Making her mine

Finally Free

AS OF MAY 2022, THIS BOOK WILL BE EDITED AND MANY SCENES WILL BE CHANGED.

I HAVE REACHED A POINT WHERE I AM NO LONGER PROUD OF HOW I PORTRAYED MY FIRST EVER STORY AS I WROTE IT WHEN I WAS A LOT MORE YOUNGER.

BUT NOW, I WILL EDIT IT AND ADJUST IT SO I CAN BRING MYSELF TO ADORE THIS STORY ONCE MORE.

THANK YOU.

I woke up with a sudden jolt.

My face streaked with tears and my head banged with a migraine.I didn't really bother about the pain I was feeling. It was the contents of my dream that was scaring the s**t out of me.

Only one nightmare could make me cry while sleeping.

Only one nightmare could give me such dizzying headaches.

Only one nightmare could make me lose my mind,if I hadn't lost it yet.

Only one nightmare could make me get insomnia and the few hours I did manage to sleep, I was dreaming about it again.

Dreaming about him.

Dreaming about that scary man that was after me.

He was everywhere in my dream world,ruining every single good thing that could come my way. I would have my dreams starting very peacefully and normal,then out of nowhere he would come and ruin it. Turning my innocent and beautiful dreams into a terrible nightmare. He killed anybody that was within a mile's radius.And the worst part of it was that it all looked and felt so real. This was torture,and I wouldn't even wish my enemy this sort of bad luck.

He'd chain me to his wall and beat the hell out of me,saying I was very disobedient. I didn't understand what he meant by that,and I secretly wished I could do my best to please him.

"You're mine Apryl, and I'll kill everybody that tries to take you away from me. Male or female. Family or not. I will kill them. And then,I'll kill you. Then bring you back. Then kill you again. You belong to me. And I'll make sure the world knows this"

He said that all the time,scaring me over and over again. How can someone have power over death?

The only time I stopped having those nightmares was when my boyfriend Alvin,started to sleep with me,and I'll forever love him for that. Unfortunately he left the country to return to America,where he originally stayed and so I was left alone in the night to face my fears.

That was the only thing I was afraid of anyway,because I was fearless. I didn't have an inner chicken as life has taught me it will only be like an extra leg to me. I did cry sometimes,when the pain was unbearable. Crying helped let out a lot of steam,but I didn't cry very often.

Sighing,I pushed my hand through my corn braids and stood up,heading for the bathroom when I heard a soft knock on my door. I glanced at the time on my wristwatch and furrowed my eyebrows. Who the hell would be awake by 2:35am?

The knocks on my door became more persistent and I rush to open the door. Before I can even make out who the person is,my head is being banged against the hard brick of walls in my room and I drop to the floor instantly,clutching my head in hope that the pain will go. From the sudden actions that just took place,I know exactly who it is that had been knocking.

"You stupid girl,do I have to ring wedding bells before you open the door?" Khadija,my step mother said

"I'm really sorry Ma'am. I was fast asleep" I said.A wave of dizziness washed through me and I clutched my head as a lone tear escaped my eyes.

Khadija was pure evil,and the worst person in the world. Dammit, I hated the air that she breathed. She was a beautiful Fulani woman,so tall and gorgeous. But she was so wicked,at least to me. To my other siblings she was a bit cold and rude, though she liked my eldest sister. But to me she was the villain to my story, and while I was a poor hamster, Khadija was a hawk that pounced on me anytime she deemed it fit. I've always been everyone's favorite, so I didn't understand why she hated me so much. She abused me, mentally, physically and emotionally. She Turned me into a sadistic angry person,but to the rest of the world I was a sweetheart. I had to conceal all the pain and anger I felt,and my need to inflict pain on others.

Well I'm not that person anymore, because my boyfriend Alvin came into my life and changed me.He's the reason I'm going to study overseas,so that Khadija won't abuse me anymore. He told me that I'll have to grin and bear it for the time being, because I was going to have peace for a long time. No one even knew about the abuse, because I wasn't exactly close to my siblings,at least not anymore. I used to be super close to my eldest sister,but she closed me off. I tried to work on our relationship but she closed me off saying we weren't kids anymore and she preferred talking to adults like herself. It hurt me so much when she said that,and it honestly still does. My immediate elder sister was a closed off introvert,she loved reading books and loved to be alone. She also minded her business a lot,so she wouldn't even notice if I was crying. My younger brother was popular and only cared about his looks, himself and cars. He treated me like the annoying elder sister,though I could see he cared about me. But Mason wasn't very observant,so he just didn't see that. My father stopped talking to me ever since our mother died. He only asked me if I needed money and would give me more than enough before I could actually say no. He wasn't so closed off to my siblings. So I wondered what I did to him.

