E R I C A

"See! I told you it wasn't that difficult! Was it!?", He said as we came out of the magistrates office.

I shook my head, "It is because you were there. I would have had a panic attack otherwise."

"I am here...but you'll have to trust your own abilities Erica.", I nodded not at all convinced.

The man will be fined and jailed because mine was not the first molestation case against him.

We got in the car, and I kept my head on his shoulder. This morning I woke up pretty nervous about giving the statement. But now I feel good.

"To Nonna's Stephan!", I heard him say.

"Eric what are you doing tonight!?", I asked him when the car started.

"Urhm nothing significant! Why!?"

"We should go for a walk...may be David and Venus can accompany us. I just want a good time."

He nodded, "We can have a good time without David too. I don't want whole Rome to know our bedroom tales.."

I chuckled, already content with how beautiful my life has finally turned into. I have the man I love, and he claims he loves me too. I have people to call my family. I am doing something I love to against all odds. I have no one to fear to. And that all is because I have him beside me. It all looks like a dream I would never want to wake up from!

*

I got down the car after Eric and we started walking towards the main entrance to Nonna's.

I would have walked two three steps when I noticed he wasn't there beside me.

I turned and saw him standing by the car as if in deep thoughts.

"What happened Eric!? Let's go in. I am very hungry.."

He came out of his daze and looked at me. His eyes looking conflicted and it seemed he was scared of something.

Nonetheless, he walked towards me, and held my hand.

We started walking again and stopped by the doors to be opened for us.

I felt his eyes on me, and his hold tightening on my hand.
"You know I love you. Don't you?"

I heard him say that and so I looked up, "Ofcourse I do. I wouldn't forget it even after death!", I said chuckling.

Marcia opened the doors for us and I went in.

I was excited to tell David and Venus, about how he finally proposed me. I was even wanting to check on James and Jess after yesterday.

I saw everyone sitting in the dining room.

David was the first one to spot me.
"Hi David! What's up!", I chimed and went round the sofa to take the empty place beside him.
Venus was apparently not here.

David didn't say anything and that was pretty unusual but I proceeded nonetheless.

Though, as soon as I stood beside David my eyes fell on a certain hunched figure sitting on the other side between nonna and Jess.

I looked at James to see him already looking at me.

It would be rude of me to not acknowledge a person, who was probably their guest.

"Uh...hi..This is Erica!", I said to the female, and then my eyes drifted to Eric who strolled in.

I looked at her again, and that was when she lifted her brown hair covered face.

My breath knocked out of my body, as soon as my eyes met hers.

My thoughts immediately drifted to ten years back when I was looking in the eyes of a certain woman who was unflinchingly watching me getting whipped by six men.

I would have staggered back immediately because I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I looked up to see David and then felt Eric's presence beside me.

It took no time for my breaths to get laboured and I suddenly held Eric for support, who surrounded me in his embrace immediately.

This. This was a bad dream. And it will be over the moment I open my eyes again and look at the empty place between Jess and Nonna.

And that is what I did.

I looked there again, only to get shocked once more when I see that same excuse of a mother looking at me.

Why is she here!!??

What brought her here!?

Will she take me back to that brothel!?

Will she take me away from Eric!?

My eyes filled with tears on thinking about all the possible outcomes and agendas she would be here for.

"E_Eric_c s_she! Eric ask her go get out!! S_she is here! Please s_save me!!"

"Hey hey!!", I felt his arms tightening around me, "No one is going to harm you. Okay!? I am here!"

I looked up at him from the embrace and whispered, "Eric s_she is Em_Embrey! My m_mother!!!"

I expected shock or atleast rage from him, but all I got was a nod.
He saves me from everything. He will save me from her too. I trust him.

He gently wiped my tears, "You don't need to be afraid. You are strong. C'mon let's sit here and..."

"How can you expect me to sit in the same room as this woman!!!??", The words came out venomous and filled with rage.

All the hatred that I have bred for this woman was taking over.

I felt another hand on my shoulder, and when I saw there, it was James.
"Erica! Child...you trust us!! Don't you!?"

I nodded meekly.

"Come sit here. We have a lot to tell you..."

I shook my head, all the while not letting Eric go, "Ask her to go James. She will take away my freedom. She must be here to take me to that hellhole again! I hate her!"

"She can't go Erica!", I heard Jess, "Just calm down. Take some water and then see things through. You are the most sensible one here.."

"Why she can't go!??!??", I seethed, not caring about how badly I was behaving with the people I really love, "Who brought her here!? James! Jess! She is the same Embrey I told you both about. My pity excuse of a mother. Ask her to go! She will harm you all...!"

I turned to look her at, "GO AWAY!!! I am not that child anymore who you will lure into doing all that. Go away or I am calling security!!"

"Angel!....", Her voice simply cracked me. It disturbed me way more than I thought was ever possible.

"Angel! I am so...."

"STOP IT!!! DON'T CALL ME ANGEL!!! I am not any Angel!!!", I yelled at her.

"Wait! You won't hear this way!", I started fumbling for my phone in my pocket.

I will call Stephan and ask him to escort her out this very moment.

My hand was shivering as I tried to unlock my phone, but the next moment the phone was taken away from me.

