Scars of Abuse Prologue
Free Prologue
It was a special day.
It's difficult to know what happened at the start of the day because she doesn't remember it. That said, there was something about this sunset that only he possessed.
From her point of view, Alicia thoughts it was an imprint, an indelible mark to remind her of something important. However, in reality, this moment acted more like an anchor, a promise sealed with a seal.
''Where do you see yourself in ten years?'' the young man who accompanied him said to him.
His body was warm. It was welcoming, like a fireplace. Even reassuring. He was quite tall for his age and, above all, very handsome.
He asked her the question, but his gaze went far into the horizon, almost as if he was looking for something.
Alicia's presence wasn't enough for him.
''What is this question?'' she asked him, looking up at him, seeing with her own eyes how distant the young man was.
''You heard me,'' he began, looking down at the young girl.
He must have felt the call of his girlfriend's gaze nibbling his skin to come to meet him. This explains why he smiles at her.
''Come on, answer,'' he added, keeping his eyes on hers.
His voice alone was a harmonious song, but his eyes were where the young man's spell was hidden. Impossible to look elsewhere. She was trapped.
And what a trap…
''Where do I see myself in ten years?'' continued the young girl, half drowsy.
The young man's gaze still had an effect, but Alicia had to come out of her torpor.
''In ten years, I will surely be on top of the world, let's see,'' begins the young girl with such disproportionate momentum that she gets up from the ground. ''I would surely have a good six-figure job, wear luxury clothes, and... and... I would have a good life,'' added the young girl, taking a few steps forward. ''I would be rich, and above all, I would be the most beautiful woman in the world... I would have a family... a family who loves me...'' she finished, raising her eyes to the sky.
His voice wasn't as confident as usual. She was more shy, less firm, and vulnerable. Especially vulnerable.
Had she just confided in her dearest dream?
''And you, where do you see yourself in ten years?'' the young girl asked her boyfriend without turning around.
Why wasn't she facing him?
The young man knew her better than anyone. She knew it, and she refused to let him understand that his answer meant a lot to her.
A single look into her eyes, and he would have known his words could strike her down or make her immortal.
''In ten years,'' the young man began as he stood up, ''I can see myself being a millionaire... no... a billionaire,'' he added, closing the gap between them.
Each of his steps accelerated the young girl's heartbeat.
''I see myself in a villa, maybe with kids, one or two, but no more,'' he said, going directly behind the young girl's back. ''We're going on vacation to the Caribbean. At Christmas, we'll go skiing in the Alps,'' he added, gently embracing the young girl in his arms. ''And their mother will be the most beautiful woman in the world. I'm going to pamper her like no other! I would take care of her as if my life depended on it. She will be my wife, my queen, my goddess, and my whole world,'' he finished, hugging her tightly against him.
The young man's warmth reconnected with the young girl's skin, making every cell of her being tremble.
''This woman will be lucky,'' the young girl said sadly.
She hadn't heard the words she expected. It was a shock, even if it was slight.
''No... I'll be the lucky one in the story,'' the young man began, kissing Alicia's neck. ''It's me who has the chance to know her from high school and belongs to her for the rest of my life,'' he said in Alicia's ear.
These few words reignited hope in the young girl's heart. She was overwhelmed.
''Do I know this girl?'' she asked in a flirtatious mood.
''Yes. She lives in your neighborhood. She goes to our high school. Not only that, but she is even the queen. Did you know that?'' he said, turning the young girl around. ''This girl is my girlfriend,'' he added, his eyes burning with pride. ''She's the most incredible girl I know,'' he added.
The young man's words had an effect. But it was her look that stole his heart.
How many times could you fall in love? Alicia no longer counts. Every time he looked at her, every time he spoke to her, caressed her, kissed her, or they hid in silence, she fell under his spell once again, with ever more strength and passion.
''I'm your girlfriend... right?'' asked the young girl, playing her boyfriend's game.
“Exactly,” replied the young man with a big smile.
The confidence that exuded from the young man intimidated the young woman. The scene was too good to be true.
A slight silence took place between them. However, within him, a doubt remained. Alicia didn't feel worthy of such a fate. On her face, her boyfriend could easily read her confusion.
''What's the matter?'' he asked her.
Could she confide in the young man?
''Do you really believe in this life? Become rich and everything?'' the young girl asked, her eyes shifting.
Life was uncertain. His question was completely legitimate. They were young. Who knows what awaited them around the corner?
''Alicia, look at me,'' the young man said, lifting the girl's chin, colliding with his own.
Her boyfriend had lost none of his confidence. On the contrary, it shone brighter at the sight of his doubt.
''This life is the life we will lead, you and I, together,'' he told her with a confident air. ''I will always be with you. ''Alicia... I love you. I have loved you since day one, and I will love you until the end of my life. I will make you the happiest woman in the world! It's a promise I make to you, here and now, with the setting sun as my witness! And you know I always keep my promises, don't you?'' he added.
Those words were all the girl needed to hear.
Immediately, her doubts vanished as if they had never existed. They were replaced by the certainty that Paul, her boyfriend, was the man of her life.
A smile lit up the young girl's face when, suddenly, the scenery disappeared.
The scene fades into disturbing darkness. Something has changed.
Slowly, Alicia opens her eyes. She doesn't remember falling asleep, but it's a fact that she lost consciousness for a while now. A sting invades his left cheek, then becomes a sharp burn. The shock is excruciating.
That's when Alicia remembers what had happened five seconds earlier: he hit her. The blow was so violent that she ended up on the ground.
What happened? Why did things go so wrong? Alicia ignores him.
The pain and fear it causes prevent him from understanding what is happening to him.
Breathing heavily, her body trembling, the young girl who has become a young woman stands up as best she can. But once she stands, strong pressure paralyzes her from head to toe. Frightened, she turns her head, and at that moment, her heart breaks.
Barely five seconds of that, she was still dreaming of this promise that she followed all her life. Now that she is awake, reality holds out a very dark future for her.
It shows that the time of dreams is more than passing and that the nightmare, as cruel as it may be, has only just begun.
Ready to find out what happens next?