"Fast asleep? Weren't you supposed to wash the plates after dinner? You lazy b***h! What has gotten into you?" She said acidly.

"I'm sorry ma'am" I said,hanging my head lowly even though I hated that I was being submissive to this terrible woman.

Khadija sneered and glared at me. The room was dark because I hadn't switched on the lights yet,but just the moonlight was enough for me to see the hate and anger in her eyes.

"You think just because you're going to Norway you won't have to face me? I will continue to make your life a living hell even when I'm not around. Good things never happen to evil people, Apryl. You took away my happiness and now I shall take yours"

I didn't understand why she thought that I took her happiness away,but then again,I was positive that the woman was crazy. Crazy enough to not see that no pain was new to me and she couldn't hurt me anymore.

Something wet slid down my face and I thought it was a tear but it was running down my temple. Perplexed, I touched my hand to my head and saw it was blood. Khadija never spilled blood,and when I looked up at her,I saw the fear that danced in her brown eyes.

"Go and clean that dirty thing from your face immediately and when you're done,wash those plates because if you don't,I'll make sure your father cuts off your money supply in Norway."

And with that, Khadija turned and left. Releasing the breath I didn't realize I was holding, I rushed to my bathroom and locked the door. Khadija had tried to drown me once,and I wasn't going to take any chances. It's not that I forgot to do the dishes, I was just packing for my trip to Norway and I fell asleep in the process. We weren't poor to not afford servants or anything. In fact we had loads of them in and outside our house. My father was rich enough to employ half of the people in the state we lived in,but Khadija made sure we worked our butts off.

So while my father wasn't looking or wasn't at home, she'd send the servants to their quarters while I did their work. They all thought she was their savior and didn't like them over working,but they didn't know what was actually going on.

I sighed as I opened the cabinet beside the mirror. I picked up the first aid box, something that a lot of my money goes to. While others were spending most of their money on clothes and other important things,I was always refilling my first aid box. I didn't look like the stereotypical abused child,with bruises and scars all over, Because Khadija was careful to never leave them on me. My dad was observant when he was around,and he'd flip and burst into flames if he saw a bruise on any of our bodies.

Señorita started to play loudly,and I made a bee line for my room. Alvin was calling,and it seemed he wanted a video call. I went back to my bathroom and hit the green button on my iPhone, instantly seeing the smiling face of that beautiful boy I was blessed to have as my boyfriend. But when he saw the tear stains and tiny scar on my temple,he frowned.

"Your nightmares again?" He said worriedly,biting his cute bottom lip.

"Yes" I said,balancing my phone on the wash hand basin,so I could wash my face and stitch up.

"But that doesn't explain the cut on your temple babe" Alvin said,running a hand through his jet black hair.

I stopped washing my face and looked up at him sorrowfully.

"It's Khadija" I sighed,and reached for some cotton and antiseptic to dab at it.

Alvin sighed and shut his amazing fiery green eyes,trying not to lose it. But when he opens them,he gave me a heartwarming smile that makes my heart swell.

"Today's Saturday the 11th. You're leaving today,so this is the last time she'll do this to you. Later today, you'll breathe that beautiful Norwegian air and be free from her." He said,trying to cheer me up.

"But what happens when I come back?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I'll make sure you never ever come back"he said, seriously in an almost growl that startled me.

"What's that all about?" I laughed,trying to reduce the awkwardness.

Alvin shook his head and smiled and I returned his gestures.

Then we talked some more before I went to sleep.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Light.

Too much light.

Way Too much f*****g light.

I groaned and rolled to my side,only to be met with more light.

"Just wake up,will ya?" A voice hissed,making me open my eyes and close them immediately as I was not adjusted to the bright light.

I can't believe my eldest sister Cleo woke me up with a flashlight in my face.

But then again,she's supposed to be in Law school in New York and that thought alone made me wake up fully and stand up right.

"What are you doing here?"I said groggily,still bleary-eyed.

I spent hours doing those dishes,and I needed all the sleep I could get.

"It's past nine o'clock you dumb t**s!The Kristiàns are already here and you still have f*****g morning breath?" She shrieked.

