Song: Gringo - Shatta Wale.

Dedicated to my good friend, Perrymic 🤗❤️

*Unedited* (It's 1am and flamingos are pink)

Love.

I've always thought that love was the strongest emotion I would ever feel.

I was foolish.

Because the pain that coursed through me, at every slight movement, every breath, every thought, was unimaginable.

I've never liked crying and heaving and wailing, because I've always felt like those are theatrics. Only actors do that. But here I was, physically and emotionally drained, tired from wailing and doing those theatrics I detested so much.

I was staring at the ceiling. It was always my go-to spot when I was thinking. Just that I wasn't thinking anymore.

Just staring. Nothing was going through my mind.

It was eerie.

Creepy.

Uncharacteristic.

But I felt something had changed in me. Something had broken in me when he left.

Now, when I tried to picture him in my mind, I only saw pain.

He'd caused me pain. From the very first time he told me that he loved me.

He had used me. He used me to forgo his responsibilities as chief. Then he believed, no, believes things that if he ever really knew me, he'd never accuse me of.

He doesn't love me. He never really did, and he never will. The sooner I get that into my thick skull, the better.

I needed to understand that Michael was really a closed subject. When I'd made our marriage a faux one, we were well and truly finished. Just that I didn't know it then.

I wondered how to move on from him. He'd sunk his claws deep into my heart, wrapped it in his perfect illusion of love, and I was stupid enough to fall for everything.

It was my fault, all along. My parents were sceptical about Michael, yet I thought they were just trying to wound my pride. If I'd believed them, maybe my heart wouldn't feel like a useless swollen cavity in my chest that was weighing me down.

It'd be so much better if I just accepted my fate. Accepted that the life I had right now was the life that was destined for me.

Forever.

I don't know if I ever loved Michael either. I'd always had trouble saying it. Feeling that it sounded inauthentic. Feeling like my tongue was moving the wrong way.

But I must've loved him, if it hurt this much.

No, it was better not to think about things that would only confuse me further. I had to understand that the situation I'd found myself in was the one I was supposed to be in. I wouldn't find love here, but I'd find escape. It'd be like living in a different world, whilst my body was still down here in this cursed world.

Oblivious bliss.

It sounded like a blessing.

I heard the door open, jerking me out of my reverie. It was Kofi.

"You look... not how I expected. Was it that bad?" He asked, inching his way around my clothes which were still on the ground.

He stared at my face, completely ignoring my naked body.

"Nothing happened," I said.

He reached for me, making me flinch. His scowl deepened. He ignored me and reached again -- only to grab the covers and pull them up to my neck. Covering me.

I didn't really care at the moment, but looking back, I was thankful.

"Wolfgang it is then," he said.

"I don't care," I replied. I looked at him and I could've sworn that his eyes softened a fraction.

"You look different," he observed.

"I feel different."

"What happened? Did..." he clenched his fists. "did he... violate you?"

I laughed. "No. That might have been better."

"You don't know what you're saying," he said, his fingernails digging into his palms.

I stared at him, wondering if anyone he'd been close to had ever been violated.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

The anger returned to his eyes. "This is my house. I can go wherever I please."

"Of course," I turned back to the ceiling, trying to detach myself from reality, seeing that he hadn't come to say anything that would interest me.

"You know what this means. Do you want to try again?" He asked.

I snorted. "And allow him to hurt me like this again? No."

"Wolfgang is coming today."

"Whatever," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

He gasped. It was so soft that I didn't hear it, but I saw his lips part and his chest expand as he took in the sharp breath of air. The expression was gone before long though. He didn't let his feelings show for too long.

He reverted to his characteristic straight face. "Very well." He said.

He didn't leave like I expected. He kept staring at me.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said, rudely staring.

He kept staring at me. When I was tired of those eyes, I refocused my gaze on the ceiling. We must've stayed like that for hours, because when he spoke again, my eyelids were drooping, forcing me to sleep.

"Someone's coming over. He wants to meet you. Go and take a shower," he said.

"What if I don't want to see the person?" I asked.

"You don't have a choice."

"I never did."

"I'm not in the mood for your sentimental crap."

"You never are."

He glared at me. "I disliked you less before."

"It's all dislike anyway so it doesn't matter the amount."

He frowned deeply. He came up to me and began to pull off the sheets from underneath me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, trying to hold onto them.

