Chapter 1 #2
The truth was I couldn’t take any more of this shit.
Emir intentionally did this to keep me in the house because he knew I always did what was required to protect his image.
Before tonight, I would’ve never allowed a soul to know about the abuse, but a year was too long to be isolated from my family.
At least we used to talk before, even if it was a quick check-in, but now it was radio silence, just how Emir wanted it.
Tonight, I wasn’t a victim. I was reclaiming my freedom.
If Emir wanted to keep me locked in this house, he’d have to personally be here to do so.
My decision to still go to the bachelorette party was made within seconds.
I rushed to redo my hair, having to leave some down for a bang to cover my eye as best as possible.
I pushed through the discomfort I felt from my bruised ribs as I slid into the black-and-white polka dot A-line dress to match her tea party theme.
I knew defying Emir was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take.
My stomach twisted and turned in knots when I was finished getting ready.
Physically, I was still a very beautiful woman, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually?
I felt like a gutter rat, and it took all the strength I had to grab the gift I had for Angel and head out of the house Emir very explicitly told me to stay in tonight.
Whatever came next would be what it was going to be. I was going to see my sisters.
The only sound that could be heard was my heels clinking against the pavement leading up to the brownstone home address that was on my invitation.
I had the perfectly wrapped giftbox of cutlery tucked underneath my arm as I closed the distance to the front door.
I was so nervous that my palms were sweating profusely.
Despite that, I lifted my pointer finger and jammed it into the doorbell.
I twisted in place on baited breaths, waiting for someone to come to the door.
Seconds later, it was snatched open, and my big sister, Hileevee, stood there with a gaped mouth in surprise.
“Harlo,” she whispered before crashing into me.
I chuckled, nearly dropping the gift as I returned her embrace with my free arm.
Being able to embrace my sister silenced my internal turmoil just a little.
When Lee released me and took a step back, my worries were eased a little more because Angel appeared behind her.
“Harlo!” she screamed excitedly, bumping Lee out of the way to get to me.
I chuckled, embracing her too. “I told you she was going to come,” she directed at Lee before burying her face in the crook of my neck.
Hearing about her faith in me nearly choked me up.
If I had anything to do with it, she would never know how close I was to not coming tonight.
Pulling back to palm her face, I assured her, “I was not missing this for anything in the world. Thank you for inviting me, even though I’ve been a little distant. ”
She smiled widely with tears in her eyes.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re here now,” Lee said, stepping forward to toss an arm over Angel’s shoulder.
I looked back and forth between my sisters feeling so much gratitude that I was seconds away from exploding with joy.
That was until Lee frowned as her head jerked back. “Harlo, what’s wrong with your eye?”
She tried to reach for me, but I stepped back just in time for her not to be able to get a closer view.
I waved her off, allowing my head to fall and my bang to return to its perfectly curated position in front of my bruised eye.
I was sure it looked even worse now than when I left the house, but I was feigning ignorance to it all.
Nothing was wrong. Literally everything was right in my world as far as I was concerned.
“It’s nothing, I promise.” I tried to assure my sister, but it fell on deaf ears.
Once again, she reached for my face, and this time she wouldn’t allow me to create any space. Her hand on my cheek was gentle. She pushed the bang back, and I felt the air shift when they saw the damage Emir had done to me. “Did Emir do this?”
I wanted to deny and pretend like my face was perfectly fine, but the tears racing to my lash lines betrayed me.
I released a shaky breath. “Yes, but only because he didn’t want me to come tonight.
” That was my attempt at making it seem like this wasn’t an ongoing issue, when it in fact was that and so much more.
Lee scoffed. “Are you defending him right now?”
I shook my head adamantly. “No, no. I’m just saying let’s not make tonight about what he did to keep me away and focus on baby girl getting married.”
I made the mistake of looking at Angel, only to see pure sadness in her eyes. “Harlo, . . . is this why you’ve been distant? Because he’s abusing you?”
I ran a hand down my face because I was only making things worse. “Can we please not do this? That’s not why I came.”
Lee reached for my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “As your big sister, I cannot in my right mind sweep this under the rug. I’m calling Daddy,” she declared. And this was why I didn’t want to get my sisters involved. I knew their first instinct would be to call the big bad wolf.
“No, no. Please, don’t call him, Lee,” I pleaded shamelessly. “Angel, tell her it’s not a big deal. I came to celebrate you.”
My baby sister looked heartbroken as she watched me try to keep the focus on her. She turned to Lee. “Call him. I can’t fathom celebrating anything knowing you are in literal pain. I see you wincing every time you move. What else has he done to you, Lo?”
The tears I tried my hardest to hold in refused to stay hidden any longer.
I was outvoted on what to do next, and whether I liked it or not, my father was going to be called.
God himself would have to come down here to keep my father from raising hell on Emir Akeem and his entire bloodline.
Things could get that grimy when he was involved.
I’d witnessed it with my own eyes and vowed to never associate with him or his lifestyle ever again because of it.