Slap of reality

"Good morning, ma'am. Here's your black coffee without sugar."

"Thanks, Martha," Ellaya said, taking a sip from her coffee. She moved out of the kitchen, holding a coffee in one hand and a book in the other, her full attention on her book. It was her habit to read her favorite novels with a cup of coffee. She loved to read romance novels and was adamant that fairytales come true, love is real, and one day she would meet her prince just like all those girls in books.

She had just taken some steps when she heard some ecstatic and frustrated screams from one of the guests' rooms. She had no intention of knowing what happened, but the room was ajar, and her tentative gaze fell on the man and woman banging each other on the bed.

It was her father, not her mother, but a girl of her age. She shook her head, stepping forward unseen.However, this was not the first instance. Since childhood, she had witnessed her father with multiple women. He enjoyed bringing them in at odd hours of the night.