chapter 42

Flashback....

12-year-old Rose was in her room seated on the floor with a table in front of her and was colouring a drawing.

She felt someone enter her room from behind her. She held the crayon hard in her hand . She knew who it was.

Ermanno entered Rose's room and sat beside her.

He kissed her shoulder and said "hello Mio Rosa"

Rose didn't say anything and Ermanno leaned toward her and bit her shoulder.

Rose hissed in pain and looked at Ermanno rubbing her shoulder and asked: "why did you bite me?"

"Why didn't you answer me when I asked you a question? Why is my Rose angry at me?" Asked Ermanno.

"You came into my room again," said Rose looking back at her drawing.

"But I didn't sleep with you or touch or kiss you while you slept," said Ermanno.

"You.. you... Were making noises," said Rose and continued "and you had your hand in your pants".

"You were awake?" Asked Ermanno.

"Yes. I am afraid to sleep when you are here because I know you will come into my room again." Said Rose.

"Why are you afraid? I just like to hold you when I sleep. But after you said you don't want that I stopped coming to sleep with you. And yesterday I was. ah .. I just wanted to see you" said Ermanno.

"Why did you have your hand in your pants?" Asked Rose.

"You ask too many questions little girl," said Ermanno irritated.

Rose was silent after that and continued colouring. She felt Ermanno leaning in and smelling her hair. He always smelt her. He said he liked how she smelt.

"I have a gift for you," said Ermanno.

"What ?" Asked Rose.

Ermanno removed a small box from his pocket and removed a rose pendant and gave it to her. 

Rose looked at the pendant and smiled and said "thank you. It's beautiful"

Ermanno removed the chain pendant from the box and helped her wear it around her neck. 

He leaned in close to her and kissed the crook of her neck. 

"Won't you thank me?" Asked Ermanno.

"I did," said Rose.

"Action speaks louder than words. I want you to show me that you really are thankful. Kiss me" said Ermanno.

"I don't want to. Ray said that when a boy kisses a girl. The girl gets pregnant" said Rose.

"Trust me. That's not how girls get pregnant. I will teach you about it when you grow up. Right now. Just know that whatever I do will not make you pregnant. Okay? Now kiss me" said Ermanno.

Rose didn't want to and Ermanno saw the hesitation and pulled her for a kiss.

Ermanno was nice and friendly and Rose never considered his touches dirty until Sofia told Rose that she will get pregnant by Ermanno when he touches her. 

That's when Rose started feeling uncomfortable with Ermanno. She thought that Ermanno was one of that bad men who hurt girls. 

Sofia also showed Rose pictures of her and Ermanno. Sofia said that if Rose told her mom and dad about Ermanno she would show these pictures to them and tell them that it was rose who initiated everything.

Rose also knew Sofia recorded them and took pictures. 

Sofia also had started hitting Rose. 

Sofia hit her every time Ermanno would spend time with Rose. Which was mostly every day.

Today was no different.

Ermanno left after some time.

Rose sat at the same place sobbing knowing very well that Sofia would come in her room any minute.

And as she predicted Sofia came in her room.

"He kissed you again," said Sofia and pulled Rose's hair and Rose screamed in pain.

"I told him not to. Please don't hurt me. Yesterday's beating is still hurting. Please" begged Rose.

"You deserve to be beaten up. You filthy, dirty, ugly girl. I am working so hard to keep him with me and you little girl gets all the attention. Bloody bitch" screamed Sofia and slapped Rose, kicked her and punched her.

Sofia was panting standing up looking at Rose lying on the floor. 

"Fucking bitch," said Sofia and kicked Rose one last time and walked out of her room.

Rose held her stomach which was hurting from being kicked and cried till she fell asleep on the same floor she had slept crying after being beaten up by Sofia many times.

"What did I do? What is my mistake?" Cried, Rose.

Flashback ends...

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Rose shed tears looking at the pendant and asked the same question she had asked a thousand times "what did I do? What is my mistake? No one helped me. No one was ever there. You said you liked me Ermanno. I liked you too. You made so many promises to a child who started to build a future with you in her mind. You touched my skin. Why couldn't you feel my pain? You sniffed my hair. Why couldn't you smell my desperation for freedom from being abused by my sister? You are a coward Ermanno who couldn't stand on your words. You are a coward who showed a child dreams and broke them right in front of her. You are a coward who couldn't fight for what he liked. You are a coward who abuses girls to prove your masculinity. You are a fucking fool in thinking that you can get away by making an innocent child feel impure by your touches." Said Rose and paused and continued "money, power, family and your sweet mummy. These are the four pillars you are standing on Ermanno. I will break these pillars one by one and make you fall down from your height. 

A room with four walls and some toys are not hell Ermanno. Losing everything that you have right in front of you and living a miserable life with no one, alone is hell. 

And I will create hell for you, my hubby. You will live in hell, you coward. I will rip you off from everything you have."

Rose smirked and continued "you fucked up my mind and made me feel unsafe and dirty by your touches . I was alone and miserable for so long. You molested a child and hid it without getting punished and thought you would get away with it? 

No hubby. Time to pay up. 

Welcome to my hell.... Ermanno"