Grethen's promotion

ELENA'S POV;

"I never had a chance to write a diary. I guess I was too occupied with my circumstances that I didn't take the time to write everything down. But I was too terrified because my father...when I was twelve made sure to check my belongings if there was anything I was hiding. I was glad the day that I'd run into Gretchen 'cause my life was happier than it had ever been."

I emphasized while Jessie listened to everything that I had to say. She was so attentive I could melt because I'd never encountered anyone to share my pain with. Aside from Antonio, but he wasn't always available... that which I understood.

"That night, was the night of Grethen's promotion. All the guests clinked their glasses because it was a beautiful night and we all were enjoying the celebration. I'd never seen anything like it, never celebrated anything before, not even my birthday day." As I said that, Jessie's eyes shifted to the big teddy at the end of my room. I chuckled. "It wasn't my birthday. It was an apology gift."

"Leo should learn from his best friend." She rolled her eyes. I understood why. But her history with Leonardo is probably what's keeping them together. I'd leave that talk for later.

"We were all excited about Gretchen's graduation from internship. She was finally going to become a doctor. And I'd said so, that hospitals were looking to hire her which was understandable because her father was a very prestigious man. Influential. I couldn't help but feel a bit envious. I just wished I was the one in that position."

"Did you want to become a doctor?"

"Attorney," I said and she raised her brows with realization. "I thought I wouldn't feel so helpless if I was able to help people and all. But it never came true for me."

"Why?"

"My mother sponsored me to school, but I had to drop out due to insufficient payment of school fees. My mother couldn't keep it up, even though she tried her best to. My father and uncle didn't make it so easy. When my father disappeared on us, my uncle arrived."

The room was silent for a while before I continued the story of my life. "

"They were all invited to our house to celebrate. The new doctors were smiling and having fun, while I stood watching everything, especially the presentation Gretchen made before her colleagues and the unknown guests. And clapped with others when she was done with her presentation.

Jason was amongst the guests, he was dressed in a casual outfit, unlike the others. The thing I liked about Jason was that he either cared less or didn't care about the way people perceived. Whether or not anyone gossiped about him was none of his business.

With a white T-shirt, and jeans with a pair of black sneakers. His black hair was cut into a style that made him look stunningly hot, and his blue-grey eyes glimmered with joy as he watched his sister before he glanced round and caught me staring...."

I paused when I saw the goofy grin on Jessie's face.

"It was long ago."

"But you still liked him." She grinned even more.

"Don't let Antonio hear you."

"What it's not like he's in here."

"Yeah, but his eyes are everywhere. Don't play." I stated and she rolled her eyes before settling to listen to me again.

"Shifting my gaze, I looked past him, as though I hadn't been staring. Jason and I got closer those past few days, sometimes I never wanted to leave his side. And to me, the feeling was an ordinary feeling that everyone had when they met someone so gorgeous. His smile, sense of humour, personality, everything about him was attractive.

Sometimes I felt as though I shouldn't feel that way, or was a feeling I didn't understand, a feeling I couldn't comprehend. I had never felt that way before, not with anyone. I was never given an opportunity to feel that way I mean...I called it attraction because he was the first guy who never laid hands on me. He was simple and easy going and honestly, I'd thought this was going to be it. I was quite comfortable with him. I saw him as an older brother, someone I could look up to whenever I needed help.

This may sound stupid but it felt right and at the same time wrong. I didn't know what to feel. But I sure as hell knew that I wanted justice for my uncle, Lornado. I couldn't give him a befitting burial, I couldn't even bury him because his body was disposed of somewhere I had no idea about aside from Seth.

With pretence, I shifted my gaze to Jason. My brown eyes stared into his greyish-blue ones, and with a small smile plastered to his face, I returned it with a warm one. My phone vibrated in my hand, ruining the moment. I looked at the screen, noticing a message and saw an unknown number that read;

'They are after your friends.'

I was confused because I had no friends. Only Jason and Gretchen. Then I got another message that read;

'They need answers for your whereabouts.'

I had no idea who the person was and why anyone would be after Jason and Gretchen. They shouldn't be involved in any of this, because of me their lives were in danger. I didn't understand how I got so entangled in something so complicated, but I had a feeling that my father was no ordinary person. He dealt with drugs. He had a gun and tormented his enemies every night. My mother and I could barely sleep. My mum had to keep me close to her chest for protection, so I wouldn't be scared..." I could feel tears stinging my eyes at the memory. It was so dark that night and we could hear the screams of a woman. I needed nobody to tell me what he was doing to her and it broke my heart into a thousand pieces.

"I need to notify them about the news. If not I didn't know what could happen to them. I knew that my father had found me one way or another. I knew what he was capable of doing and I didn't want them to get entangled with the kind of life that I had and had to find a way to leave the house while I had the chance. Then a message popped up again, telling me not to worry and that everything was going to be fine.

I clutched my phone. I certainly hope so. Gretchen discussed with some of the guests, Jason discussed with some giggling ladies, and everyone was involved in a discussion, except for someone I noticed in the midst of the guests, sipping his champagne.

His eyes were on me, raking my body from head to toe before his eyes met mine. I would be lying if that thing wasn't disturbing or disgusting. I hated it when men looked at me that way, it reminded me of Seth, his disgusting touch, the force, the pain.

My system wasn't functioning well at that moment, there was this irritation, this sting that I felt in my chest as I clutched it, and my inhalation and exhalation of air was becoming impossible each second. And when I looked up, everyone seemed engrossed in whatever they were doing. I didn't turn to look at this man, instead, I made my way to my room, stumbling forth as I clutched my gold purse.

The house was so big, that just a few more steps to my room felt like years to get there. My heart raced and skipped, the pain was getting intense. Like a nail was being hammered into my chest, like an icicle trying to find its way out. I was in so much pain to even notice the sweat that formed on my head, my hands found the wall for support, as my heels connected with the floor in a noisy way as I slowly went down, and sat on the floor unable to move further."

"What was happening to you?"

"I didn't understand what. But Gretchen had brought it up as giving me medicines that I didn't use. I didn't want to. I clutched my chest harder, silently praying against the excruciating pain as I tried to crawl."

"Hey." Someone said and I moved my gaze upwards, I almost died. Falling completely to the floor, my hands, as weak as they were, supported my weight as I moved backwards.

Seth was right there, staring at me with his lustful gaze that raked my body, one of my thighs was revealed due to the split in my stunning red gown. He didn't seem to care about my present condition as he moved closer and bent down beside me, his eyes on my thigh. Filled with so much malice and hatred.

I knew I was done for."