Stephanie's POV
"Let go of me!" I yelled as the cops dragged me out of the House. Something was wrong, I knew it. How did the police know to come at that exact time. This feels like a set up and only God know these were real cops.
Once in the van, a blindfold was placed over my eyes and my suspicion was confirmed. Why in the world would I be blindfolded if they were taking me to the station.
I panicked. I screamed, scratched but it did nothing and eventually, I got tired.
The drive went on for an eternity but eventually they pulled over. I was dragged out like a criminal. The blindfolded was taken off and I knew, I knew it was over for me. This wasn't a normal prison. It was Renegade penitentiary, where hardened criminals were taken.
"Why am I here?" I asked the officer pulling me. "This place is for....
"Hardened criminals! Aren't you one? You committed murder."
"No! I didn't! I don't belong here. Take me back! Take me....
"Shut the hell up!" He yelled, hitting me with the back of his gun. "You have no idea what's waiting for you. In your next life, you'll think twice about killing someone."
He took me to a secluded part, far from where the other inmates were. my fate was sealed. I was dead. The cell was worse than a dump. It reeked of pee, flies hovered everywhere and water leaked.
Myron! This was how he repaid me? My love, my sacrifices. His reward for those is betrayal and prison? How did I miss the signs? I should have known but I was too dumb and in love to see anything wrong with him, now see where I am. There's no way out now, I am....
"Hey!" A voice said, startling me. I looked up to see two men walking into my cell.
Men? In my cell? This wasn't right.
They closed the door behind them. One had a hard face and a low voice; the other smiled like he liked trouble. They spoke like men used to giving orders — short, rough. "You the new toy?" the hard-faced one asked. The other laughed, a wet, mean sound.
They didn't waste time. They hit me. They kicked me. They said things that hurt more than the blows. They called me names, told me I was worthless. They hit until I could not cry anymore.
I thought this was going to be a one time thing but no. It went on for days and by the time it was two weeks, I was already at the brink of death.
What did I ever do to deserve this? All I ever wanted was a simple life. Finish college, her a job, marry a man who loves me and have kids. Was that too much to ask?
The creaking of the gates Echoes and I knew they were here again. Maybe this time, I'd die. I hope I will.
"Miss Stephanie, you have a visitor."
Strength came from nowhere and I leaped from the makeshift bed. A visitor? Did someone finally come to bail me out? Was the universe finally fighting for me?
All my hopes crashed when I saw the smug faces of Myron and Tiffany. I was so shocked. Tiffany was here? Alive? Then what was I doing in here?
"Oh! I see you're shocked. Don't be!" Tiff taunted.
"You-You're alive?"
"Alive and kicking. How'd you check my acting? I should go into the movie industry really, don't you think?"
"You set me up."
"You finally get it."
I had gotten so used to the pain that once the shock wore off, I felt nothing. Just bland and empty. I just turned and laid back down.
"Still alive I see." Came Myron's voice
I didn't respond. I had nothing to say to either of them.
"Still so proud!" Tiff said.
For some strange reason, this annoyed me. I stood up and went to her. my intentions were clear, rip her her eyes out but Myron slid in and stood between us. I looked at him. Really looked to see if there was an ounce of the man I once knew. There wasn't.
"What is this really about? I know I did nothing to hurt you. Nothing at all. Why?"
A smirk appeared on his face and he turned to face Tiff. "Should I tell her, babe?"
"Why not? It's not like she can tell anyone. Go ahead. Or let me do it." She said, looking at me. "This was all my idea really. You see, your mother wasn't just anyone, she was rich, I mean super rich. She's the heir to the Dario conglomerate."
"What?"
"Oh yes! She's the only daughter of martin Dario. She gave up her wealth just for love. Useless, really because the man she claimed to love, our dad, was only after the money."
"But he went ahead to marry her in the hopes that she'll fix things up with her family and then he'll make her sign over everything to him but that never happened. Eventually, she found out the truth. Dad had another family elsewhere, my mom and I. And their marriage meant nothing to him."
"She filed for a divorce and went back to apologize to her family. But instead of taking everything back, she transferred them to you, that wench. She didn't want to tell you about it yet till you had a life of your own and she saw that you were happy and that worked well for us. We were still in college when she died. So I came up with the plan for Myron to marry you and when the time is right, all would be his but then....
I'd heard enough. I lunged at her, pull her hair with every ounce of strength in me. "You'll pay for this. I'll kill you. I'll kill you both."
The next thing I knew, I saw myself flying in the air and falling hard. My back hit the ground hard.
"Make who pay? How? It's not like you're getting out of here. As we speak, the Dario's think Tiffany is the real heir and procedure to give everything to her is already on the way. You'll die here." Myron spat. "Let's go babe."
My body was already weak, every part of me in pain. I laid on the cold floor, staring at the ceiling, wishing death would just take me already. But it didn't. It kept me alive long enough to suffer more.
The creaking sound came again. The gate opened, and my stomach dropped. Not again. Please, not again.
But this time… they carried weapons. Wooden sticks, iron rods, even a knife. My whole body shook.
"No… no please," I begged, dragging myself back to the corner of the cell. "I beg you… I can't take it anymore."
They laughed. One spat on the floor, another smirked.
"Orders are orders," one of them said. "This time, we finish you."
The first blow landed across my ribs. Pain shot through me so sharp I screamed until my voice cracked. The second one hit my legs, and I felt something snap. I couldn't move.
They beat me everywhere. My arms, my back, my stomach. The rod slammed into my face and blood filled my mouth. My vision blurred, my ears rang. I was slipping away, but not fast enough.
Then the knife came. A sharp sting in my side, then another. Hot blood rushed down my body, soaking the dirty floor. I gasped, trying to breathe, but every breath was fire.
They didn't stop. Slash after slash, stab after stab, until I was nothing but blood and bruises.
Finally, one of them whispered, "That should do it," and they walked out, leaving me to bleed out like an animal.
My eyes stayed open, but everything was fading. The cell walls, the leaking water, even the buzzing flies — all of it blurred into nothing.
My last thought was simple. So this is how it ends? After everything I gave, after everything I lost?