Forever

| Chapter Eight ~ NO ~ |

Abuse trigger warning

Richelle's Pov
"NO!" I screamed.

I was furious! I couldn't marry a man I just met within a month! I didn't want to marry Charles! I didn't even know him! I didn't want anything to do with him! How could she do this to me? I knew she hated me and wanted to get rid off me...but she couldn't do this to me!

And what about Noah? I loved Noah. He was the one. He was my boyfriend! Sure, my parents didn't know about that but they can't just expect me to marry some random guy! He probably just wanted to use me for...for...sex. For my body. I wasn't going to let that happen.

Charles looked taken aback. Did he really expect me to jump for joy that at sixteen years old my parents had arranged my marriage for a month's time to a man that I hadn't even met?

"Richelle-"

"I'M NOT MARRYING HIM, MOTHER," I screamed, "YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME!"

My eyes stung with tears and there was a lump in my throat. I just wanted Noah in that moment. How I wished he would whisk me away, tell me everything was going to be okay and that he wouldn't let it happen. But Noah wasn't there, and he couldn't save me.

"Charles, would you please mind waiting outside for a minute?" My mother asked and he obeyed.

"RICHELLE ANNE NOLET," I heard a voice yell from behind my mother, "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

It was my father. Belt in hand. His veins were practically popping out of his skin which was as red as blood; clearly his was boiling. I was petrified, frozen in the moment. I could see what was about to happen. I gulped as my face turned as pale as a ghost.

He took a few strides towards me, swung his arm back and BAM! I felt an awful stinging sensation as I felt myself fall to the floor. My cheek was burning, he'd hit me hard. Tears streamed down my face like a waterfall as I clutched my cheek.

"You stupid girl," he mumbled, hitting me again, this time on the back.

I whimpered as pain seared through my spine, repeatedly asking him to stop but he didn't listen. I glanced up at my mother who stood there, emotionless. I called out to her, but no reaction. I just wanted the pain to go away, that was all.

I watched as my younger sibling Elizabeth stood at the top of the staircase, watching in horror. I tried to give her a weak smile, but could barely move my face. She was only thirteen, and didn't know how our parents treated me. Well, until now.

"Daddy, stop!" She screamed, panic inflicting her expression. "Please, daddy! You're hurting her!"

I never said I hated my siblings. I loved them, so much. We weren't very close, but I always tried to make myself the role model for them. I never wanted them to be like mother or father, never.

"YOU STUPID GIRL," he shouted, this time striking me on the back of the head.

All went silent. I saw drops of blood on the floor as my vision began to go blurry. I couldn't talk, but it felt like I was screaming. I felt my body having some kind of minor spasm. I could hear Elizabeth yelling at him, practically screaming. My hearing started to fade out. The pain was too intense, and I blacked out.