Page 173 of She will Always be Mine

My life was falling apart and the world was laughing and joking at my expense. In a few meaningless words, they degraded my love and called it a freak show.

It’s sad that a person’s reputation can be easily destroyed. And it’s all because their actions were beyond society’s norms.

The sad truth is it will never change. Accepting it is even harder.

I push my depressing musings into a corner never to be touched. I stopped trying to figure out the world a long time ago and I’m not going to start now. Especially when I have other troubling things to worry about.

No matter how fast I run away, I never get far before I’m dragged back down.

Life is a cruel bitch. It always shakes the ground beneath you the second you become comfortable. There’s no stopping it except praying you survive the collapse and aftermath.

I’m almost to my aunt’s house and I sigh in relief when I find cash in my pocket since I didn’t carry my purse. In my haste to leave, I forgot I was only wearing Riaan’s shirt and my sleep shorts from last night. My jacket is hardly covering all of me, so I shift closer to the window to avoid my leering cab driver.

Or maybe I’m imagining him leering at me...

I don’t know anymore. The ugly video has me rattled and doubting everyone around me.

When the car stops outside my uncle’s house, I jump out of the car and give the money through the front passenger window. My gaze flicks around nervously as if I’m afraid somebody will jump out and taunt me about the leaked video.

Will I always fear something would happen when I go out?

I ring the bell and knock on the front door. I realize I should’ve called or responded to the text before I decided to show up unannounced. My aunt and I are close, especially after talking the last time I was here and her continuously checking up on me afterward, but still I don’t want to impose.

Minutes pass and no one opens the door, even though I see my aunt’s car parked in the garage.

I knock harder and I stumble when the door creaks open.

Did she leave it unlocked?

That’s strange because every time I’ve visited in the past, that’s never happened. I instantly regret not bringing my phone. My feet have a mind of their own as I push the door wider and step inside.

Maybe she forgot to close it and is resting upstairs like she usually does in the afternoon. It could be the reason she didn’t hear me. Plus, I can’t just go away without at least making sure their house is safe. They live in one of the wealthiest areas in the outskirts of city, but still. Anything can happen. Criminals don’t discriminate.

Ominous silence welcomes me as I walk down the dimly lit hallway. The living room comes first to my right and it’s empty and so is the kitchen around the corner. The house is eerily cold and I pull the jacket tighter around me.

“Auntie” I call out and wait. No one answers and the strange feeling in my stomach intensifies. I shout louder once more, but hear nothing in response.

Something whispers in my head to turn around and get the hell out. There’s a weird energy in the house I’ve never felt before. Menacing. Troubling. Frightening.

It could be because I’ve had a rough time, but I know very well by now to listen to my instincts. I slowly back away, intending to leave, when a voice calls out my name. Startled, I jump at the sound of the voice while controlling my racing heart.

“Nyra? Is that you?” My uncle’s voice pierces my eardrum.

Thank God! My first thought was that a burglar got inside or something. But, of course, they wouldn’t know my name.

“Yeah, Uncle,” I answer back as I look at the top of the stairs, expecting to see him standing there. But he doesn’t come out so I shout instead, “I came to see Auntie Vandana. Is she with you?”

He doesn’t answer back. I guess he didn’t hear me so I climb upstairs, my feet making a soft thudding sound on the carpeted stairs. I know their bedroom is on the left so I prowl in that direction. The door is ajar so I knock in case they need privacy.

I jolt back when it’s ripped open without warning.

“Uncle, I…” My words trail off as the air is knocked out of me.

Why is it I realize danger when it’s too late?

My uncle stands in only a towel before me, his naked beer belly on display. I want to cringe and hide my eyes and turn around, but my legs don’t listen to my brain.

Furthermore, what has me lurching in stark, cold fear is the two-inch scar on the side of his stomach. It’s diagonal and deep, the skin white like the stitches weren’t done properly. My eyes stare at it in horror while willing it to disappear as I blink rapidly.

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