hi!! sorry to be this late again
-Note: discussion of sensitive subjects such as domestic violence.
Also note: what's between the "..." is the dialogue,
what's between the [...] is a character special thought-
Enjoy the chapter!
.... previously in Victor's pov:
Smiling to myself, I continued driving back to the mansion, my head felt clearer the more I drove faster.
... currently...
-Aleeza's Pov:
I was red with anger, the more details Sidharth gave me about his breakup, the more I felt like Stabbing his Ex to death.
it wasn't enough constantly shaming my brother for his declining mental health and insecurities, His ex abused him in various ways to a breaking point. whenever I tried asking Sidharth if his ex ever assaulted him physically, he'd answer with a no.
I just hated how my brother was blaming himself for the abuse he suffered, normalizing this kind of behavior he endured and speaking in a way that broke me to pieces.
I was just thinking how much of good coincidence it was that I decided not stay tonight at Alec's Manor.
[ what would have happened to my distressed brother if I wasn't here at the right moment?]
" here, have some tea, no sugar like you always have it." I said handing Sid a cup of hot tea I just made, he took the teacup from my hands slightly trembling as he placed it on the table next to him.
" Aleeza, I know what you're thinking, it's not Casey's fault, it's mine." Sidharth spoke, his voice cracked a little at the end.
I jumped at that statement, " your FAULT?? STOP DEFENDING THAT GARBAGE! IT'S NOT YOUR DAMN FAULT FOR BEING A VICTIM OF THIS AWFUL RELATIONSHIP! YOU'RE STILL TERRIFIED YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME WHETHER THE MF BEAT YOUR ASS OR NOT !"
"I'm not defending anyone Azee, and nobody laid hands on nobody this time. it is my damn fault I mean, *sniffing* If I could just be normal, wouldn't everything be okay?" Sid held back on his words, with hot red buffy eyes, his tears were threatening to fall again.
This isn't his first relationship that involved some sort of Domestic violence or toxic behavior in my brother's love life, in fact Sid's last two relationships just like this one, were all with abusive manipulated partners.
Even worse, violent.
part of the reason I begged him to live with his friends or at least with me instead of alone or with his partners, because I was terrified one of his exes may come back to haunt him,
it happened before, I'll never forget that time I found myself sitting on a hospital chair, waiting for the doctor to just ease up my mind, after his second Ex smashed a vase on his head days after their breakup.
And with each relationship he goes into, I feel like I'm loosing my only brother that I know slowly, until another bad breakup happens and I find him In a horrifying mental or physical state or even both, waiting for me to save him like a stray cat. only then when i have Sidharth safe in my arms for some time before his poor heart easily get swayed and finds a new crush to crush him.
I am not okay myself, yet if I'd have to measure what I go through lately against my brother, I'm in heaven compared to him.
this cycle of events doesn't wanna break.
[my brother is desperate for love and acceptance, and I am well aware as just his sister, that I'm not enough to give him all the affection he needs nor make him feel always that he's perfect the way he is.]
before he could sip his tea again, I hugged Sidharth as tight as I could. He ended up placing his cup back on the table to avoid spilling the tea,
" from now on I'm not watching from the sidelines, this was the last time and I'll make sure no one else hurts you." I whispered gently patting my brother's back.
...Time skip...Few hours later...late night
My brother was fast asleep at this point, exhausted from all the crying he did, so I let him use my bedroom until I fix him a room to stay in, since he was in no state to do that himself, and I wanted to be a good sibling.
Making sure I closed the apartment's door behind me, I walked outside to my car, and open the driver's door.
in a matter of few minutes I was on the road and I had one destination in my mind, my brother's Ex's house.
....more time passed ....
I parked three blocks away to avoid any suspicion, dressed in all black with a hoodie over my head, I grabbed my hit kit, hiding it in my jacket.
I'm not a killer or anything I swear! but I'm always ready in case I have to do something stupid like this, something pretty much illegal.
I stood in the dark neighborhood in front of that Bitch Casey's house, with all the windows pitch black indicating the trash of an owner was possibly asleep, I started looking around while trying to locate the car Casey owned, and my eyes easily identified that Ugly Brown convertible car.
pulling out a knife, I thought about stabbing the tires but then I quickly debunked the idea, it wasn't much of a punishment in my mind.
"Should I key the car instead? maybe smash the windows? do all of the above at once? no that would cause a commotion....what can I do? what can I do?..." I thought to myself, a hellish idea came into my mind to break into the car and tamper with it.
My dark side was taking over me at this point, but I managed to have control again.
