The Beginning

Delana's POV

"Get your hands off me! Leave me alone!!" I screamed, crawling away from the man who towered over me.

"Respect yourself, girl!" That deep voice I knew too well roared at me and I squirmed in fear, shivering under him and trying to get away.

"Leave me alone please! Get your hands off my body please!" I screamed again, swatting my hands in front of him as if to shield him from touching my body.

But my attempts to stop the worst thing to ever happen to me were futile. Tonight was going to be the night I'll lose my virginity, my dignity and my pride and it was to the man I called boss.

And I wouldn't lose it in a beautiful way to the man of my dreams, but instead in a cold room with little light peeking from under the doors.

I felt his hand roam over my skin and a bolt of irritation shot through me and I started to cry, desperately trying to get away.

"Shut the hell up! Just spread those legs for me right now before you regret it! Don't try to waste any more time. I'll pay you for how long you stay." His dark voice whispered in my ears and soon I was pushed down to a huge bed. My fear intensified.

I let out a painful scream when he pinned my hand above my head, pinching into my skin painfully as I could see a hint of smirk on his face as his other hand started to travel down my body.

The images became blurry and his finger found my lower region, a cry escaped my lips but every part of me didn't fight anymore.

"No! N-no, please!" I started to plead. " I never took anything! Stop sir! P-please stop, sir!" I cried, feeling every last shred of pride tear me apart as I tried to understand why this was happening to me.

My eyes found him in the dark, and I could feel the lust radiating from those green orbs, his sloppy blinking made me realize he was drunk also.

"Do not say that I didn't warn you! Get those fu¢king hands off this instant! I've paid and you must deliver!" He spoke fiercely, his hands digging into my thigh and forcing my legs apart.

A shiver of fear shot up my spine and I started to wail at the thought of the pain waiting to be endured.

"Let go! Let go of me s-sir! S-sir! Leave me alone please! No! I didn't take anything! Let go of me! God no! Oh God! Oh my God! N-no! Get your... Ahhhhhhh!!" I screamed into the night, pleaded for mercy, but none was given to me.

********

It was another day. Another painful reminder that I was still alive. And I knew exactly how the day would turn out as nothing exciting ever happened to me. I was a college student in my final year and my day was made up of studies and homeworks.

I rose from my bed and looked down at myself in my mirror, my black hair fell past my shoulders and my blue eyes stared back at me. I looked identical to my twin sister and sometimes my mother got confused.

Sighing, I made my way downstairs for breakfast. I rubbed my eyes gently when I heard a loud voice targeted at me.

"Who did this?!" I looked up to see my mom staring up at me angrily while pointing to one of her favorite cups that lay broken on the table.

"It's you, right?! I know it's you again Delana!" She yelled at me and I staggered backwards away from her reach.

It was one of those times I got blamed for my sister's mistakes.

"M-mom? I-I..." I started to say when she closed the space between us and a stinging sensation filled my left cheeks.

My eyes watered as I raised my palm to my cheek to soothe the pain when I heard soft giggles behind me, I didn't need to turn to know it was my twin sister.

"Do you want to cry now?!" My mother asked, taking a threatening step towards me as I took one back. I shook my head, unable to speak without sobbing.

"Get that shopping list and go to Mr. Clifford's. Cook him a meal and do his laundry before returning!" My mom said to me with disgust.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest at the sound of Mr Clifford. A dreadful feeling filled me and I opened my mouth to speak.

"But mom, I--"

"You dare talk while I'm speaking?! How dare you Delana?" My mom roared at me, glaring hatefully and daring me to utter another word.

She took another step towards me and fear constricted my throat when she grabbed unto my chin, forcing my eyes to meet hers.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see my twin sister in a pink PJs, smiling from the corner of the room and tears ran down my cheeks.

"Mom... please mom. I...I need to go back to school today." I said, reaching for her hand.

"There's nothing important for you to do in that school!" She spat before letting go of my face, pushing me aside.

Going to school annoyed my mother in ways I didn't understand. She claimed it was the worst mistake she could ever make.

As I coughed rapidly and tried to breathe, I felt someone grab my hair forcefully and turned to see my twin sister Delina, glaring at me.

"Mom?...Ahh!... Stop Delina!" I cried out in pain but my mother ignored me, looking away. Delina smirked and leaned into my ear.

"What the hell Delana! How can you speak when mom is still talking!" She asked, a devious smoke curled her lips and I struggled to get away when her grip tightened.

"But I... Ahhh! Stop Delina! Mr. Clifford wanted to...to…"

"To what Delana?!" My mom asked fiercely.

"I've told you already that you are going to be married to him. When you finish taking care of him, you will come here to finish up at home! As his wife-to-be, you are supposed to let him have sex with you."

"Mom…?" My eyes glittered with unshed tears at her words.

"Just shut the fuck up and listen to mom!" My twin sister yelled at me.

"I see you are becoming more disrespectful, Delana. But don't worry, I'll fix that in no time!" My mom yelled at me and I cowered in fear.

"Of what good is it giving those stupid pimps of yours when you could give it to Mr. Clifford who is ready to marry you?!"

"You know...I...I have school. I need to get to school today. I don't need a man. And...and Mr. Clifford is old. Please, mom." I pleaded, the image of the older man reflecting in my mind and I shuddered in disgust.

