ATHOSThe Christmas House was wrapped in a magical and welcoming atmosphere. Lights twinkled on the facade, creating a dazzling sight that could be seen from afar. A grand decorative arch, made of pine, golden ornaments, and red ribbons, adorned the entrance of the house, inviting everyone to come in and celebrate the festivity.Inside, the main living room was the epicenter of the celebration. A majestic Christmas tree stood in the center, decorated with a profusion of sparkling ornaments, from colorful balls to handmade decorations. Twinkling lights filled the tree, casting a soft and festive glow throughout the room.The fireplace crackled, emanating warmth and a comforting scent of burning wood. A plush, soft rug lay in front of the fireplace, inviting people to gather around and share stories and laughter. The furniture was adorned with red covers and pillows featuring Christmas motifs, creating a cozy atmosphere.The dining table was elegantly set, with red and white tablecloths
RYLEEI tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. I had been staring at the ceiling for hours, my eyes glazed over, refusing to close. It was actually a sofa bed. I would slept there since Scarlet, my older sister, decided she needed privacy and kicked me out of the room. The second room in the small house was occupied by our mother.Not that I was complaining. There were worse things that happened in that house, like, for example, the harassment of the disgusting men who, from time to time, took advantage of it.The little world we lived in was sordid, and what kept me from running away from it was the certainty that everything was about to end. More specifically in four months, when I would turn eighteen and be free to do whatever I wanted with my life.When I gave my cry for freedom, I intended to move to the capital, together with my best friend, Marina, where we would share the rent of an apartment.I could not wait for it all to happen. By then, the school year would be o
"No way! Forget it!" I snapped.As if the space between us, or even the furniture in the room, could protect me from them, I positioned myself on the other side of the room, panic rising within me, with the certainty that if my mother really wanted to inseminate that semen in me, there was nothing I could do to stop her."I wouldn't be asking you if I had another way. Look at our situation. A child from that man could change our lives forever. It can pay for a good college for you. Isn't that what you want so much?" my mother tried to reason."Mom, wake up! I am not going to get pregnant by a man I do not even know. I will not be a part of this," I firmly replied.“You won't have to do anything. When your belly starts to grow, the school year will be over. You lock yourself in the house and do not come out until the child is born. You do not even have to go through the trouble of creating it; I'll do it for you," Scarlet added.“You promised my father that I would never get involved i
I could not believe this was really happening. My mother had always been mean and despicable, but this time she was surpassing herself."It is only for two days. So I can make sure you do not take a morning-after pill."I watched her bewildered, with a mixture of hatred and accumulated hurt taking care of me. Tears threatened to well up in my eyes, but I held them back."You can't do this to me," I muttered, my voice thin."Do not talk like this is the end of the world. You'll sleep in my room for two more nights. The day after tomorrow, you will be free. Until then, I'll keep your cell phone and bring all your meals here. And not looking at me like I am a two-headed monster."With that said, she unlocked the door and left, locking it again from the outside.Alone, I stood there for a long moment, stunned, disbelieving, processing all the events, making sure they were real, that this was really happening, that this was not just a bad nightmare that would soon be over. Eventually, I c
"Where do you know me from?" he exclaimed, harshly.He took a step towards me, looking so intimidating and threatening that I instinctively took another step back. Suddenly I remembered all the evil he had committed, displacing the families of the farm.If this pregnancy had happened, when I discovered that I had been the victim of a scam, a hit-and-run would be insignificant compared to what that man would do to me.The thought gave me another shudder, and suddenly I saw the buildings along the street dancing around me, becoming a jumble of ghostly, meaningless images. As if my legs were no longer able to support me on my feet, I slowly fell, falling to the ground, while my vision went dark.I was about to crash against the asphalt once more when strong arms held me firmly, supporting me, giving me a sense of security so reassuring that I stopped fighting and surrendered to the deep darkness that swallowed me.**When I regained consciousness, I felt the world rocking around me. As
I knew that tone well; it was the way a man spoke when he was excited.Even though I would never been intimate with a man, due to the fact that no boy in town had been interested in getting serious with the daughter of the biggest slut in the area, and I was not interested in getting laid just for the sake of getting laid, I knew almost everything about men and about sex. I was used to seeing my mother enter her room with up to two men at the same time, sometimes with other women as well. Not to mention the countless times those disgusting people left her sleeping and came into the living room to harass me during the night.Although it wasn't easy, I managed to preserve myself without being molested by any of them, even though no one in town believed that I wasn't part of that whole orgy. Fortunately, I didn't care much about what people thought of me. "Oh yeah, and when is it convenient for you? When you're with the women from the Riviera Club?" I blurted out.Holy crap! Where was
By the end of the day, I was completely stressed and mentally drained. I seriously needed to go to the Riviera Club and relieve myself, but I was not going that night. There was so much on my mind, and I needed to be fully focused so that nothing went wrong. The slightest slip could disrupt the completion of my plans. Arnaldo was a cretin, but he was not a fool. Like me, he also knew how to play dirty, and he did it with mastery.As I was leaving the precarious building, heading towards the parking lot, I was approached by two women on the sidewalk, one middle-aged and the other a teenager.The same one I almost ran over some time ago..."Mr. Athos, I am Selena Anderson. I need to speak to you, and it is urgent," said the older woman, heading my way, irritating me with her unbearable insistence.She must have been the same one who had been looking for me for three days, whom I had left waiting, believing she was going to leave. But she did not. Apparently, she had spent the whole aft
Her words made me freeze. I immediately turned to the two of them and focused my attention on the girl, who seemed to be hiding behind her mother, pale and scared like the other time I saw her. "What did you say?" I asked, suspecting I had heard wrong. "This is my daughter, Ryleena," she gestured toward the teenager. "You were at the Riviera Club together. She is expecting your child." Hearing the mention of the club I frequented weekly since arriving in town, I jumped, wondering if there was any possibility that what this woman claimed was true. However, I took a good look at that girl and soon dismissed the hypothesis. I was a scoundrel of the worst kind, capable of any dirty trick to get what I wanted, and I was even proud of it, yet I wouldn't have engaged with a girl that age. "Either you are crazy, or you approached the wrong guy. I never had anything to do with this girl." "Yes, there was, two months ago, when she was at the club looking for her sister. She did not want