavy, and my vision began to blur. Lastly, I saw a pack of wolves surrounding me and the other two wolves who were fighting, and then, everything blackened out.