Disclaimer: Everything in this story is a work of fiction. The scenarios are fictional, along with the characters and places.

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Valeria

I have never felt like this before. This feeling of fearlessness and confidence never washed over me in the past. I have always been a shy girl. A girl who is afraid of her mother because she physically and emotionally abuses her, and it's valid. It's very hard for a person who is being abused to speak up and get out of that toxic circle.

But I have had enough.

I have lived in fear all my life, not speaking up when I should have. Looking back at my life, I wish I spoke up and freed myself and my father from my mother's evilness. If I had only the courage to defy her and rescue ourselves, my father would have been alive right not.

"Valeria?" A voice pulls me out of my tornado of thoughts.

"Yes?" I look up at Lorenzo, who has a concerned look on his face.

"Are you sure?"

I come back to my senses and realize what he is asking me. I hesitantly nod, not looking at him or anyone.

"Anyways, it's better for everyone to rest today. How about we talk more about it, Valeria?" Mrs. Gonzalez suggest and I immediately nod because I don't want to talk about it anymore. I am too scared and unsure of anything. Yes, I want to punish my mother, but do I have the courage to kill someone? I want her to spend the rest of her life in prison, but what if the courts were too merciful?

I go to my room but not before taking everything to the kitchen. I decided to clean everything tomorrow because I have no energy to do anything now.

I close the door behind me and sigh heavily. I look around the dimmed room and think of what to do. I don't want to sleep even though that is the best thing I could do to stop thinking, but I just can't sleep. I am an over thinker, which makes it harder for me to sleep.

I decide to take a quick shower hoping it would make me feel better, but it doesn't do anything. I sit on my bed and take out my book from the drawer that I have been meaning to read again for a long time but found no time to.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

An old classic but one of my favorites. One of the best quotes in my opinion is Miss Havisham's words, "Break their hearts my pride and hope, break their hearts and have no mercy."

I think this is one of the most powerful quotes out there, as selfish and unbelievable as it sounds.

After reading a couple of pages, I decide to call it a day and sleep. I still have to wake up early for work, even though Valentina told me to take a few days off. But work is going to be good for me, at least it will distract me from everything that is going on.

The next morning, I made breakfast. Mrs. Gonzalez again invited me to join, but I declined. As much as I love how much she cares about me, I don't want to get used to this. I have this feeling that one day I will leave this place, or worse, they would fire me or something. They act like I am one of their family members, which scares me a lot. I never had a stable and loving family to understand where they are coming from. Sometimes I feel weird when they treat me well, even though I appreciate it a lot, and other times, I am so happy they treat me as their equal.

I leave my room and bump into Max, who's running in the hallway. He barks at me and stands in front of me with his tongue out.

He wants to play.

"Let's go, buddy." I walk downstairs with Max trailing behind me. He eventually beat me and ran in front of me to the backyard.

We start to play, I run, he runs, until I got tired and sat on the bench. He doesn't leave me, however. He jumps on the bench and sits beside me.

"Aren't you a gentleman," I say, petting him.

"Thought I'd find him here," Lorenzo's voice startles me, stopping my movements.

I look behind me and see him standing with a small smile on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't me—"

"It's okay. You can play with him, Valeria."

I hesitantly nod because honestly, I don't know what I could or couldn't do anymore around here.

"Are you...are you okay?" he asks.

"Yes," I quickly reply.

He sighs and sits beside me on the other side, so now I am sandwiched between Max and him.

"Valeria, I know I haven't been that nice to you, but you can talk to me."

I don't say anything for a while. I continue petting Max, who is rumbling in delight. I don't even know what to say.

"Thank you, but I don't have the energy to talk," I find myself saying.

"I understand, but I'll be there whenever you do."

"Thanks."

"By the way, I am leaving to the warehouse...do you want to come?" he hesitantly asks.

I stop petting Max and turn to Lorenzo. I look at his chestnut hair glowing under the sun, and at his natural rosy lips. He looks handsome.

"I don't think I am ready to see her, yet. Could you lock her for another day?"

"Yes, of course, as many days as you want."

"Thank you, Lorenzo, for everything."

He smiles and nods. I feel a little bit better because no one is rushing me to do anything regarding this matter. They are respecting my wishes and giving me the time and space to do whatever I want. I do feel like I am taking advantage of the situation, but it isn't my intention. I just don't have the energy to deal with anything because the only thoughts that are consuming me are regarding my mother.

