Dawn in Vancouver

Chapter 13: "Soul Mates"

TRIGGER WARNING: DOMESTIC AND CHILD ABUSE

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"I watched you die I heard you cry every night in your sleep. I was so young you should have known better than to lean on me. You never thought of anyone else you just saw your pain. And now I cry in the middle of the night for the SAME DAMN THING"

"Because of You" Kelly Clarkson

FLASHBACK:

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO...

"You're a whore!" a man shouted as he knocked over one of the tables on which a lamp was standing causing a loud noise in the house.

"It's not what it looks like Alejandro," said a woman between sobs, "He's just my boss," the man simply approached her with a threatening look, blinded by alcohol.

"Don't you dare look at my stupid face," he shouted, giving her a hard slap on the cheek that made her fall to the ground. "Don't you dare lie to me Sinu."

"Alejandro listen to me please, my love," Sinu said crying as he simply grabbed her nurse's uniform and threw her on the couch. "It's not what you think, I swear."

"I saw you talking to him," he slapped her again as she cried under him. "I saw you smiling at him and looking at him."

"He was just helping me with the car" another slap. "You didn't take it to check it out."

"And because you are so stupid, you take refuge in a little doctor," he shouted. "Do you want to stay with him? Now that you're a nurse you're going to leave me to marry a doctor who will give you a better life when I get you out of the shit you were living in."

"I swear it's not like that Alejandro," Sinu said trying to dodge the blows when at that moment a scream was heard on the stairs.

Camila with her twin pigtails in her school uniform was running towards Alejandro as her backpack fell to the floor.

"Let go of my mommy," she said tearfully, hitting him on the back with her little hands. "Let go of my mommy."

"Camila, mija," said Sinu with horror when she saw Alejandro released her to turn around and see Camila.

"You stupid bitch," he shouted, grabbing her by the arms and throwing her to the floor. "Don't you dare lay a hand on me again."

"Not the girl, Alejandro," Sinu said grabbing his arm as she saw him turn to Camila who had turned totally pale.

"This damn little girl is going to learn to obey me once and for all," he said, taking off his belt. "I'm going to teach her by beating her to respect me just like you."

"Don't hit her," she said taking him by the arm again, but Alejandro turned around and hit her hard in the face with the belt, making Sinu fall back on the sofa.

"Come here, you stupid little girl," Alejandro said, lifting her by the arm.

"No..." Camila said and at that moment she felt the first blow. Her screams were heartbreaking as her brown eyes turned to those of her mother who watched in horror from the sofa without moving.

"You're not going to become a whore like your mother," he shouted as he hit her. "I'm going to teach you to respect men."

"Mommy!" Camila screamed in pain. "Mommy help me..." her brown eyes full of innocence and illusions that little by little were fading with each blow, and filled with tears of horror. "Mommy...please," she said with a weak voice.