"That is your problem Delana! You are marrying him, and that's final! Now, get that shopping list in my room and get moving!" She finished and Delina let go of my hair before smiling at me and urging me to leave.

I bowed gently, wiping my tears before leaving for my mom's room. I found her door at the end of the hallway and entered, finding the list on the bedside table before snatching my sandals in my room and leaving the house, carefully avoiding Delina.

I walked quietly in the direction of Mr Clifford's home, silently wishing I had brought my headphones with me. He was our neighbor, so it wasn't a long walk. I knocked on the door and it opened immediately.

An old man of about Seventy-Eight years old, with grey hair that had fallen off his head, his hazel eyes buried under wrinkled flesh and his chapped lips turned into a toothless smile.

"Oh, you are here early my darling." Mr. Clifford spoke to me excitedly the minute he saw me, stepping aside to let me through. His eyes traveled through my body as he licked his lips excitedly, I shuddered in disgust.

The only thing Mr Clifford lived for was sleeping with women, especially young ones like me, and the day my mom had told me she would be marrying me off to him, I vomited the whole day at the thought of it. That woman hated me and this proved it.

"Good morning, Mr. Clifford." I greeted, walking past him and leaning against the door, the smell of burning pancakes flew past my nose.

Mr Clifford closed the door and reached for my hand.

"Yeah. You can leave shopping for today. Go to my room, take a warm bath and slip into that lingerie hung on the door. I would like to fu¢k you! I know you are still a virgin, but don't worry, I'll be gentle." He smirked, his calloused fingers running down my arm as if to seduce me, but I only felt disgust.

"I... I need to get to school now." I said sheepishly, cowering away from his touch.

"School? I thought you didn't have school today." He asked, confusion filling his face.

"I-I have school, Mr. Clifford." I spoke to him faintly, reaching for the door behind me.

"Oh, ok. You may leave for school. I guess the lingerie would have to wait." He smiled, before winking at me. I nodded quickly and opened the door, slamming it rather too loudly behind me.

Ew! I wanted to scream and shivered as if to shake off his touch from me and headed back home.

"Why the hell did you tell Mr. Clifford about your stupid school?!" My mom pulled me right into the house the minute the door opened, and I staggered, falling to the floor. I felt her hand smack against my back before I could get to my feet.

"Mom?..." I sniffed "please…"

"You dare tell him about school when I already told you to go there and make him happy?! What is wrong with you Delana!" She screamed at me, leaving the sitting room quickly and to get room. I struggled to get up and wipe my ready eyes when she appeared again with a belt in hand.

A large lump formed in my throat and fear ran across me as to what I was expecting next. I collapsed to my knee and brought my palms together to plead but Delina marched in, a phone ringing in her hand as she handed it to my mom who frowned at being distracted.

"Mom, it's dad!"

She snatched the phone, placing it in her ear before turning to me, throwing the phone at me so I caught it.

"Here! Your dad wants to speak with you!" She spat, glaring hatefully and I wiped my eyes.

"Hi, dad." I said with a straight voice, giving no hint to what was happening.

"Yeah. Hi, sweetheart. Hope you're good?" My dad's voice sounded on the other end. I glanced at my mom and sister whose eyes warned me of the hell I would be in if I said I wasn't.

"I'm fine." I squeaked.

"That's great, sweetheart. I'll be home this weekend with your favorite treat, yeah?"

My dad and I spoke for a while before he finally hung up. My mom took back her phone. "You can go back to school now. But make sure that I see you back here when it's the right time, or you'll be sorry!"

"Yes...yes mom."

I stood up immediately and went into my room to get ready for school. In a few minutes, I was closing the door behind me and heading for school. Delina stayed back as expected and my mother didn't say anything to it.

My dad's warm smile filled my mind and I sched to have him hug me once more. I waited a few minutes before the bus came and sat at the back once more lost in my thoughts.

No matter how many times I tried to think of an excuse for my sister and mother's behavior towards me, I couldn't come up with a valid one that made sense.

Each passing day was filled with pain and despair from my mother and sister and my dad was the only one who treated me differently. I rested my head against the window glass, admiring the view of passing buildings and people heading to work, while my mind thought of a happy place for me.

******

"You can get in." I heard a deep voice say and I turned to look at a deep red car slowly driving beside me as I walked to work. The man whose blue eyes watched me carefully had a nice smile on his face, a deep dimple staining his cheeks. He was handsome and appeared to be in his late thirties.

"Thank you, sir. I can get to my destination myself." I responded shyly.

"There's nothing to be worried about. Just get in, I can see that you are in a hurry. And it would be difficult to get a cab here. Here is a dead-end and extremely dangerous." He said.

I looked around the unfamiliar buildings and cursed silently at the cab I had taken that broke down a few miles away.

"Just get in. This place isn't good for a young and beautiful girl like you." He said to me, his smile reaching his eyes and I nodded.

"Thank you...for the lift sir."

"It's cool." He said, opening the door to the passenger seat.

I got in, looking around the exquisite car before dropping my head as he drove down the path. Soon my work place came to view and I turned to him in shock.

"How did you know where I work sir? Are you a regular here? I don't think I've met you before." I ask.

"You work here?" He asked me surprisingly. I looked at him unsure of what to say until he waved his hand in front of me. "Hey?!"

"Huh?!" I snapped out of my thoughts. "Oh, my God! Oh no! Not again!"