"I wouldn't wanna kill somebody this soon, besides Sidharth might be considered the primary suspect if anything severe were to happen to Casey." I thought again, what could I do?
then I remembered, when my brother came to my house, he only carried his backpack and PC.
if I'm correct, most of his belongings are still inside Casey's house, Alot of my brother's exes did that tactic of keeping his stuff to themselves to drag him back later.
they always refused to defuse the situation in civilized manner, and they rarely get any punishment for what they do,
but from now on, I will get revenge on Sid's behalf.
however, first I'll have to postpone it until I can get my brother's stuff.
so I mentally convinced myself to cast away the idea of getting revenge on Casey for the moment, I don't have all the fact yet too.
and just like that I found myself walking back towards the house, I removed my hood and also my black jacket hanging it on my arm as i rang the bell few times, and in matter of minutes the door was open.
" how can I help you Ahh....shit it's you Azee!...how you're doing? oh who am I kidding, you're a quick one to show up." Casey wearing nothing but a bathrobe said as soon as our eyes met, "no shit Sherlock, I came to get my brother's shit back, I'm not letting you keep his belongings for yourself, not even for one more night Cas." I replied.
I was waiting for a refusal so I'd start shit but I was surprised when Casey invited me in, allowing me to gathered whatever was left there by my brother.
....time skip... few minutes...
Casey didn't even bother helping me yet I was mentally thankful for the little interference the brat made.
" you done? just asking cuz I got work tomorrow." Said Casey sipping something in a mug my brother bought when the two began dating, calmly staring at me as I grabbed the last box in my arms.
" Lucky for you, yeah." I said heading for the front door, I had already stacked all the boxes outside and was planning to drive my car here from where I hid it, to load the many boxes I stacked up in front of Casey's house.
" listen Azee, before you go...I want you to know something." skeptical I turned around to listen to what Casey had to say, "I saw you near my car, I know you were going to try to get revenge on me in someway, the fact that your car isn't parked right outside proves it." said Casey.
" and why didn't you come out to stop me? although I didn't do anything in the end, I was planning to hurt you still." I asked,
"because I know in a way I deserve it, now that I cooled off I came to realize how cruel it must've been to just kick Sid out, besides I don't think you're capable of murder or anything...you probably wanted to bust my windows."
"true, for now... however dear Case, I am very well capable of ending a life so don't test me."
"Aleeza listen, I can't deal with someone like your brother, I don't have the patience nor the kindness to be able to deal with someone as delicate and Unstable as Sidharth."
"NAh-Ah Fuck you Cass! you ain't playing that card on me. even if you couldn't handle him, you would've at least treated him with respect.
All you did was ignore him when he needed comfort, forced him into situations you knew would freak him out, I heard your phone conversations with him countless of times when you didn't know I was there listening! that one time when you screamed your lungs at him when he made an honest mistake, I want to rip your vocal cords..."
Casey took a deep breath with a guilty expression " Azee c'mon, honest mistake? your brother is the clumsiest guy I ever met, that time was just a bad moment for me."
I chuckled, "oh a bad moment! maybe but that was just the tip of the iceberg. what about constantly blaming him for your incompetence as a human being and a partner? huh? tell me! you're a walking trash can Cass, and what did my sweet brother do to you? defended your actions against him and made me look like I was exaggerating my reaction over this obvious abuse.
I only allowed this relationship because Sid was smitten by you! you can't fool me Casey. I know the likes of you, your type of people prey on those like Sidharth and Then Ruin WHATEVER GODDAMN GOOD THING THEY GOT ON THEM." I screamed, my face was burning up with anger, I've been around abuse my whole life, I saw this shit before.
I came from an abusive family, a household of terror, violence, lies and control.
" I'm sorry Azee, I promise I won't have anything to do with Sid again if that's what you want, I won't hurt him again I swear! I'm not like the others, I cared about him too, I never laid a hand on him I swear! you can ask him he'll tell you I never hit him."
"Ah! well good to know that at least you didn't hit My brother but if you're trying to appear as a good person by saying that then forget about it, it's too late it ain't working on me Priya. You took his love, money, time and happiness, and gave him nothing in return but a shitload of unhappy times and memories, you should be ashamed of yourself.
I'm only letting you off the hook for now because you gave me his stuff back without much trouble." I said handing him a picture of the three of us I kept in my wallet with Sidharth smiling brightly in it, it was a picture Sidharth took the day he introduced Casey to me.
I could see a sour expression forming on Casey's face examining the photograph, " you kept your copy of the picture... despite how much you hated me?!"