After thirty minutes, Valentina joins me. I was about to go inside but she came and asked if we could talk. I said yes.

Max ran off somewhere, leaving Valentina and I alone.

"Sweetie, I don't want to ask you if you're okay because I know you're not. I just want to make sure that you're eating. Are you?"

I smile weakly at her and nod. "Don't worry, Mrs. Gonzalez, I am eating enough."

"Good, but eat more, okay? Not just enough to get you through the day."

I nod and my heart warms at her worry for me.

"Valeria, you know how much I care about you. You're like Sophia and Sarah to me. I trust you with everything I have and I can't explain it. I am sorry you had to go through all that, but we are here for you...okay?"

A lump forms and I try hard to swallow, praying that the tears to roll down, but it's too late. I hug her while the tears run down onto my cheeks, not saying anything as I don't trust my words.

She hugs me back and murmurs, "Let it out," a few times.

After we break the hug, she asks me if I am sure of my decision. I tell her yes. My mother deserves to die and I know I am going to be a murderer, but if I want her to die, I cannot let someone else like Lorenzo kill her.

She also told me that I have to take the oath of omerta. I agreed because why not. I already know about their business and I know they will protect me no matter what.

The next day, Lorenzo came back home and took me to the warehouse. I was so nervous to go there, especially when I knew what was waiting for me there. I wasn't ready to see my mother, but I had to do it because I needed to move on.

"If you want to leave at any moment, tell me, okay?" Lorenzo informs me and I nod.

We go inside and walk through the hallway full of men and women. They look weird, but I guess that's what mafia men look like. But Lorenzo, Sam, and Johnny look completely different than these people.

We walk down a narrow staircase and end up in what looks like the basement. We pass many doors with numbers on them, ranging from fifty to fifty-seven.

We stand in front of room fifty-seven and Lorenzo takes out the keys from his pocket.

"Wait," I say, holding his hand and stopping his movements.

"Yes?"

"I-I don't t-think I can do i-it."

"Do what? Talk to her or kill her?"

"Kill her."

"Then don't do it, Valeria."

"But I want her dead..."

"I'll kill her for you."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"It wouldn't be my first, Val..."

Honestly, what he said shocked me, despite knowing previously that he might have killed someone. He is the next in line to become the leader I believe, that's why he came back, no? But still, I feel weird hearing it coming from him.

"Still, Lorenzo, the answer is no. Either I do it, or she goes to prison."

"Okay...whatever you want, I will be with you."

We enter the room and my eyes land on my mother, chained to the chair with her eyes closed. I thought at first that she's unconscious or asleep, but as soon as she heard us coming in, she looks up and her face hardens.

"You..." She uses her deep voice.

I feel so many emotions as I look at her, but the only image I could see is my father's dead body. She did this and she deserves to die!

"Why?" My voice comes out hard. "Why did you have to kill him?!"

She laughs, making me look at her in disbelief. "I had to get rid of that old man. If he dies, then I take his property legally."

She has the audacity to answer that question without feeling remorse? How could she?

"I hate you!" I yell at her.

"And you think I care? I hate you too, always did."

"I am going to kill you!" I scream at her. Lorenzo holds my shoulders trying to calm me down.

"You? You are going to kill me?" She laughs and shakes her head. "Honey, you're a coward. You didn't even stop me when I beat you up."

"Watch me!" I yell, my hand reaching out to Lorenzo's holster and pulling the gun out, and aiming at my mother. Her eyes widen in shock and disbelief as she looks at the gun aimed at her.

"You won't do it..." she grins but looks unsure.

"Won't I?" I taunt, wiping the grin off her face.

"I hope you rot in hell."

"Val—" I cut Lorenzo as I pull the trigger, shooting Julia in her stomach. The blood seeps out of her body, making me drop the gun to the floor. I look at her lifeless body lying on the floor with wide eyes, not believing that I actually did it.

I stand frozen in my place as I hear Lorenzo's voice in the background, calling for me. I couldn't answer him because the only thought that was going through my mind is that...

I am a killer, just like my mother.

But the only thing that makes me feel a little better is that I didn't kill an innocent soul.

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