Behind Closed Doors

I'm Amaria, living in a joint family home where everyone adores My cousin Leo.He is handsome, charming, and the family’s only golden son—perfect in everyone’s eyes. But only I know his real face. When no one is looking, he corners me , touches me in wrong, disgusting ways, whispers dirty words, and threatens me to stay quiet. I tell my mother crying and shaking, but she only says: “Don’t talk bad about faris. He’s our pride. You’re misunderstanding things—don’t make trouble.” I feel completely alone. One afternoon, the whole family laughs and chats in the living room. I slipped slip quietly toward the kitchen, but Leo follows right behind. He pulls me into the dark corridor, out of sight. His sweet smile vanishes instantly, turning cold and cruel, just like always. He presses me hard against the wall, his hands wandering roughly over my waist and sides, making my skin crawl. I shrink back, eyes wide with pure fright, body trembling like a scared little bird. “See? Nobody believes a word you say,” he mutters low and sharp, gripping my arm tight enough to hurt. “You try telling anyone again, princess and I’ll make sure you regret every second of it. You belong here to do whatever I want—and no one’s ever gonna save you.” --- I couldn't breathe. Leo's fingers tightened around my arm, pressing me against the cold wall. I stared at the floor, afraid to look at him. "Please..." I whispered, but my voice came out so quietly that even I could barely hear it. He let out a soft laugh. "See?" he murmured. "I told you. No one believes you." The sound of laughter floated in from the living room. My family was only a few steps away. Mom was there. Grandma was there. Everyone was there. Yet I had never felt so alone. For a second, I wanted to scream. I wanted to run into the living room and tell everyone what he had just done. But then I remembered. The tears. The shaking. The way Mom looked at me when I finally told her the truth. "Don't say things like that about Leo." "He's family." "You're just misunderstanding him." Those words echoed louder than the laughter outside. "Sara!" My aunt's voice came from the kitchen. "Where are you?" Leo immediately stepped back. As if someone had flipped a switch, the cold look in his eyes disappeared. The warm, charming smile everyone loved returned. "There you are," he said sweetly, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. "Everyone's waiting for you." If anyone had walked into the hallway at that moment, they would've thought he was the perfect cousin. I hated how easily he could pretend. Without saying a word, I walked past him and into the kitchen. "There you are," Grandma said. "Take these plates to the dining table." "Okay," I whispered. I picked up the plates, hoping no one would notice how badly my hands were shaking. As I walked into the dining room, I heard my uncle laugh. "Leo is such a wonderful young man." "The pride of this family," Grandma said with a smile. I kept my eyes on the floor. If I looked up... I was afraid everyone would see the tears I was trying so hard to hold back.