Page 109 of The Rivals' Touch

“Was his cock worth it?” He bends down and grabs a handful of my hair, bringing his face inches from mine. When I don’t reply, he jostles me. “Answer me, whore! Was his cock worth it?”

I fight my stinging tears and choke out a yes. My defiance is all I have right now, and I won’t let him take that away from me too.

The next blow cracks a rib, and pain sears through me like a sword slashing through skin. I cry out.

“That’s right!” He seizes me by my throat. “Scream for me!”

My thrashing lands a kick in his groin, and my father grunts with pain and falls to his knees. I’m free.

I run to the door, but my hands shake too much to unlock it. When I finally manage to wrench it open, he’s on me and we collide with the wall outside.

He turns me around and clamps a hand over my mouth to stifle my screams. “Make a fucking noise, and I’ll kill him.” He brushes my bangs out of my eyes and holds me in place against the wall with his body weight. “I won’t make it quick.”

My heart jackhammers inside my chest as I bounce my eyes between his.

“You understand why I must punish you, pumpkin? You leave me no choice when you don’t listen to Daddy.”

I whimper below his hand as he snakes his fingers beneath my t-shirt and cups my breast. His touch is punishing, meant to hurt and humiliate.

He stills, brushing his fingers over the dried semen on my skin. “You let him come on your tits?”

My eyes squeeze shut. I know what’s coming even before he fists a handful of my hair and drags me back inside his office.

He throws me against his desk and screams, “YOU LET HIM COME ON YOUR TITS?!”

I eye the open door behind him, praying someone will overhear and intervene, but when he storms over and slams it shut, I know no one is coming to my rescue. No one cares.

“I’m sorry, Daddy!” I cry when he picks up a hardback book off the desk and uses it to beat me with such force I fall to the floor by his feet.

“What specific order did I give you?” His voice is laced with anger and excitement.

I push up on my knees. “Not to fuck him.”

“And what did you do?” He palms my cheek, brushing his thumb over the throbbing skin. It’s gentle, a false sense of comfort before the monster strikes from the shadows.

“I fucked him.”

His eyes darken. “You’re a disobedient little slut!”

I weep silently, but I can’t hide the tears trailing a hot path down my skin. They speak the truth for me, and my father’s smile is cruel as he strokes his thumb through the wetness, collecting a tear.

“A disobedient, ungrateful little bitch who deserves to be punished!”

“Fuck you!” I hiss defiantly, and ice-cold fear spirals through me as he lifts his hand with the book in the air. “You’re a pathetic, disgusting old man! No one loves you! Even your own daughter hate—”

Smack!

* * *

I stare at the specks of dust floating in the streaks of sunlight that filter through my blinds. Zayd knocks on my bedroom door for the third time. I want to shout at him to go away, but I can’t find the strength to use my voice today – not now when I feel so physically and mentally broken.

“You have to wake up, Remi. We’re going to be late for school!”

So many dust particles swirl and dance; it’s hauntingly beautiful as if those specks of dust aren’t shed skin cells, hair, and dust mites.

“Remi?!”

I roll my head on the pillow and look at the window. I wish the blinds were pulled up so I could see the tree outside.

---