Blood Red, Snow White

Chapter 1: It Has Been 12 Years Since We Met "Isabella!

 "Mia Isabella!", Mia's boyfriend called her from the living room.

"Yes, Ray. One moment please!", Mia answered from her room.

"Why is the TV remote not working? Did you not change the battery yet?", Ray asked Mia from the living room again.

"I did, I did! Is it not working?", Mia asked Ray as she came out from her room.

"Why would I be yelling at you about this if the remote is working?", Ray replied Mia in annoyance.

"Okay, relax baby. I will get new batteries when I go out to do my marketing", Mia said as she walked away from Ray.

"Don't you dare walk away from me! Come here! Since when did you get so brave? Talking like that to me?", Ray pulled Mia's hair hard as he pulled her towards him.

Ray Santiago was an abusive boyfriend that Mia had been with for 12 years. Her journey to hell and back began twelve years ago when they met at a carnival and fell in love. Ray was one slick man who knows how to captivate Mia in every way. He proposed to her in front of her parents in her house during one of the Valentine's Day. Mia's parents told her to stay away from Ray because of his anger and his abusive character but Mia refused to listen to them. She told them to stay away and ignore their relationship. It is a known fact that Ray Santiago paid all of Mia's parents' debts so it is either she lives with him or die paying back his money. Mia chose the wrong path in her life and she thinks that no one knows how she have lived with him painfully all these years.

Mia thought of running away and falling in love again to a decent man but fate got her strong this time. She has nowhere to run because her parents died in a car crash a few years back. The whole case was closed calling Mia's parents careless and drunk while driving, which turned out to be because Ray bribed the police. He told everyone that he wanted to protect Mia by doing this as the guy who hit Mia's parents was a minister's son. Ray was afraid of getting Mia in trouble if he lets Mia lodge a complaint against the minister's son. He knows if he lets Mia go now, she would lodge a police complaint about how abusive Ray is towards her. He couldn't let this happen as he couldn't dare to answer his dad if the complaint caused the downfall of their thriving, illegal drug business later.

Mia is one person who is afraid not to be in love again if she lets go of Ray this time. When there is love there should be no fear nor hatred. When there is fear there is no possibility of love or hatred and when there is hate, there is only hate. In Mia and Ray's case, hate isn't the right word to fully describe their relationship. It is more of a thriller situation each and every day for Mia. She just wouldn't know what Ray would do to her when he comes home after his work. Mia has learned to adapt to Ray's mood swings and she knows when Ray would want her and when he would just isolate her. She doesn't feel anything towards Ray, just numb from the bottom of her heart. She could just leave him for good but Mia is afraid Ray would do something unimaginable to her to stop her from running away. The fear of not being able to fall in love again has passed the border line for Mia and this time, she decided she would break free from the devil.

"I just said that I would get you the batteries once I go for my marketing Ray", Mia said as she was dragged by Ray to the room.

"You are going to get punished for raising your voice at me like that Mia! Your disrespectful dog! You are not grateful of what I have done and provided for you?!", Ray yelled at Mia as he raised his hand to slap her face.

Smack! A hard blow landed on Mia's face. Mia fell on the ground, her lips bleeding and her vision got blurry for some time. She struggled to get up but her legs were wobbly and she couldn't stand properly. She fell to the floor once more as Ray kicked her hard on her hips. Mia screamed in pain but Ray couldn't be bothered as he continued to punch her face once more. This time Ray's punch landed on her jawline. Mia begged Ray to stop but Ray was having fun abusing Mia till she bled. The doorbell is the one that saved Mia from getting beaten to death by Ray.