I nodded, "I did it for my brother's sake, he was so happy that day, he kept yapping about you all day long... you can keep it, I don't need to pretend anymore."
and with that I walked out of the front door, Casey didn't dare to follow me this time, that was for the best.
...time skip...early morning...
I was back home long gone by now, without going to sleep, I spent time cleaning and
organizing the other room next to mine for My brother to use later. I was halfway through the process when I heard a knock on the door, I went to check it out.
it was Sabrina Wolf with her little boy Raphael, " girl it's not even 10:30 yet?!! what brought you this early?" I asked letting the woman inside, she had Raphael held in her arms asleep as she let herself in.
the redhead woman looked more recked up than my brother was yesterday when he came here. Sabrina's hair was messy, she stood wearing a medium length night rope and a cardigan around her shoulders, dark shades covering her eyes as her lips were slightly wavering, her kid was also wearing his pajama.
" you don't look so good either, something happened, let me guess Rodrigo?" I said, still no answer came out, it just came to my mind that the way she was holding her son was odd.
she was clutching Raphael tightly as if she's afraid someone will snatch him from her arms, and the way she just stood there silently in her pajamas in the middle of my living room, told a grim story.
"Sabrina, can you at least sit down? you got me worried girl." I Asked gently patting the empty space on the couch next to me, She finally moved and sat next to me, with Raphael still in her embrace.
" I won't force you to tell me what happened, but I'll let you know I'm here for you if you need to talk Sabrina." I stated calmly.
Slowly, Sabrina laid Raphael next to her on the couch, with his small head resting peacefully on her lap.
"I was absolutely rude to you and your friends, yet here you are again Aleeza, offering me comfort." Sabrina said smiling at me slightly.
as she removed her sunglasses, I gasped loudly, not just one but two black eyes were previously hidden underneath her dark shades.
Someone has beaten the shit out of Sabrina, and I already knew who it could be, " okay wtf, he did not do what I think he did!" I tried my best not to scream at the sight before my eyes.
" oh Miss Aleeza, this is the least to expect from Bothering Rodrigo, he would send a person to a hospital or worst! a morgue if he wishes to, I was just simply lucky."
" And someone should send Rodrigo to a goddamn prison! how could he do this to you Sabrina? the mother of his child?!"
"Just like he did before to others Aleeza, just like he did before. As Alec-Zander's friend, I suppose you already know about the suspicious deaths of His mother and older sister."
I nodded at her odd statement, the crime junkie within me started emerging. both deaths of the Girls were rules to be an accidental, both victims appeared to be trying to get away from Rodrigo before their deaths.
" let me guess again, you're trapped. it wasn't your choice to be in this relationship and now you can't even escape or you'll be pronounced dead?" I asked her, Sabrina lowered and raised back her head slightly and briefly in agreement.
Another case of domestic abuse, and a more dangerous one
I knew at this moment that her sudden early arrival wasn't for business as we discussed before, she was seeking help for herself and her son, I couldn't bring myself to ignore this situation.
[the question is why me?]
" I'm sorry if I came at a wrong moment, it's only six in morning so you must have been asleep or something." Spoke Sabrina in a polite manner, a tone and attitude way different than what she showed us at the party that day the very first time we met.
" I was awake actually, had a white night, it wasn't possible to sleep so it's not like you bothered me...more like you took me by surprise Sabrina."
" I must have surprised you in my vulnerable state. well I am in shock myself, I never thought I would turn to a stranger for help, not a one that I insulted the life out of at least." Sabrina said with a hint of regret in her voice, I could tell that she was being sincere with me, and to be honest I felt bad for her.
"Lucky for you! I'm not planning to turn you down. Say, what do you want from me?" I said determinant to help her
" Are you absolutely serious? You're going to help me? Even after I called you names and mocked your friends in front of dozens of people!"
I took a deep breath, " You serious Sabrina?! Didn't you come here asking for help?
I said I'm going to help you! why are you this surprised? isn't this what you were hoping for?!"
" Miss it is just that...well I rarely think I deserve kindness from other people, or at least expect people to be kind to me. I learned the hard way, humans can be the closest beings to monsters."
" yeah ya right Priya, but don't worry about me. I'm a woman too you know, I won't turn my back on another Woman that came to me with two black eyes wearing only her nightgown while holding her baby in her arms like she's not about to see him again.
besides Sabrina, I gotta a kind of similar case like you sleeping in currently in my bedroom."
I said hinting at yesterday's events.
... chapter end....