Carmen Cortez, 21, is not just your ordinary woman. She is someone who has made plentiful mistakes, but will do everything she can to fix them, even if that means becoming an assassin. Having ten older brothers and a twin sister, it's kind of hard t...
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Another week went by. I sat in the therapist's office, my hands trembling slightly as I clutched the tissue Dr. Santoro had offered me. The memories of that night still haunted me, a relentless barrage of images and sensations that I couldn't shake no matter how hard I tried.
Dr. Santoro's voice was gentle as she spoke, her words a soothing balm against the raw edges of my psyche. "It's okay, Carmen. You're safe here. Take your time."
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the memories, but they came flooding back with a vengeance, each one more vivid than the last.
The sound of laughter and music filled the air as I moved through the crowded club, my senses on high alert as I scanned the room for any signs of trouble. Alex had warned me that tonight would be dangerous, but I never could have imagined the horror that awaited me.
The room spun around me as I stumbled into the hotel room, the scent of alcohol and sweat mingling with the sickly sweet smell of fear. Dante leered at me from across the room, his eyes dark with lust as he beckoned me closer.
I tried to fight back, to scream for help, but they were too strong, too many. They pinned me down on the bed, their hands tearing at my clothes as I struggled against them, desperate for escape.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I relived the terror of that night, the shame and the guilt threatening to consume me whole.
Dr. Santoro's voice brought me back to the present, her gentle reassurances grounding me in reality. "You're doing great, Carmen. Just take a deep breath."
I nodded, wiping away the tears that streaked my cheeks. "I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the hum of the air conditioning.
"There's nothing to apologize for," Dr. Santoro said, her tone warm and compassionate. "You're a survivor, Carmen. And you're stronger than you know."
I wanted to believe her, to let go of the pain and the fear that had consumed me for so long. But the road to healing was long and treacherous, and I knew that the journey had only just begun.
*** Entering the familiar warmth of our family home, I was greeted by the comforting chaos of siblings catching up and parents bustling about in the kitchen. The air buzzed with a mixture of tension and familiarity, the weight of recent events casting a shadow over our usual banter.
"Mija, you're home!" My mom's voice rang out, filled with a mixture of relief and concern. She enveloped me in a tight hug, her embrace a silent reassurance in uncertainty.
"Yeah, thought I'd come for a visit," I replied, offering her a small smile before turning my attention to the rest of my siblings scattered around the living room.
Camryn sat on the couch, her posture tense, a flicker of unease in her eyes. Something about her demeanor set off alarm bells in my mind, but I pushed the thought aside for the moment.
