“You need to do something,” Lucero said in a hushed tone as she tried to help Noelle in a seating position.
Nearly two weeks after that encounter with Sergio in her room, it had become a common recurrence to find him there when she least expected him.
He wouldn’t come daily. Only when her old wounds would begin to heal and the hope that maybe he would leave her alone would appear.
Sergio knew exactly what he was doing.
He wasn’t only hurting her, beating her within an inch of her life every single time. He was also psychologically torturing her until she couldn’t have one peaceful moment, the fear that she would open her eyes and see him in front of her growing with every moment.
“I don’t know what,” Noelle croaked. “He’s growing stronger every time and I grow weaker.”
Injuries upon injuries, even if she prepared herself thoroughly for the next time he came for her, she could never defend her because she could barely move.
Even going to the bathroom was out of the question if it weren’t for Lucero’s help.
“He’s going to kill you, Noelle. You know that’s exactly what he wants, but only after he’s made you suffer for what you did to him.”
In an attempt to help her, Lucero had taken the risk to spy for her, going as far as to eavesdrop in Sergio’s personal suite. She’d heard personal conversations between Sergio and his doctor that Noelle doubted he wanted anyone to know.
Due to the nature of the accident, the doctors hadn’t been able to reattach his penis so they’d had to cauterize it where Noelle had cut it. But that wasn’t the worst. Not only was he now impotent, but he couldn’t even relieve himself properly, needing the use of a catheter.
Yet that wasn’t the most outrageous thing.
To combat the rumors going around the hacienda that put his masculinity into question, Sergio had arranged for five more girls to be moved into the house as part of his harem. And according to what Lucero had heard, they were now going around praising Sergio as the greatest lover.
“I know,” Noelle sighed. “A few more beatings and I can see myself…” she swallowed hard.
She wasn’t about to give up. She knew that in the depths of her soul. Yet she was out of ideas.
She wanted to fight, but she didn’t know how.
God…if only she had the strength of a man so she could fight back. If only she weren’t so weak that she could only lay there on the floor while he kicked her, time and time again.
“Call your family,” Lucero suddenly said. “Surely they wouldn’t just sit by and watch you like this…”
“I don’t know,” Noelle whispered. “They must have known who Sergio was. My brother knows everything. I refuse to believe he would have been ignorant of what goes at the hacienda, or what Sergio is really like.”
“At least try. I’m really scared that you’re not going to last much longer in this state. Already,” her breath hitched as her eyes traveled over Noelle’s form.
Her entire face was a combination of yellow, purple and black. Where new wounds faded, new ones appeared. She looked entirely unlike how Lucero had first seen her and that worried her.
“If he doesn’t come tonight,” Noelle swallowed. “Help me get to a phone?”
She didn’t have her own cell phone—she hadn’t been allowed one.
Though Cisco had left her with one, Sergio had been quick to search all her belongings and throw almost everything away.
The only way she could reach her family was if she managed to get to the phone in the living room.
“Tonight,” Lucero promised.
Lucero cleaned her wounds, applying healing ointment on each. Though it hurt to be touched even in the slightest, Noelle bore it with quiet dignity.
If it hadn’t been for Lucero, Noelle knew that she would probably already be dead. Her wounds would have gotten infected and she would have likely become septic.
After Lucero gave her one of her teas that helped with pain, Noelle went to sleep.
Already tortured for weeks with the promise of death, she realized that whether it came today or tomorrow, it was the same thing to her. The least she could do was have a moment of peace where she didn’t think of her impending doom.
The tea was godsent and Noelle managed to sleep uninterrupted until late at night when Lucero came to her room once more.
“It’s time,” she whispered. “El Señor isn’t at home, so we need to act fast.”
Noelle groaned as she shuffled off her bed, putting on a long tunic and barely holding off a wince as the material brushed against her wounds.
Lucero was by her side, holding her hand as she led her out of her apartment and to the living room where was a cord telephone.
Luckily, she remembered the phone number from her home upstate. But that only meant that there was every chance of her mother answering the phone, and that wouldn’t bode well for her.
Biting her lip, she dialed the number while Lucero stood guard.
It rang once. Twice. On the third, someone answered.
“Hello?”
Noelle blinked.
“Camilla… Why are you answering the phone?”
“Noelle?” Her sister-in-law asked.
“Please put my brother on. It’s urgent and I don’t have time.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have time, Camilla. Please put my brother on…”
“Tell me what’s wrong, maybe I can help,” she continued.
“Sergio,” Noelle took a deep breath, her rib cage flaring with pain. “He’s going to kill me. Please get my brother. I need him to come for me and get me out of here. I don’t know how much longer I have left at this rate…” the words poured out of her.
But out of nowhere, the line got cut, a succession of beeping sounds ringing in her ear.
“Hello? Camilla?” Noelle frowned.
With a quick glance to Lucero, she redialed the number, tapping her foot anxiously as she waited for Camilla to pick up again.
Moments on end passed, and still the line was busy.
She tried again. And again.
“Someone’s coming,” Lucero turned to her. “We need to leave. Fast.”
Yet just as they hurried to leave the living room, Sergio suddenly appeared before them.
