Purchased By the Mafia

In a compassionate and empathetic manner, he repeated, "Do you love him?" Despite my attempt to respond, he interrupted, sternly demanding, "Just a simple answer: YES or NO." Nodding my head, I admitted, "Yes, but only as a brother." His voice tinged with disappointment, he confessed, "I believed you were different, but I forgot about your past. I bought you from that place, and I knew deep down, such women like you would eventually reveal their true colors, right?" A hollow laugh echoed. He grabbed my arm roughly, oblivious to my pain, and dragged me without concern for my well-being. As I gazed into his face, I couldn't comprehend how the day I had dreamed of – my liberation – had arrived, yet I felt an unexpected attachment. He pushed me aside, just as my legs gave out. Instinctively, someone caught me, and I recognized it was my brother's embrace. The combination of physical suffering and emotional shock proved too much, and I fainted in his arms. That moment taught me the hardest truth: betrayal in relationships is unbearable. Without trust, our connection was precariously fragile.