Scarred Seductress

Contractions and Chaos

Months later

“Samantha!” The women gathered on the beach called, their children leaving their sides to scurry forward and welcome her. She smiled weakly and drew in a shaky breath, the pain lingering in her back and lower abdomen, refusing to let her lift another leg.

“Sam!” Her mother waved, she forced a smile, reaching out a hand to the toddlers crouching at her legs.

“Are you okay?” she asked, pushing past the buyers gathered around her and walking toward Samantha, sensing the discomfort etched on her face.

“I don't know, mom… I feel… I feel…,” Samantha trailed her hand to her swollen belly, rubbing it as strained exhales escaped her lips. She couldn't tell if the baby was already coming—having no experience with childbirth—but she could tell for sure that the pain wasn't normal.

“Come here, baby…” She grabbed Samantha’s hand, guiding her past the giggling children to their little corner and helping her sit.

“We…we can go to the hospital…” she said, pulling out their day’s earnings, about to put the money together when Samantha gently held her back.

“You know we can't afford the hospital, mom. We talked about this already… I'm having this baby at home.”

“But you're in pain…”

“I'm totally fine,” Samantha dismissed, still breathless, masking the pain etched across her face with a strained smile.

“Sam…”

“They need you.” Samantha joked, motioning toward the few women gathered by their corner.

“Okay… just promise you'll be alright.”

Samantha forced a nod and she stood slowly, eyes still on Samantha as she returned to the women, their loud chatter once again filling the air.

Samantha drew in another breath, ignoring the pain pressing against her as she shifted her gaze to the ocean raving beautifully ahead—the only reason she had been able to hold on all these months. There was absolutely something calming about watching the ocean at sunset—fishermen packing up for the day, market women like her mother bargaining over sea food prices, and children giggling with excitement, their little voices echoing across the air. Soon, it would be her baby too. She was going to raise her on this island, far different from the luxury she was used to, but filled with a peace she had never imagined as part of her life. She was no longer a Monroe, not even a Moretti; she was just herself—Samantha. And with her mother by her side, she would strive for peace and happiness, not revenge. Marina could have everything she had taken from her; she had grown to love the little creature inside her, and that was all that mattered now.

“I love you,” she whispered, rubbing her belly, a warm smile spreading across her face as she anticipated meeting the little one for the first time.

“They come here and make all sorts of crazy promises, every time they need our votes,” one of the market women grumbled, her mother chuckling.

“It's that time again… they need our support, so they come pretending to understand our struggle,” she fussed.

“But not this time,” another woman snapped.

“Yes, not this time…”

“I hear one of the candidates comes from a very powerful family—his father is feared not just in New York, but across the entire country.”

Samantha shook her head as a short chuckle escaped her. Why was she listening to one of their never-ending conversations again? They were definitely going to end up in an argument in no time.

“Yeah, I hear his father is backing him… and there's absolutely no way he won't win.”

“So we might as well prepare to have him as our new mayor… the election is just a formality.”

“What's his name?” Samantha’s mother finally asked, her eyes not leaving the knife as she scaled the fish in her hand.

She darted her hand to her purse, zipped it open and took out her phone. She tapped on the screen for a moment and read;

“It says here his name is Damien… Damien Moretti… born and raised in New York.”

Samantha looked up sharply, her lungs catching as the name rang a loud bell in her head. Damien? Her Damien?

“Yes, he's the chosen one… so we might as well start getting used to the sound of his name,” they joked, laughter rippling around them as Samantha struggled to catch her breaths. Her horrified mother hurried to her side, instantly.

“Mom…”

“We…we should get going now…” she breathed, helping Samantha to her feet, causing the women to exchange confused glances at the sudden tension in both mother and daughter’s faces.

“Is everything okay…”

“Yes… sure… we… we just really need to get home now,” she forced out a humourless chuckle as she led Samantha away, ignoring the sea food she had on sale—even the money from it.

“It's him mom, it's Damien… my husband,” Samantha whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks as the pain clawing at her lower abdomen returned.

“Shhhh… Samantha, no one can hear you say that,” she snapped, her eyes darting around as she exhaled softly—no one was following them down the shabby road leading to their home.

“We need to leave immediately… we have to go somewhere far… somewhere his father's reach can't extend,” she trembled.

“Damien is a Moretti, mom… there's no such place as somewhere his father's reach cannot extend,” Samantha said, sniffing back her tears and forcing a tired smile. She thought she had moved on, thought she was fine—but actually hearing about Damien again…

“We're leaving tonight, Samantha… It's unsafe to stay here. He's running for such an important office… and now, you're nothing but a secret he wouldn't want anyone to know.”

“But, mom…”

“We need to leave,” she said, silencing Samantha as they waded through the woods and finally arrived at the shabby cottage they had been hiding in.

She pushed the wooden door open and carefully led Samantha inside, breathlessly dashing around as she picked up their scattered belongings to pack.

“Mom!” Samantha whimpered loudly, breaking into tears,

“I’m trying to keep us safe, Samantha… you have to listen to me.”

“My water… my water, mom… the baby!” She cried, freezing in place, eyes wide as liquid poured onto the ground.

Her mother froze too.