"Erica! Let's sit please!!"

I looked at him angrily this time, "Eric how can you be fine with this woman here! Please! I beg you!! Ask her to go!! How did she even come here!??"

He looked away from me, and then uttered the words I swear broke all the fantasies of my life, "I brought her here Erica."

That was all it took me to push myself away from his arms.

And if before this I was feeling afraid and hate, right now it seemed as if someone just plunged their hand inside my chest and pulled out my heart.

I was feeling hurt, betrayed, shattered all at once.

"Erica! Child! Let's just hear things once...please! For us!", James' words made me break my eyes from him.

"You. You all know how much I despise her. James! Jess! You both know how much I have suffered.", My tears were flowing continuously now. I couldn't expect such betrayal from them, "Even he knew!! I told him everything!!! EVERYTHING!!"

He came forward followed by Jess.
"Come!", He made me sit on the sofa behind me and both of them settled beside me.

Jess pulled me in for a hug, "We know it hurts Erica!! But you are a strong girl. You came out of it before, and so you will do again.."

It took me time to control my sobs. I knew she was not dead. She was in jail. But I made sure she would never be able to reach me.

"Sit down David and Eric. And you three will calmly hear us till the end.", I heard James say.

Jess offered me a glass of water, and I took a sip from it, not looking up at all. Because I didn't want to see anyone!
Today! I was alone again. The same way I was when I woke up at the hospital after being found on a highway.

*

"It all began when David's father, my best friend, Vincenzo, received a marriage proposal from one of the most prestigious family of Rome, the Castillo's. We both were of the same age and pretty young at that time.

Vin, had more of a modern outlook than me and was not ready to settle down anytime soon. He even offered me to marry in his place. But my father was not willing to let me marry out of love, only because a woman promised me fortune. Vin's father was not so kind. He manipulated things in such a way that Vin ended up marrying Dianna, David's mother.

We realized the extent of his cruelty when we found out that even Dianna was in love with another man. Me, Vin and Dianna became good friends. Vin was fine with Dianna being with another man, because he wanted a way out of this marriage. And Dianna too never became a hurdle for him.

But all peace in life ended when Vin's father kept the clause of a heir to his throne. And both of them refused to comply, he said they can divorce once the child is born."

I looked at David to see him hearing to James silently, "You can continue James. I am aware I was not born out of love."

"David was born an year after, and now both Vin and Dianna had an opportunity to divorce. Though looking at their baby, David, they didn't want to deprive him of his parents love. And so they decided to wait for some time and grow him together, unless he is mature enough to understand his parents.

David became the centre of their world. Though he was not born out of love, he was certainly not unloved.", I saw David smiling fondly to himself. I am glad he was at a better position in life. He deserves that.

"But like David, his father too was a legit playboy. And it very well influenced me!", He chuckled.

"It was his birthday, and so he brought both of us a contact number of this brothel at the Northside.", My eyes widened realising it is the same brothel, "At our times, we never used to go to clubs, get drunk and bring women home. Our fathers would kill us. And so as he said, 'a birthday gift to himself', we went to the Brothel."

"After a tediously long process, we both went to the respective allotments. And that was where I met Jessica!"

The air shifted immediately. The new revelation that Jessica was from a brothel too derailed me completely. I looked at Nonna to see her smiling fondly at James and Jess.

It was Jessica who started this time, "I was a victim of human trafficking, and we were forced into this business without our will. My life was completely shattered and I lost all hope in life unless one day, James walked in. He was the hope I never thought I would have in my life again."

"Mom! Why was I never told...", I heard his exasperated voice but never looked up.

"You were not mature enough or even close enough to us Eric to actually understand us. Love has changed you. Now when you have your own love, you know how important it is.", James answered him and then continued.

"We had a connection instantly, and getting a woman as precious as Jessica, I forgot all about being in a brothel. And we both ended up talking, unaware that we not only had that night to talk but a whole life.

Well, at the same time, ours was not the only love story brewing there. My dear playboy friend too, met the love of his life. And that love of his was Embrey."

The other shock of this day, had me wincing internally. How unaware I was for whole my life!? Ofcourse they knew her way before my existence.

I hated to look at her, but when I did I saw that softness in her eyes, which I never had for myself. At least someone in this world, got her love.

"Our visits to the brothel became frequent. We even spent millions to not allow other men to our women. The management was more than happy with the money and they complied with our requests. And things were going pretty smooth, with both of us planning ways to get them out of that place, anyway possible."

It was Jessica this time, "Even Embrey was held forcefully inside that place, and initially we were kept in the same cell. When James and Vincenzo paid hefty amounts, we were treated exclusively. And so when other woman worked in bars and all sort of places, we were left behind. And that's how we became friends."

"Me and Vin planned out everything after I was informed that Jessica is pregnant with Eric. I didn't want my child to be born at that place. And so after pulling several strings, we successfully managed to bring Jess out of that place. Embrey was the one who helped us with the inside details.

We married and Eric was born seven months later. It was the most beautiful time of our lives. But we had to keep everything down because the brothel management was adamant to have Jessica back. Existence of Eric was kept down and low until he turned five.

But things were not as good as they seemed. While I was getting my happy end, my friend was not..."

*

(To be continued..)