Love In Crimson

Chapter two - Natalia Wayne

"Nataliaaaaaaaaaa", Bianca roared from the living room downstairs, instantly creating fear in Natalia's heart. Natalia scurried to her feet, trying to get her balance when she caught a whiff of burnt porridge from the kitchen.

This must be the reason why her aunt sounded furious. "What a dead meat I am", she said to herself.

Natalia hurried to the kitchen to put off the flames first, before going to meet Bianca, her uncle's wife. She had lost track of time when she went to the store to get a refill of some supplies.

On getting to the living room downstairs, Natalia was met with a furious Bianca glaring at her as she got closer.

"Why do you want to be such a wasteful child, huh. Need me to remind you that you're disposable at any time. Me agreeing to my husband's plan of catering for you is not enough, huh" Bianca barked, while simultaneously hitting Natalia physically.

"Useless animal", Bianca said. Natalia whimpered a thousand and one “I'm sorry” to her . I'll be more careful from now on. "I have put off the fire, should I serve it now or should I wait for uncle to arrive". Natalia asked Bianca.

After receiving instructions from her aunt, Natalia made her way to the kitchen with muffled sobs.

Her life in her paternal uncle's house has been hell for her ever since she can remember. The abuse and trauma she has gone through in the hands of her uncle and his wife were not things she could wish for in another life.

Or is it the spoilt brats, her uncle's children and their shenanigans, always finding a way to make their mother vent out her frustration on her .

Natalia went to her room, an unused boys quarters apartment in the house, after dishing dinner. She had her food in the kitchen before deciding to retire for the night.

Oh how she wished her grandparents were still very much alive. After her parents death, they gave her the best life and a thousand tons of love.

Life was worth living with her grandparents. She missed them greatly. Her grandparents were the hope that kept her moving after her parents death when she was literally still a toddler .

Natalia tucked herself into a thin fabric that she calls a bedsheet. It did little to no job from protecting her from the cold wind, but at least, it was better than none.

It was already nine pm into the night. Natalia rolled in the thin sheet of fabric from one end of the floor to another. Insomnia has been her biggest enemy since she could remember.

With nothing else to do , Natalia began to ruminate on her existence. She had been a cheerful, bright kid as a child. The Natalia of now missed the little fiery child that she was. Then life happened, after her parents died, her grandparents both died as well. With no other family member, her uncle, Benedetto, was the one who took her in.

If there was anything Natalia hated than the deaths of her loved ones, it was the face of her uncle. That disgusting old hag who will only pretend not to see his wife physically abusing her.

One thing she was at least grateful for was that they didn't rule out her education. She had graduated from her grade school with multiple awards at the age of fifteen. She then proceeded to bagging a first class honours degree in cyber security in college only at the age of twenty one .

She is now twenty two but her whole life after school has been spent working her ass off without pay as a slave in her uncle's house.

She had tried at multiple attempts to get a job, alias getting a life for herself , but the devil she has for an uncle keeps sabotaging her. Even her digital life is cut off. Reporting him has never been an option, except she was courting her own death.

The devil has people like him in various power sectors.

He tails her movements like he has no other thing to do, all for his demonic pleasures.

At the thought of this, Natalia's heart ached for her own pitiful life. Her uncle has been one hell of a monster. Was this how she was going to live the rest of her life, as a toy to be played with and kept.

Natalia wiped her tears that were falling again. Suicide has never been an option, she has to emerge victoriously. If only he had not used his influence to tail her and keep her in this gilded cage called house, she would be a free bird.

Her uncle's kids too, they were also a part of her nightmares, except for Reynolds. Maybe growing up, he has realized that his actions towards her were wrong.

In the last two years and a few months, his actions towards her changed drastically, from bad to good. Natalia initially thought he was after something sinister, but in this cage of hers masked as a house, he has turned to a beam of hope for her, at least, someone now treats her like the human that she is.

At the slight chance of dozing, Natalia decided to give in to a sleep that she knows will never last through out the night.

“Pleea…see sir, I'm begging you. The little girl said amidst tears while trying to plead with him. It's very painful, please I'm begging you,pleeeeaseeeeee. It hurts. I want grandma. Why are you doing this, teacher Val said it's bad. Pleeeeaseeeeee sir.

That place will pain me again if you put it inside. Pleeeeaseeeeee sir, the little girl continued to beg him, the monster preying on her body”

Please sir , Natalia was mumbling incoherently from her sleep. She felt a pair of hands moving her so called bedsheet. That was when she realized, she was no longer dreaming, she's back to to the reality, this reality of pain and trauma she wished could just end.

"Shusssshhhhhhhh, baby girl"……….."uuuu-nnnn-cc-le pleaseeee"