"The sheets are stained," he replied, yanking the small portions I'd managed to hold on to from my hands.

"No, they're not!"

"They are. He didn't manage to get everything."

I let go as I blushed furiously. Suddenly, I felt conscious, realising that I was naked beneath the covers. I hurriedly wrapped them around myself.

He succeeded in pulling the sheets from beneath me and burning my raw flesh in the process. "Now go and take a shower. Or better yet, a bath."

I sighed, securing the covers around me as I went into the bathroom.

It was when I got there that I began to hyperventilate. My eyes were wide when I realised that he'd seen me naked. I screamed, then pressed my hand against my mouth to stifle the rest of the horrified screams.

I rushed into the shower cubicle, calming myself down with a hand pressed to my chest.

It's not like he even felt different. Looking at my naked body was like looking at my ears -- for him.

Even that thought didn't seem to make me feel better. Since when could men resist me? Even when I was in my birthday clothes? Was I becoming ugly?

I sighed, berating myself for thinking that way. If anything, I should be grateful for Kofi. His lack of sexual appetite was a blessing. I knew that if it were anyone else, I'd have probably been raped.

I showered for longer than usual. I took extra care scrubbing Michael off me. His tongue, his lips, his fingers, hands, hair, chest, everything. It was one step forward. If only it was that easy, I would scrub him off my heart too.

When I came out wrapped in a bath robe, Kofi was sitting on my bed. I screamed again, slapped my hand over my mouth again and blushed so furiously that I feared the colour might seep through my dark skin.

Kofi shook his head. He threw a shirt at me and it comically smacked me in the face, just like last time.

I frowned, picked the shirt from the ground, and threw it back at him. I had terrible aim so it flew over his right shoulder. I blushed again, embarrassed.

He again threw something at me. It was a pair of shorts. The zip felt sharp on my face.

I threw it back at him, but this time it sailed over his head.

He smiled teasingly. "Good aim."

I scowled. "It's just because you're seated."

He scooted to the edge of the bed, grabbed the shirt and shorts, stood, and threw the clothing at me, both successfully hitting my face. He grinned. "Now I'm standing."

I knew I wouldn't have aim as good as his, so I just rolled my eyes and went behind the bathroom door to put the shirt on. "I wouldn't waste this perfectly good clothing!" I told him. I wore the bath robe over the shirt so that he wouldn't see what he wasn't supposed to see again.

He waited till I came back. "How will throwing them at me waste them?" He asked, crossing his arms against his chest curiously.

"You wouldn't understand," I said, trying to change the subject.

He knew. "Try me," he said.

I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

"Underwear?" I asked. Over the past three days, he'd only given me underwear when I went off to be auctioned. That was the same pair that -- I just realised -- was lying on the ground. I didn't think I could ever wear them again. The thought of it was just too humiliating.

"Why can't you wear the one I gave you?"

"Because I wore it yesterday," I deadpan.

"So?"

I facepalmed. "Females don't roll that way."

He shrugged. "You don't need underwear anyway."

I glared at him. "The crotch of the shorts will dig into me."

He made a disgusted face. "I didn't have to know that."

"Then get me some underwear!"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine." Then he left.

I found myself smiling, feeling a little bit like the large baggage resting on my shoulders -- that was left there by Michael -- had eased up a little. My shoulders felt slightly looser. Who'd have ever thought that Kofi of all people would annoy me to the extent of making me feel slight joy?

I shook my head, laughing silently.

He came back, holding the bra and pair of panties at arm's length, his face scrunched up in disgust. "Here."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Where'd you get that from?"

"One of the prostitutes' wardrobes. Why?"

My eyes widened. "How about yesterday's pair?"

"Same place."

I screamed. "Females don't roll that way!"

"What way?"

"We don't share panties! That's disgusting and unsanitary!"

"But it was clean," he said innocently. "this is too."

"It doesn't matter!"

He shrugged, flinging the underwear away. "Your loss."

I shook my head, shocked, and disgusted at the same time.

"Come downstairs when you're done," he said as he was leaving. "your hair looks horrible, by the way. Don't you dare come down with that."

"Yessir."

He stared me incredulously, making me laugh again. He shook his head and left.

The shorts were tight. He'd clearly underestimated the width of my hips and the size of my derriere, and they were digging in. It felt so uncomfortable. I made a queasy face, like I was going to vomit.