Aren't you vulgar for a Princess?.

My immediate elder sister entered the room and I almost groaned.

I hope those stupid goggles of hers break.

"You really are messed up Apryl. What have you been doing since early morning?"Stefani said slowly,her tiny voice rising.

Washing your dirty dishes till 6am,that's what, I mentally scoff and start throwing off my clothes.. Stefani blushed and turned around and I almost laughed when Cleo's light brown eyes narrow into slits.

"What are you laughing about?" She snapped, while I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my chest.

"Nothing” I murmured and raced to the bathroom.

I heard Cleo sigh and plump down my bed before she tells Stefani it's safe to look.

I giggle at her stupid shyness and brush my teeth,turning on the shower and also putting my corn braids in a pile on top my head. Seeing it's not even working, I grab the shower cap and pack the long braids into it.

Rinsing my mouth and cursing angrily because I didn't get to play music while I shower,I jump into the white bath tub and scrub my body till it's icky clean. I wince as water touches the tiny cut on my head then turn around and stare at my bare body in the mirror opposite me. I'm 5"6 inches and have the lightest shade of brown skin. I'm the darkest among my siblings,and I could almost pass for an abnormally fair Nigerian if not for one thing. My eyes. Most Nigerians have dark brown eyes while a few have light brown or golden brown eyes. But I had Hazel eyes. Exactly the same ones my mother had. They looked very bright in the morning,taking an almost greenish grey shade in the afternoon,and looked darker in the night. Despite the fact I was darker than my siblings, I looked the most like my mother,and a tiny bit of me believed that was why my dad kept avoiding me. I was a higher B cup but my boobs were high and round and made them look larger than they actually were. My hips were wide and I had a large butt,which was the difference between my mum and I. She was rather on the slim and tall side, while I was curvy but not too curvy to make me look fat. I believe I'll grow taller though, because everyone says so and I'm tired of Mason always bullying me. Besides,I'm 17 and I'm not done growing.

"What's taking you so long in there?" Cleo's voice echoed and I glared at my door.

"What's taking you so long in there?" I mimicked in Stefani's voice and laugh at my childishness.

I knew I looked like a mad person right then,but I just didn't care.

I stormed out of the bathroom when I was done and told my two sisters to leave because it's not their job to watch me while I dress.

I smiled at my empty room and bed,having nothing but the clothes I set out for today. My lipgloss and tiny brush for my eyebrows were the only thing left on my dresser. I had everything that had to with make up,but I only applied it on very special occasions. On a normal day like this, I would prefer to apply to apply lipgloss.

I put on my Air Max,my white high waist pants and a cold shoulder crop top. I applied my beloved lip gloss and brushed my eyebrows and was set to go,not after putting my brush and lip gloss in one of my tiny bags.

I raced down the long flight of stairs and stupidly badged into the living room,my eyes going wide.

There sat a fraction of the Kristiàn family,with a beautiful smile on their lips when they saw my face. And for the stupid person I was,I forgot to prepare myself for this encounter.

"I uh-hey. Good morning" I stuttered,trying to fix my sentence with a nice smile.

Aunt Brigette chuckled at my clumsiness, Uncle Jeffrey only smiled while.... Wait! Where's Alaric? I could have sworn he was just by aunt's side a second ago.

"Apes!" Alaric chirped and I giggled at the stupid childhood nickname,while he hugged me,more like pulled me up with him.

When he released me,I breathed out and chuckled while I stared at him.

Alaric had grown so much from the last time I saw him. He was way above Six feet now,but I couldn't guess what inch because I sucked at estimating. He was muscular now and had that bad boy aura around him seeing he had some tattoos peeking from his neck. But inside,we all knew Alaric was a big softie to his family.

"Hey" I said.looking up at him while he beamed at me

"Ricky" I completed while he scowled playfully at me.

"Ahem" aunt Brigette cleared her throat.

I turned and looked at her while she glared at me.

"Don't I exist anymore?"she said while I walked to her and hugged her.

"I missed you." I said while she smiled at me.

"If you really missed me,you would have advised your father to date Sasha because he seems lonely" Aunt Brigette pouts and glare at my dad,who has a priceless look on his face.

"Brigette I'm married!" my dad exclaimed.

I snickered and tried hard not to laugh out loud.

"Really? I had no idea!" Aunt Brigette defended herself but proceeds to laugh anyway, obviously feigning innocence.

No doubt the Kristiàns don't like Khadija, and I'm really happy about that.

