Mafia's African Rose

Me

The rays of sunlight streaming through my window woke me up. Shielding my eyes from the light, I got up slowly as the events of last night rushed back to me. A part of me knew what I was getting into, yet here I was—swollen eyes, a swollen ache down there, barely able to walk. It felt like a truck had run over me, but even that pain didn't compare to the one in my chest. Tears began to fall again.

Who am I kidding? Papa never cared about me; nobody does. How could I have thought, even for a moment, that any part of Alessio might actually like me? I'm such a fool, I thought, making my way to the bathroom. Was I just his toy? He didn't even deem me worth touching.

I'd never chosen to be with anyone before, and now, the first time I do, this is what I get. I may not know much about intimacy, but I'm sure "ass in the air" wasn't exactly tender or meaningful.

I sank into the bathtub, letting the warm water soothe my sore body. I looked down at my caramel skin, noticing faint marks here and there, probably from Alessio. "I hate him," I whispered, holding my head in frustration. Today, I didn't feel like doing anything; every step hurt, and everything felt wrong.

There was a knock on my door, and I hissed in frustration. I wasn't in the mood for anything today. I got up and walked over slowly, each step a painful reminder of last night. When I opened the door, I was shocked to see Nora. She smiled widely at first but paused, her expression shifting as she took in my swollen eyes.

"You don't seem okay," she said, concern in her voice. I stepped aside to let her in.

"And all of a sudden you care?" I muttered, feeling the frustration of everything building up inside me.

"I know I've been the worst sister, and I'm sorry," she said sincerely, frowning as she looked me over.

"Can you please go back to wherever you came from? I'm in no mood to talk." My tone was sharp, and I didn't try to hide my impatience. "And who even let you in?"

"It was Sir Alexio," she said, and just like that, everything came rushing back. Tears filled my eyes.

"Oh, my Angel," Nora said, pulling me into a hug. I hugged her back, sobbing, as she gently patted my back like I was a child. When I finally managed to pull myself together, I walked over to my bed, trying to mask the discomfort between my legs.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

Talking to my sister about anything personal, especially my feelings, was the last thing I wanted to do right now, so I just shook my head. "No."

"Okay," she replied gently. "Just remember, you've always been the strong girl I know. You've been through so much, and you're still holding your ground. Don't let anyone dim your light." She gave me a reassuring smile, and I nodded, feeling a bit lighter. But the pain was still there, lingering. I sighed.

"Do you want to come to a party with me?" she asked.

"No, Nora. I'm better off alone," I replied.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun, and you'll get to see Zoe and Glory," she said, a spark of excitement in her eyes.

I frowned. "How do you even know about them?"

"I met them weeks ago... at...," she trailed off.

"At where?" I asked, a hint of anger rising.

"Angel," she said softly. "It's not what you think."

"You're a... a slut, aren't you?" I blurted out. "You live at that whorehouse."

"I'm not, Angel," she replied, cheeks reddening. "I only... well, I'm only with Leon." She blushed, as if remembering moments with him.

"Gross, Nora. I don't need to know about your... life," I said, cringing. She laughed lightly.