Chapter 78

ARIA

(TRIGGER WARNING: The content below contains self-harm, mentions of sex trafficking, severe sexual abuse, death of an infant.)

Three.

Three.

One. Two. Three.

Three red vertical lines.

Three.

Three times I was assaulted.

Three times I was broken.

Three times parts of me were stolen.

Three times I was left alone, a wrecked mess.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Three drops.

I dragged my gaze from the crimson lines and looked at the dark drops contrasting sharply against the white marble basin.

I turned the tap on, watching as water streamed over the drops, fading the dark color into a light pink before it was washed away completely.

More drops dripped into the running water, only to be carried away into the drain.

Pain spiraled all the way over my arm, but it didn’t hurt me like it should’ve. It was…addicting. It was something I knew I could get used to. The high, the rush, the feeling.

I looked down at the scissors covered in blood sitting on the cupboard before running my forefinger over the cu