I went downstairs with enthusiasm, prepared to give Kofi a piece of my mind for his lack of knowledge of anything related to girls, but I stopped short on seeing who he was speaking with.

Justus' father.

I'm sure I was radiating with anger, because they looked up at me suddenly, without me having to do anything to announce my presence.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, advancing.

Kofi shot me a warning look.

"I didn't believe it. Not until last night. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on your father's farm?" The man asked, a smirk playing about his lips.

"Shouldn't you be at home with your wife? What are you doing at a whore house?"

"That's none of your business," he said with an amicable smile.

"None of my business," I scoffed. "this must be where your son gets it from."

"Elorm," Kofi growled. I hated it when he said my name like that. Like we were friends.

I glared at him. "Shut up."

"What are you talking about? My son is his own man. He got nothing from me," Mr. Mark informed me.

"Maybe his insatiable sexual appetite?"

The man had the audacity to laugh in my face. "I see. You're one of his bitter hit-and-runs."

"Me? No. I'm the woman he tried to rape."

His father stiffened, the smile disappearing from his comely face. "You lying whore. My son is many things, but he's not a rapist."

"He is!" I said, my eyes blazing. I should've been traumatised from the near rape attempt, but I just wasn't. I was angry instead; filled with rage. "He was even cowardly enough to resort to drugging me."

"You're lying!" He shot up to his feet, anger filling his bright hazel eyes, identical to both his children's.

"What? The truth hurts? I would've said you didn't bring him up right, but it isn't your fault, really. You weren't brought up right yourself. How then could you have done any better than your parents?"

"Elorm!" Kofi bellowed, looking as if he was the one I was insulting.

"You stay out of this!" I yelled back at him.

He glared at me like he wanted to kill me. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

I looked at Justus' father.

He was straightening his suit, trying to compose himself. He turned to Kofi, ignoring me all together. "I want her locked up. Give her no food and no water unless I say so."

It didn't deter me. "That won't change the fact that your son is a rapist. Your whole bloodline is stained."

"Elorm!"

"Stop," I gritted my teeth. "saying my name like that!" I hissed.

"Did you hear me?" Mr. Mark said, gritting his teeth in annoyance too.

"I will do no such thing," Kofi said, shocking both Mr. Mark and I.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but all the employees need to be in good condition."

"I don't care! There are many other prostitutes! How much will she be worth anyway?"

"A lot," Kofi replied.

I felt my heart warm, then I chastised myself. He wasn't doing this for me. Me thinking that just proved how naïve I am.

"Don't you dare disobey me!"

"I will do whatever pleases me," Kofi replied calmly, staring the older man down.

I smirked triumphantly, pleased with Kofi for once. "Get out. You're not wanted here. Just because you're a customer doesn't mean you can barge in here and dictate how the business should be run."

At that, the man cracked a smile, and Kofi looked at me like I was stupid. I couldn't help but wonder where I'd gone wrong.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked slyly.

"You're the father of the man who tried to rape me." I replied without a doubt.

He growled. "No. I own this." He smirked when the expression on my face morphed into shock. "You're my employee."

I looked at Kofi for confirmation but he looked away when our eyes met. "Part owner," he corrected Mr. Mark.

He scowled. "Doesn't matter. A mere employee can't tell me what to do."

"I think you should leave," Kofi told him.

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't test my patience, boy."

"And don't test mine. You can't come to my house and threaten my employees. Or have you forgotten that I own a much greater share than you do?"

"Your father owns a greater share than I do," he corrected Kofi.

"He gave me power of attorney. I do." He deadpanned.

Mr. Mark scowled, glaring at me.

I smirked. "You had better keep that dog of yours on a leash. Who knows who he might go after next?"

He was in front of me before I could blink. I couldn't stop him from slapping me. I didn't even see it coming.

It was painful.

Perhaps, that was an understatement. Even after his hand was off my face, I felt the sting. Like his palm was imprinted on my face.

I wanted to cry out in pain as my ears rang, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. If anything, I wasn't surprised that he was the kind of man who would hit a woman. It takes a beast to raise a beast.

"What is wrong with you?" Kofi began, shoving the man away from me. "They can't have anything marring them. You know that." He said calmly, but his voice was filled with anger. A quiet sort of anger. He was scary like that.

