His Terms, My surrender

Chapter Six

Sofia’s Pov

After Theo told me to leave, I rushed to my room, closing the door behind me. I broke down as I fell to the floor, hugging my knees, and let the tears flow freely.

“Why?” I whispered to myself, my voice choked with tears. “Why did my father borrow money from someone like Theo.”

I felt regret and anger towards my father. I wouldn't be in this awful predicament if only he hadn't involved himself with Theo.

I buried my face in my hands, crying uncontrollably. My mind replayed the events of the evening, the way Theo had touched me, the way he looked at me with key satisfaction. I shuddered, feeling disgusted.

“The’s c*m……..” I whispered, the words tasting bitter in my mouth. “How could he treat me like this? Like I’m nothing more than an object for his pleasure?”

I couldn't do this, I thought, wiping my tears away. I had to escape, no matter what. I couldn't bear the thought of being here for 364 days.

I slowly got up from the floor, my eyes red and puffy from crying. I wiped my tears away and took a deep breath trying to calm myself down.

I opened the door, making no noise, and went out, shutting it back as gently as I could.

I stood still for a moment, listening carefully for any sounds that might signify someone nearby. The hallway was quiet, except for the faint hum of the distant television.

I started moving on, my feet barely making a sound on the floor. I was moving like a turtle, slow and cautious, trying not to make any noise that might alert someone to my presence.

My eyes inspected the hallway for any sign of a door that might lead me out. But every door I saw looked the same.

“Mini mini Mani Moe,” I said as my hand landed on a door handle, hoping that this one would be the way out.

“Please let this be it,” I whispered to myself as I turned the door handle, pushing the door open slowly.

As I walked into the room, my heart sank. It was not the way out. The room was filled with books. Thousand of them. They lined the shelves from the floor to the ceiling.

I left the room, closing the door behind me quietly.

I stood in the hallway, trying to calm myself down. I had to keep trying. I looked around, trying to decide which door to try next.

My eyes landed on a door across the hall. It looked slightly different from the others. The handle was a little worn, and the door itself seemed slightly ajar. I wondered to myself why I never took note of the place while I was being taken to my room. The house was so big and I knew I could get lost or enter a place where I was not to enter.

I walked to the door, my heart beating slightly faster. I pushed open it slowly, hoping against hope that this would be my way out.

As I walked into the room, I saw a staircase leading the the down floor.

“This could be the way out.”

I approached the staircase cautiously, my eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger. But I saw nothing. Just the staircase and the promise of freedom.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw a henchman standing by the doorway. I quickly hid, holding my breath, hoping he hadn't seen me. I peeked around the corner, trying to see what he was doing. He seemed to be looking away, his attention focused on something else. I let out a silent sigh of relief, knowing I might still be able to escape.

I tried coming up with a plan. I could try to sneak past him, but what if he saw me? I needed a distraction. Then I spotted a vase on a nearby table. I remembered Theo’s mom mistakenly causing a distraction by that.

I grabbed the vase and threw it across the room, trying to make a loud noise. The vase shattered on the floor, making a loud sound. The henchman immediately turned towards the noise, his eyes scanning the room. I took advantage of the distraction and made a run for the door.

I burst through the door, slamming it shut behind me. I found myself in the backyard garden. It was another obstacle as it was big and felt like a maze. There were paths leading in every direction. I had no idea which was which and just started to run, my feet pounding on the gravel path. But every turn I took led me to a dead end or a circular path that brought me to where I started. I was getting tired and frustrated. The garden seemed to stretch on forever with no escape in sight. I climbed a small hill, trying to get a better view of the surroundings. But all I saw was gardens, more paths, and more walls.

Was I ever going to get out of here? I thought to myself.

I sat down on a bench, trying to catch my breath and think clearly.

I stood up and looked again then I saw a small gap in the hedge and walked towards it. I saw a small gate hidden behind the hedges. It was slightly ajar, and I could see a sliver light coming from the other side. My heart skipped as I realized this could be my way out. I did not hesitate, I started running towards the gate. I could feel the excitement and fear in me. What if saw me? What if the gate was locked? But I did not stop, I kept running, my eyes fixed on the gate.

As I reached the gate, I excitedly opened the gate and that's when I felt a hand clamp down on my hand. I screamed “Let me go!” at the top of my lungs, but the hand didn't budge. I was trapped.