WARNING: CHILD ABUSE
Sevastian had just turned eleven when his mother's hatred began to turn toward him. She couldn't stand how much he resembled his father and often complained about it. One day, in a fit of anger, she forced him to cut his hair and even trim his eyebrows, wanting him to look different.
The small cottage they stayed in was always dirty and filled with bottles of alcohol that Rosanna had consumed. Many times, Sevastian would find her sleeping on the floor, snoring loudly and he would manage to drag her to the couch where she would sleep more comfortably.
Sevastian woke up, freshened up, and walked downstairs, only to find his mother gulping down alcohol and sobbing uncontrollably. His heart sank as he rushed to her side. "What's wrong, mother? Is everything okay? Why are you crying?" His voice trembled with concern.
Rosanna choked on a sob, her eyes swollen and red, sniffling as tears mixed with the anger and frustration. "Your... your father has sold our house, V. He... he sold... my house." Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently rubbed it, trying to offer some comfort. He had never seen his mother like this before, and it saddened him deeply to watch her lose herself in such a way. "Mother... maybe you should forget about him. It truly is affecting you," he said softly, pulling the bottle from her hand. At first, she let him, but something in her eyes shifted, a spark of resistance flickering in them.
"What are you doing, V? You think I am stupid. You wish to control me like your father, you stupid child!" Rosanna attacked him, her eyes burning with anger.
Biting his lip, he took a step back from her. "I am sorry, mother, but I want to help you. And this," he pointed to the bottle, "isn't helping either of us. Please, we cannot keep going on like this." He spoke with a deep sadness, his shoulders slumping as he resigned himself.
"You do not know what is good for me," Rosanna scoffed loudly, taking a sip from the bottle.
"If you don't stop with the alcohol, I will go to father," Sevastian blurted out, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left his lips. But it was too late to take them back. His mother slowly set the bottle down on the table and turned to him, her expression shifting from sadness to an intense hatred.
"You want to leave me like your father left, You fucking bastard! You are just like your father!" She screamed, veins bulging from her neck and forehead.
"I..." Before he could finish, his head was jerked to the side, pain searing through his face and neck. His mother had just slapped him, her hand landing with a force that left him stunned and speechless.
The force of the slap left a purple bruise on his cheek, and a small cut on his lower lip began to bleed, staining the rug beneath him. Tears welled in his eyes, spilling over despite his desperate attempts to hold them back.
The silence that followed was deafening. Rosanna froze, her gaze falling on Sevastian's bruised cheek and bleeding lip. Her eyes widened in horror at the realization.
She dropped to her knees and pulled him into a tight embrace, sobbing uncontrollably. "Dear goodness, I... I am so sorry, V. I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what came over me," she choked out, her voice trembling with regret. "I love you so much. Please, forgive me," she pleaded, holding him as though letting go would shatter her completely.
Well, Rosanna had lied because she kept hitting Sevastian at the slightest provocation. It got so bad that before one bruise could heal, she would give him another.
One time, an elderly woman, their landlady, noticed Sevastian on his way to the market with swollen lips. Concerned, she stopped him and asked what had happened. Sevastian had hesitated, unwilling to admit it was his mother, but he had no other explanation. His silence was all the confirmation the woman needed to realize his mother was the one hurting him.
Later that day, Sevastian returned to an empty house. Exhausted and hungry, he lay down to sleep, hoping his mother would bring food for dinner. Instead, he was jolted awake by the sound of her screaming at the top of her lungs.
Sevastian scared and concerned that something bad had happened to her, jumped down his bed and ran down the stairs, only to see Rosanna in the dining room with her eyes burning red. She was reeking of alcohol as usual.
"Mother, are you alright?" Sevastian asked, fear slowly began to creep into him. He didn't like the look in his mother's eyes.
"You little piece of fool! After everything I did for you when your father abandoned us, you dared to report me to the landlady that I am the one abusing you? That old hag humiliated and insulted me in front of my friends," Rosanna explained, her voice surprisingly and uncomfortably calm.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he stammered, "I didn't tell her anything, Mother. I swear it. She asked about my swollen lips, but I said nothing." His voice quivered as he silently prayed she would believe him.
When he noticed his mother walking towards him, he attempted to run away, but she was quicker. She grabbed the back of his shirt, yanking him backward and slamming him hard against the wall. A pained cry escaped his lips as the impact coursed through his small frame.
Rosanna shoved him to the ground and reached for something on the couch. Sevastian's eyes widened when he saw the black belt in her hand. "Please… Mother," he begged, his voice cracking as he struggled to prop himself up on his elbows.
"You are getting too spoiled, V. I have to keep you in check so you don't turn out like your father. I am only doing what is best for us," Rosanna said, her voice harsh. Sevastian struggled as she wrapped a cloth around his mouth, trying to stop him from screaming, before raising the belt.
Sevastian's cries were muffled by the cloth as the belt landed on his body, each strike causing unbearable pain. Tears flowed down his face, but Rosanna didn't stop until his skin was covered in bruises and blood. Then, as if realizing what she had done, she threw the belt aside and dropped to her knees, pulling Sevastian into her arms..
"I am so sorry... I did not mean to," Rosanna whispered through her own sobs, her voice breaking as she held him close.