Mr. Mark smirked. "Honestly, I don't even know who'd want to sleep with trash like that."

"That doesn't concern you. You can't come here and lay a hand on my employees." Kofi seethed.

"Relax," the older man said, taking a seat on a sofa. "she's replaceable."

"I want you out of here," Kofi said, calming down so spontaneously that I was shocked. There was a new nonchalance to his voice that was absent earlier.

"You know you can't kick me out," he laughed.

"I know I can decide who I want in my house."

"You really believe that all this belongs to you, don't you?" The man sneered.

"Yes. I do. I'm the one everything is going to be handed to in the end. You had better make sure that you don't get on my bad side." Kofi said confidently.

If looks could kill, Kofi would've been dead by now.

I cradled my cheek feeling it burn as my hand touched the place where he'd slapped me.

"What happened? Cat's got your tongue?" Mr. Mark asked, laughing at me.

I didn't say anything. I knew that that was what would please him, but I didn't care. I didn't really have anything to say.

"Don't talk to her." Kofi seethed, getting angry all over again.

Mr. Mark gave him a strange look. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you cared for her."

My eyes widened. Kofi is incapable of caring for anyone but his brothers. But I couldn't understand what had changed between us that he was suddenly being so protective.

"Good thing that you know better. I don't want you ever harming my property again. I know I've made myself clear."

Of course. I was just a piece of property now. I would lose value if anything disfigured or tainted me. I was disposable.

The older man smiled. "Crystal."

"Now get out."

He frowned. "I never said I was leaving too. I liked the prostitute I had the pleasure of being with last night. I came to see her. When do they get back?" He asked, comfortably sitting on the sofa and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"You might be part owner, but that doesn't mean that the rules will be bent for you. You can only have a prostitute if you rent her. Now get out."

"I'm not leaving." The man crossed his legs and leaned his back on the sofa.

Kofi's jaw began to tick. "Security!"

Before my very eyes, two burly men came out of nowhere and grabbed Mr. Mark by the arms, roughly yanking him up from his seat. I slapped my palm on my mouth to stifle the giggles.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mr. Mark yelled, struggling against the men.

"I asked you to leave nicely. You didn't."

He glared at Kofi. "You'll regret this boy. I promise you."

"Please, go ahead and do what you want. We'll see who'll be regretting eventually."

"Let go of me!" The older man yelled, freeing himself from the security guards. He straightened his suit and glared at Kofi one last time, before exiting the building.

"Thank you," Kofi said to the men. They nodded and left.

He turned to me. "Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded. "I'm not disfigured. Don't worry."

He came in front of me and removed my hand from my cheek. He frowned, glaring at my burning flesh. "It's swollen."

"I figured it'd be."

"You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I glared at him. "have you been almost raped before?"

"That was completely your fault. I'd never put myself in a situation like that."

"My fault? How was I supposed to know that he'd drug me?"

"I assume you knew that he had a questionable character, yet you were dense enough to go on a date with him, whilst you had a fiancé. Honestly, you're stupid enough to go on a date with even Freddy Krueger."

I glared at him until it felt like my eyeballs were going to fall off. "You're such a bloody jerk."

"And you're a dense fool."

I scoffed. "I wonder why I'm even wasting my time talking to you." I began to go back upstairs, finding it uncomfortable climbing the stairs as the crotch of my shorts dug between my legs and my breasts were free to bounce about.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, when I was almost at the top.

"Away from you!"

"The prostitutes will be back soon. You're coming back to my room."

"I'd rather sleep outside!"

"That's fine with me!" He yelled just as I slammed the door shut.

I was seething with rage.

I wanted to punch something.

Someone.

Some people.

Why does everyone around me have to be such jerks? I honestly couldn't mention anyone who'd been good to me.

Edinam was a liar, my family sold me off for riches -- I don't care what my mother said; I know they only married me off to get rich -- and worst of all, the supposed 'love of my life' used me to escape his responsibilities.

I pulled the shorts off and tossed them away angrily. I felt much freer and much more comfortable. I pulled the covers over me, lying down on the sheet-less bed. I knew Kofi would eventually come in, and I wasn't wrong.

He was holding a blue ice bag. He stood at the door and tossed the ice to me.

I didn't manage to catch it, of course, so I had to secure the covers around my waist and pick it from the floor. I didn't blame myself though; his aim was a bit off and that was intentional, I knew.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Why'd you take off the shorts?"