Noelle’s eyes widened in alarm, for this time it wasn’t just her who was in danger, but also Lucero. And she wasn’t going to allow her friend to get hurt because of her.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing. I told you not to leave your room,” he barked at her, his eyes dripping with malice and a fierce need for revenge.
He hated her. No, he abhorred her. With good reason, of course, since she’d robbed him of his most prized possession. Yet despite all the abuse she’d suffered, she couldn’t find it in her to regret what she’d done.
She lifted her chin up.
For the first time, she wasn’t about to let Sergio walk all over her, nor would she allow him to abuse her again.
“I was just on the phone with my brother,” she lied.
Sergio’s eyes glinted dangerously.
“Is that so…” he spoke slowly, watching her carefully.
“Yes. In fact, I invited him to come visit soon. I thought he should see for himself the state of his sister,” Noelle looked him straight in the eye.
“You’re lying,” he accused.
“I’m not, and I think we both know my brother won’t allow this.”
His cheek twitched in annoyance.
Noelle slipped her hand out of Lucero’s as she took a step forward.
“You could have killed me from the beginning, but you didn’t,” she added, watching for his facial clues. “I wonder why that is…”
“Because I’m going to break you first,” he gritted. “Until you will wish you were dead.”
“Hmm, I wonder about that,” she bluffed. “I rather think my brother won’t like that very much. Already I want to see you explain this to him,” she pointed to her bruised face. “Or maybe I should show him my back. I’m curious what he’ll say then. Will he congratulate you, or will he put a bullet through your head?”
“Your brother can’t kill me,” he said smugly.
“Maybe he won’t be able to kill you,” Noelle shrugged—she realized that Cisco would have long done that if he wanted to; if he could. “But are you willing to risk your little cult for it? Are you willing to risk your business?”
She took another step towards him.
“Are you willing to show these people you’re just a mere man, not a god?”
He looked as if he wanted to murder her on the spot.
His hands were clenched by his side, his veins bulging in his neck.
Already, his face was becoming red from anger, and Noelle expected him to strike her at any moment. She knew the risk, but it was one she was willing to take.
Seconds trickled by.
Sergio didn’t hit her. He didn’t come closer to her, though she knew he wanted nothing more than smother her with his bare hands.
“Hit me again and I promise you, you won’t like the consequences.”
“And what can you do?” He scoffed, though his body was tense.
“I’m not as defenseless as you believe, Sergio. Nor am I dumb. I have eyes and I can see this little cult thing you have going on. Your image. How much you care about what people think of you. It’s why you got a new harem, isn’t that so? To show everyone you can still…” she chuckled as she looked at him up and down.
“You can’t do shit,” he narrowed his eyes on her.
Maybe she was bluffing. Maybe she could never get away with unmasking Sergio to his loyal following. But maybe she could make him believe she could. After all, the only weakness she could exploit was his obsession with saving face.
She took another step forward until she was almost face to face with him.
“Are you willing to bet on it? Try to kill me again and I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re just a puny man. One who…” she let her gaze dip lower to his crotch, a cruel smile painted on her lips. “Can’t even call himself a man anymore. Is that what you want? For everyone to know that you’ve been castrated by your own wife?” She batted her lashes daringly at him.
“You fucking bitch,” he ground out.
“Do it,” she taunted. “Hit me. Hit me again and I promise you. I fucking promise you, you will regret every single blow,” she told him with all the strength she could muster.
He raised his hand.
Noelle didn’t blink.
And just like that, the blow didn’t come.
He gave her another harsh look before he strode out of the living room.
When he was out of sight, Noelle let out a big breath as she felt herself sway on her feet. Luckily, Lucero was there to hold onto her.
“Noelle…” she murmured, her voice laced with awe. “You…”
“I think I did it,” she whispered. “I did it, didn’t I?”
“I think you did,” Lucero confirmed. “I’ve never seen him like that before. But the way you spoke to him… I have no words. You were amazing.”
“I don’t know how I managed to keep it together,” Noelle confessed. “I was trembling all over, but I couldn’t let it show.”
“You threatened him with the only thing he cares about, his reputation. Unless he’s sure you were bluffing, he won’t do anything for now,” Lucero noted.
“Then I must ensure he can’t find out I’m bluffing—ever. The only way to survive here is to gain the upper hand over him.”
“But how…”
“I don’t know yet,” Noelle shook her head. “I need to find out more about him and this goddamn cult he’s leading. I need all the information I can get.”
Slowly, they made their way back to Noelle’s apartment. Knowing their situation was still precarious, Noelle persuaded Lucero to stay with her, declaring that from now on they would live together.
“Somehow, I’m going to do it,” Noelle said a while later, determination washing over her.
Her small victory against Sergio had given her the conviction to push forward.
All her life she’d been powerless one way or another, unable to control her own fate. Her choices had been taken from her, even her future.
No more.
One way or another, she would reclaim everything that had been stolen from her. She would become Sergio’s biggest nightmare if that meant surviving.
And to do that, she didn’t just need some blackmail material, since that could just as easily be taken from her. Just because she won one battle she didn’t fool herself that she’d won the war.
No, she needed something more tangible.
She needed power. True power. The type Sergio had.
But in her case, she needed power over Sergio.
Then, she could finally focus her attention outward—to her true mission. She could finally start looking for Blue.
Wait for me, Rafaelo. Whatever it takes, I’ll find you.
