Sophia's POV

I was terrified, but there was something so peaceful in the man that was holding me. He seemed gentle. He seemed like he cared.

No one ever cared about me and I wasn’t sure if I was right about him caring, though. I wasn’t capable of recognizing when someone cared about me because I had nothing to compare it to.

But the man holding me seemed to care. Everything he did or said was the exact opposite of what James and Elizabeth did or said. Instead of punches, he gave me kisses. Instead of using knives on my back, he rubbed them gently. Instead of telling me that I was a worthless piece of trash, he told me that he loved me.

I wasn’t sure if it was genuine. I wasn’t sure if it was a part of their revenge. I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, or if he was lying to get me to trust him. I wasn’t sure of anything.

But I decided to go along with it. I had no other choice, did I? The outcome wouldn't be any different whether was telling the truth or lying to me. I wouldn't be alive soon either way. The only difference would be who took my life, them or me.

The man holding me kissed my temple again.

“I am right here, my baby,” he said softly. “I won’t let anything bad happen. I promise.”

I watched as the doctor approached us and kneeled in front of me. He looked angry and it made me shiver. The man tightened his jaw and took a deep breath.

“I am going to take your shirt off, Sophia,” he said. “I will examine your stomach before I move on to your back.”

I froze a little when he said that he would look at my back. What would they do when they saw it? Would they add something? Would they write that I was their property too?

Well, I guess I didn’t care. My body had been through so much that I simply didn’t care what was done to it. I would soon leave it behind anyway.

If they didn’t end my life soon, I would do it myself. I was done with the pain. I was done with the memories. I was done with living.

“Are you wearing a bra, Sophia?” the man in front of me asked.

I shook my head a little and he nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “I will lift your shirt just a little then, okay? I won’t take it off completely unless I really have to.”

I didn’t really care. My body didn’t mean anything to me. James already used it in every way possible. My body didn’t have value and I didn’t care if they saw my breasts or not.

The man in front of me tightened his jaw and reached out for the hem of my shirt. He started lifting it slowly and I could see the anger in his eyes growing.

I knew exactly what he was seeing. I knew exactly what the others were seeing too.

The room was silent, though. I kept my eyes on the man in front of me. His hands were shaking and his jaw kept twitching uncontrollably.

I glanced down at my naked stomach. I was used to seeing it like that so I wasn’t bothered by it at all. It was normal. It would probably be more freaked out if it wasn’t the way it was.

“Oh, my God,” someone spoke quietly.

I wanted to look and see who spoke, but I wasn’t told to.

The man who was holding me started shaking. He buried his nose into my hair and I could swear that he started crying.

Why was he crying?

“Are those…,” someone spoke again and I felt soft fingers touch one of the marks just below my left breast.

The man in front of me was staring at my exposed belly and I wasn’t sure if he was breathing. He looked like he was about to explode.

I instinctively pressed myself closer to the nice man who was holding me. He tightened his arms around me and lifted his head.

“It’s okay, my baby,” he said, his voice quiet and raspy. “You are safe here, okay? No one will hurt you.”

I wasn’t sure if that was the truth, but he somehow made me think it was. I trusted him for some reason and I wanted him to hold me even tighter.

I really couldn't understand myself. On one hand, I knew that they took me back to hurt me. I didn’t care if they did, but I was still afraid of it. Why was I afraid? I was already numb to the pain. Why was I scared when I didn’t care?

And why did I trust the man holding me? Why did he make me feel safe? Why did I start questioning everything James and Elizabeth told me?

Why?

I was getting tired of my mixed emotions and jumbled-up thoughts.

“Are those fucking bite marks, Damien?” a man standing close by asked. “Are those fucking teeth marks?”

The man in front of me nodded. He gulped and looked up at me.

“Did he rape you?” he asked, his voice trembling.

He said it wasn’t rape because I belonged to him.

“Answer me, Sophia,” the man in front of me said angrily.

I didn’t know what to tell him, though. I didn’t want him to do it, but was it rape if I belonged to him?

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

The man in front of me furrowed his eyebrows. He tightened his jaw and clenched his fists.

I leaned more into the nice man who was holding me.

“Damien,” the nice man said sternly.

“What do you mean by that, Sophia?” the angry man in front of me asked. “Explain.”

I had no other choice but to listen to him, didn’t I?

“He said it wasn’t rape because I belong to him,” I answered, hoping that my explanation would be good enough.

The room was silent again. The man in front of me looked like he was on the verge of exploding. He looked dangerous and I was afraid. The man who was holding me buried his nose into my hair. Two sobs broke the silence and the man who was standing up cursed loudly.

“I am going to kill him!” the man screamed as he started pacing around the room. “I am going to rip him apart!”

The man who was holding me kissed my temple and started rocking me gently.

“I am sorry, baby,” he said and his voice sounded like he was crying. “I am so sorry.”

Why was he apologizing?

The man in front of me reached out and lifted my shirt a little bit higher. I wanted to move away from him, but I had nowhere to go. He was scaring me and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue.

The man adjusted my shirt so only he could see my breasts. There were bite marks on them too and he got even angrier than before.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He shook his head and opened his eyes. He gently pulled my shirt down and stood up.

“I need you to lay her down, Alexander,” the man said. “I need to check her ribs and clean the wounds.”

He started walking away after he finished talking.

“Where are you going?” someone asked him.

“I need a minute,” he said as he rushed out of the house and slammed the door shut.

The man who was standing went after him.

“Okay, baby,” the nice man said softly. “You heard your brother. You need to lie down, okay?”

He tried to move me, but I grabbed his hands and stopped him. I didn’t want to.

“I am not leaving, baby,” he said as he cupped my cheek and made me look at him. “I will be next to you the entire time. I will hold your hand the entire time. I promise.”

He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He leaned in to kiss my cheek.

He tried to move me again and this time I let him.

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