Prologue

Trigger Warning: This story contains sensitive topics, including domestic abuse and sexual harassment. If you find these themes triggering or uncomfortable, please feel free to skip this chapter or discontinue reading. Thank you for your understanding!

When will this nightmare end?

I could no longer count how many times I had prayed, begged, or wished to escape the living hell my life had become. I didn't even know if anyone was listening to me anymore, or if I was truly all alone in this darkness.

Every single time I woke up, I was haunted by the same questions, ones I could never seem to answer.

Will I finally escape my nightmare today? Will something good actually happen to me in this new day of my life?

I held onto a desperate sliver of hope for an answer, but none came. I was completely lost, running on empty. There were so many times I wanted to just give up. Yet, during my very last attempt to end my own life, his face suddenly flashed through my mind.

A bitter smile played on my lips at the memory of him. My heart instantly hammered against my chest just thinking about his face.

How is he doing? Does he have a girlfriend now? Why am I still thinking about him when our last memory together was filled with so much pain?

I tightly closed my eyes, unable to stop the warm tears from slipping down my cheeks. The longing and ache in my chest were unbearable. I missed my happiness. I missed my old life. I missed my sister. I missed my memories in that place, and most of all, I missed him. I cried because of him, but God, I missed him. I missed the comfort he brought into my life. The warmth.

Suddenly, the door clicked open. The mere sound of it made me violently tremble in fear. The man I despised the most stepped into the room. His eyes locked onto me instantly, and a sickening smirk stretched across his face.

"My lovely is awake now, huh?" The man I hated the most had that stupid grin on his lips, and it absolutely disgusted me.

How could I have ever loved someone like him?

Ignoring him, I frantically dragged myself backward, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. The closer he stepped, the further I retreated, until I was completely backed into the corner of the bed.

"Why are you avoiding me, hmm? Why are you acting like that toward your boyfriend?" he asked, his tone dripping with fake innocence.

Still, I met him with absolute silence. I refused to talk to him. He could rot for all I cared.

I remained silent, but seconds later, a sharp gasp escaped my throat when he harshly lunged forward, grabbing me and pinning me down onto the mattress. My entire body shook with terror as he pinned me beneath his weight.

"Why are you ignoring me, huh?!" he snarled.

"G-Get off me!" I screamed, my voice trembling as I desperately tried to push against his heavy chest.

But he caught my wrists instantly, locking them down. I fought with everything I had left, but a blood-curdling shriek escaped my lips when he ruthlessly ripped my clothes open.

"Hm, I know how to calm you down. Just calm down, baby. You'll surely love this," he whispered darkly, before burying his face against my neck.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, thrashing my body violently to kick him off me. I don’t want this! Please, not this!

"L-Let me go, you monster! Get off me! Stop it!" I screamed, forcing my legs to move, desperately trying to land a kick. I gathered every ounce of strength left in my frail body to wrench my wrists free from his grip and shove him away.

Miraculously, I managed to push his head away from my neck and kicked him forcefully right between his thighs. Despite my body shaking uncontrollably, I scrambled off the bed and bolted toward the door. I threw a frantic glance around to see if any guards were watching, but the moment I heard his agonized groans echoing from the bedroom, I didn't think twice. I just ran.

"Raegan!"

A sharp voice called out my name, making me halt in my tracks. My heart leaped into my throat as I turned around and saw Ate Yolly, the housemaid.

I rushed toward her, throwing away all my pride as I begged for my life.

"A-Ate, Ate, p-please... help me! Help me get out of here! Please! I can't stay here anymore!" I was practically on my knees, sobbing hysterically, begging her to let me escape.

If I had to kneel and kiss her feet just to leave this hellhole, I would do it. Anything. As long as Ate Yolly helped me get away.

"A-Ate, I want to leave! H-He's a demon! I can't take it anymore! This place is an absolute hell to me!"

To my surprise, Ate Yolly grabbed my arm and pulled me along. Not wasting a single second, I moved my legs and kept up with her. We sprinted out of the house, and my eyes widened in shock when I saw the security guards slumped on the floor, completely unconscious. But there was no time to ask questions.

Ate Yolly and I ran far into a heavily wooded area. Finally, she pulled me down to catch our breath behind the thick trees. I gasped for air, my vision blurred by a fresh wave of tears.

"Raegan, listen to me," Ate Yolly said, forcing me to look at her. "I-I can no longer stand by and watch what that monster of a man is doing to you. You managed to escape him once before, but he still dragged you back. I know how much you’ve suffered here... so, take this."