I glared at him. "Where'd you take them from?"

"Touché," he mumbled, the corners of his lips lifting a bit.

At that point, I even wanted to take off the shirt.

"You can leave now," I said, holding the ice to my cheek.

"The prostitutes are on their way. Get up and get out."

"I said I wasn't coming back to your room."

"Who said you were? You said you were fine with sleeping outside, so that's where you're going."

"Really? You're going to leave me outside? What if I get hypothermia?"

"For once, I'm giving you what you want. If anything, you should be grateful," he smirked.

I glared. "I wasn't being serious."

"You should be careful what you say then. Now pick your clothes from the floor and get out. The bra and panties from yesterday too."

I felt the blood rush into my cheeks again. The offensive pieces of underwear were still lying on the floor and glaring at me, but I couldn't find it in me to pick them up. They were a reminder of the humiliation I suffered.

"You take them yourself. None of those are mine."

He rolled his eyes. "I'll be expecting you in five minutes. Not a minute less or more."

"Why do I have to wait five minutes? Why can't I just follow you now? And I thought you said I'd be sleeping outside. Have you decided to keep me company?"

"You honestly can't shut up, can you?" He asked, shaking his head. "If I was the type who laid hands on women, I would've probably done worse." He said, referring to Justus' father slapping me earlier.

"You have laid hands on me before."

He glared at me. "I have never." He growled.

"You have! You threw me against the wall! Just before you left me in Fluffy's stable to die! What you did was even worse than him slapping me! Again, you strangled me, just after picking me up from the polo club after Nathan saved me!"

He would've killed me there and then if he wanted. His eyes darkened considerably from anger. "Me throwing you against the wall isn't laying hands on you, and I didn't think you'd hit the wall; I just shoved you slightly. But of course, you're weak and pathetic. You just had to slap yourself against the wall. Like I've said a hundred times before, I didn't try to kill when I left you in Fluffy's stable. Trust me, I have better ways of getting rid of people. I knew Nathan would come and check on the horses and take you out."

"What if he d--"

"Shut up. He always does. And I didn't strangle you. You call that strangulation? I was barely even holding you." He mocked.

"I --"

"Five minutes." He said, slamming the door loudly behind him.

I let out a frustrated yell and threw a pillow at the door. Of course, it just fell and did nothing to harm him.

I decided to follow him if only to annoy him. Maybe he had bodies to get rid of in his room and that was why he wanted me to wait five minutes. I hurriedly pulled the shorts back on, feeling disgusted and uncomfortable.

I rushed to the door, opening it with so much force that it hit the wall. I jumped involuntarily from the shock of the loud noise. I needed to calm down. At this rate, I could strangle him with my bare hands -- of course, if only he were paralysed.

As I was about to dash to Kofi's room, I heard strange sounds coming from Michael's room. I hadn't seen the jerk since last night, but curiosity got the better of me. I decided to take a little detour, going over to Michael's room.

The door was opened slightly, which was how I was able to hear the sounds in the first place. I inched forward, dreading coming face to face with Michael.

I realised that the sounds were of someone vomiting, so even if it was Michael, he'd have his back turned to me. I pushed the door open so that I could enter, thanking God that it was noiseless. I could hear more clearly now. The person was vomiting. Violently.

On the right, the bathroom door was wide opened, but it wasn't Michael. It was Etornam. I wondered what she had eaten that was making her vomit so much.

She was woozy when she was done. She barely made it to her feet so that she could flush the toilet. The whole room stunk of vomit.

Then she turned around, her eyes widening. She screamed and backed away, pressing her back against the wall.

"Wha--" she couldn't finish her sentence. She was back on the floor, emptying her insides into the toilet bowl. When she was done, she began coughing, but it wasn't over yet. She began vomiting again.

I'd realised that I was frozen, staring at her as the nagging suspicion from the moment I saw her vomiting came to the forefront of my mind.

"Who's the father?"

* * *

Hello beautiful people! I hope you're all staying safe.

I have great news! I'll now be updating this book every Friday! Yes, you heard me right!

Also, I've submitted a form for Wattpad to put my book on the homepage! Let's keep our fingers crossed!

PLUS, I'm sure now that Broken is going to have sixty chapters or more! So many ideas are buzzing through my head!

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