As if on cue,Khadija enters the living room with some servants behind her,holding some refreshments. She has a tight smile on her face,and I almost laugh at her knowing she overheard the conversation. Never the less,she goes to sit beside my dad and wraps a hand around him. My father tries to look comfortable and fails terribly.

There is tension in the air,and Uncle Jeff has his face set in a scowl while Aunt Brigette doesn't hide her glare aimed at Khadija. Alaric scratches the back of his head while I mouth garden at him.

His mouth forms into an O and his baby blue eyes sparkle instantly.

"Mum?" He called.

"I'd like to have some tiny bonding time with Apes in their garden, we'll be back shortly" he says and Brigette forces a small smile on her face while uncle Jeff pretends to check his phone for an email.

I sighed and stood up,but immediately cringe when I realize I have to pass through Khadija's side before walking out. I hope she doesn't try to trip me or something. But instead she just says something that only the two of us can hear.

"Ashawo".

I stopped and fist my hands but walked away immediately,so it doesn't look like I'm bothered by her.

Alaric and I raced ourselves to the garden and I can't help but laugh out loud at this.

"God the weather is so hot here," Alaric complained while I roll my eyes playfully, sitting at the swings and gesturing for him to sit too.

"You'll get used to it Ricky,it's no big-"

"Oh no I won't. We have to leave this place ASAP. So as soon as my mom realizes that we can't have a conversation with that woman around we will set off."

I chuckled uncomfortably and hit his side playfully.

Alaric wasn’t being discriminatory to the weather, he just never tanned nicely. He was used to steady tanning, the one that Norway could give him. Give him three hours under this sun and my guy’s skin will be orange.

"Why don't you like her?" I asked, Wondering why I of all people should ask that.

Alaric exhaled and ran his hand through his hair.

"I don't know Apes, I just have a bad feeling about her. She has this empty look in her eyes that makes me think she's capable of hurting people. We're scared she'll hurt you guys-"

"Wait hold up!" I said instantly.

"What do you mean by we?"

Alaric turned and looked at me,alarm written all over his face before he sighed and looked away.

"We're Kristiàns Apes,we're all so observant." He said slowly and held my hand while my stomach rumbled involuntarily.

Alaric stood and stared.at me with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Did you have breakfast?" He asked.

"Nah" I shook my head.

"I woke up when I heard y'all arrived"

"Well there's food at the plane. We got you covered" he smiled.

I smile stupidly and shrug.

"I guess"

Alaric paused and frowned at me as if he remembered something.

"I thought you have insomnia Apes,you can't sleep to save your life and when you were younger”

My mind wandered back to last night's event and decide I don't need to tell him anything.

"I was uh,up all night speaking to my boyfriend" I said,which actually isn't a lie.

Alaric's eyes widen and I slapped my hand over my mouth.

"You have a boyfriend?" He exclaimed and I urged him to keep it down.

"Please don't tell me it's one of your many f**k boys!" He bellowed again and I blushed,wishing the ground will swallow me whole.

"It's not for God sake! Now please keep it down before anyone finds out that I have one"I whisper-shout.

He nodded and sat on the mowed grass and urged me to talk about him. I sighed and rolled my eyes then clear my throat.

"You remember that rich dude that bought that Three storey mansion for a huge fortune? The one I said was a rich snob?"

Alaric eyes widened and I took it that he was in shock.

"No way!"

"Yes way!" I groaned, wishing he would stop making such a big deal out of it.

"Like, I mean you hated him so much and I was so sick of-"

"Just shut up!" I cried out but Alaric was having none of it.

"Apes has a boyfriend,Apes has a boyfriend"he chanted repeatedly and makes a run for it while I run after him.

I'm a very fast runner so it's not hard for me to catch up with him,jump on his back and pull at his hair.

"Dammit Apes! Not the hair" he groaned and tried to pry off my hands.

"I better not fall!" I screamed so he doesn't lose balance of me.

I laughed and look up,then pale suddenly at the sight in front of me.

My whole family and when I say family I mean plus the Kristiàns look at us disdainfully.

Aunt Brigette tries not to laugh,my father smacks his forehead,Uncle Jeff's lips are twitching and the rest of my family have disapproving looks on their faces.

Alaric doesn't handle such well so he just shrugs and smiles before taking me to the car while I hide my head in embarrassment.

"You're such an i***t"

"I know"

********

Keywords

Ashawo-Prostitute