She pressed a bus ticket and an envelope stuffed with cash into my hands. My fingers shook violently as I gripped them.

"A-Ate..."

"Leave this place far behind. Your suffering ends today, Raegan. Go back to what you left behind..." She stared deep into my eyes, her grip tightening on my hands. "Go back to who you left behind."

At that exact moment, my knees buckled, and my body slumped against her from sheer emotional and physical exhaustion.

"I’ll walk you to the bus terminal. I'll make sure you get there safely, Raegan. Don't worry," she comforted, gently stroking my hair.

I remained quiet, paralyzed by fear, until a sudden realization hit me. "A-Ate, how did the guards become unconscious—"

"I’ve been planning your escape from that demon for a while now, so I slipped poison into the guards' food. Every single one of them watched you suffer and hurt you too, so I didn't think twice about poisoning them. I was just waiting for the perfect timing to get you out, but when that happened earlier, I knew it had to be now."

Is this finally the answer to all my suffering? Is this the end of my misery? Will I ever be happy again?

We didn't waste any more time. Ate Yolly quickly snuck me into the terminal, but not before letting me change into a spare set of clothes to replace my torn ones. I had absolutely no bags or belongings with me, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was escaping that godforsaken place.

"Take care of yourself, Raegan. Once you're far away from here, look after yourself. Be happy, and never, ever let anyone hurt you like this again," Ate Yolly reminded me softly as we stood inside the bustling bus terminal.

"A-Ate, thank you so much for helping me. W-we both know how much d-danger you'll be in once he finds out you helped me escape... but y-you still did it. Please stay safe too, Ate. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Please, take care," I begged, tears streaming down my face.

Ate Yolly offered a reassuring smile and pulled me into a tight embrace. "I'll be careful, Raegan. I promise you."

I waved at Ate Yolly from my window seat as the bus engine roared to life. My tears wouldn't stop falling, especially when the bus finally moved, and her figure slowly vanished from my sight.

I sobbed silently into my hands, overwhelmed by a tidal wave of mixed emotions. I was ecstatic to finally be out of that living hell, but my mind was consumed with anxiety over what that monster might do to Ate Yolly. I just prayed she would be safe.

I lost track of how many hours the bus had been traveling, but when I finally blinked my eyes open, the sky had already shifted into a deep twilight. I instinctively pressed a hand against my stomach; I hadn't eaten a single thing since earlier.

"San Pedro!"

When the driver shouted our current location, my heart violently leaped against my ribs. A cold shiver ran down my spine out of pure nervousness, especially as the bus began pulling into a familiar-looking terminal.

I was back. I had finally made it back.

Once the bus came to a complete halt, I waited for the other passengers to disembark before dragging my exhausted body out. My knees were shaking from hunger and from being cramped in that seat for hours. I scanned my surroundings, looking for a cheap place to eat. I needed food in my system before I figured out my next move.

I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and was about to slide some cash out to buy food, when suddenly, the envelope was violently ripped away from my fingers.

I blinked in utter shock, frozen as my eyes helplessly tracked a man sprinting away into the crowd.

"No, my money..." I whispered, the word dying in my throat.

It was gone. All my money was gone.

I felt the last bit of strength drain from my knees, and I braced myself to collapse right onto the cold pavement, when a pair of strong hands suddenly caught me, wrapping securely around my arm and waist.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips from the sudden contact, but I completely froze the moment the person behind me spoke.

"Stay right here. I'll go after the snatcher."

Time seemed to slow down to an absolute crawl at the sound of his voice. Slowly, hesitantly, I turned my head.

And right there, the world stopped spinning entirely when my eyes landed on him again. My lips trembled so violently that I had to bite down hard on them to suppress a sob. His gaze shifted down to me, and after months of longing, our eyes finally locked.

"Y-You..." I choked out, completely losing my ability to speak.

He merely looked back at me, his eyes softening with a familiar, gentle warmth.

"Shh, I'm here. Take a seat first, I'll just run after him. Okay? Wait for me," he whispered softly, his words wrapping around me like a blanket.

Once he guided me down to a seat, he didn't hesitate to sprint off into the dark, chasing after the thief. I could only follow his retreating figure with my eyes, still trembling, completely unable to wrap my head around the fact that he was standing right in front of me.

I saw him again. I saw the man who made me feel alive and loved after months of endless longing and hoping.