A Curvy Mate

Storytime

Previously...

"The last thing she wants is for someone to pity her, especially a guest." 

I nodded. "Alright, I understand." 

Mitchell sighed before he began. "Where do I start?" 

- 

"I met Paulina a few months after I met Isis. She was extremely timid; she was alright after most of the family left and it was only me and her." 

My mind already drew so many conclusions and Mitchell saw my face and knew what I was thinking about. He spoke before I could say anything. 

"I knew it'd be rude if I asked her what was wrong but I was so curious. I didn't need to ask, because she told me right when we were alone... They beat her for no reason. A long time ago, they accused her of killing Susannah's sister. Susannah is Isis's aunt. Poor girl, she was just at the wrong place and time. Paulina swore she didn't do it and I believed her; she's too nice and good to kill anyone in cold blood." 

I'm pretty sure my eyes were so wide right then. I was in a daze, just trying to understand. 

Her own family. Those sweet people I just met beat her. 

Mitchell kept talking. "Paulina was never seen as innocent, but her family never reported her to the police. So, they just kept her in the house and beat her to the point where she was afraid of her own shadow." 

I felt my eyes get hot and watery. I couldn't hear anymore, that was more than enough. 

"Mitchell, she can't stay with them," I told him. He gave me a knowing look. "Nes, she can't just leave, she has no one else. She stays with them because she's indebted to them; occasionally, they let her see her children." 

"Children?

Mitchell nodded. "She has three; she rarely gets to see them because she gave her parents full custody of two of her kids." 

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What about the third kid? 

He sighed. "Apparently, when the third was born, Paulina gave the baby to her father and his new wife. She wanted her daughter to have a stable family, something she couldn't give her first two kids." 

"Paulina never married? She got with more than one man?" She wasn't that kind of woman, was she? 

"She was, plenty of times. The father of her first two kids disappeared after he found out that Paulina was pregnant again. When Paulina was four months pregnant, she was accused of killing Emelie, Susannah's sister. When they started beating her, she gave her parents full custody of her two-year-old daughter Helennah. They let her see her, but only when they wanted her to see her. Paulina had to ask permission to see her daughter; it nearly killed her." 

I couldn't even be a few minutes away from little Mitchell. It would kill me if I wasn't able to see him when I wanted to. 

Mitchell continued. "Paulina almost died giving birth to her only son. George, who you'll learn about later, poisoned her. He forced a potion down her throat and..." 

"And what, Mitch?" 

He struggled with his words. "She was fully human when this happened. They took her powers away; potions are to be taken only by those who have magic blood in them. Potions burn humans... So, when it was forced into her, it almost fatally burned her." 

Potions. They burn. Stay away from them Vanessa because everyone knows your clumsy and not careful so don't go near them! Note to self. 

"They had to cut her open."