Alyssa

Pain shot through my body as I hit the wall behind me. I was already battered and bruised but he didn't stop. He delivered blow after blow, using me as his personal punching bag and like always, I had no means of stopping him.

With one final hit to the stomach and a mountain of abuses, he stopped. It was a surprise how I wasn't dead already seeing that this happened nearly everyday. I'd be beaten for something I had no hand in or just because he was angry.

Using the little strength left in me, I made my way up the flight of stairs eager to get to my room. I could barely move. My muscles screamed for me to stop and I nearly blacked out three times but I made it.

I collapsed on the bed, unable to muster up any energy to remove my surprisingly unbloodied clothes. All I could do was succumb to the darkness.

*************

I shrieked to awareness, feeling the cold water hit my body. I sat up suddenly, laying back down when I felt the pain from my sore muscles.

“Get up, you whore!”

I slowly opened my eyes, moving to a sitting position to see my cousin, Hailey sporting the usual scowl on her face. She was dressed in one of her typical short seductive dresses with heavy make up on her face.

Her green eyes filled with disgust and satisfaction as she studied her father's work on my body. She let her red lips curl into an evil grin then to a mocking pout.

“Poor Alyssa.” She tsked. “You shouldn't have tried to seduce my boyfriend with your horrible body.”

“I didn't try to seduce him.” I defended with as much strength as I could put in my voice.

“Lying little bitch!” She snarled, slapping me across my bruised face. “Michael told me about how you whored yourself out to him! You kissed him! Daddy should have killed you yesterday so you would be out of my life.”

“Is there a reason you woke me up?” I asked tiredly, only to receive another slap.

“Don't talk to me like that! You are supposed to respect me!” She screamed, increasing the pound in my head. I mumbled a 'sorry' and she gave another satisfied smirk. “That's more like it. Well there is a reason I woke you.” She placed her hands over where her heart should be and sighed wistfully. “I'm getting married!” She squealed.

“Michael proposed?”

“No. I dumped his sorry ass yesterday. I'm getting married to someone else but I'm not going to tell you his name so you can't go whoring yourself out to him.” She stuck her tongue out at me childishly.

“Congratulations.” I said dryly.

“Thanks. Daddy asked me to tell you that if you're late to work... um..” She bit her lip and thought. “I wasn't really listening anyway. He just doesn't want you late.”

With that, she strutted out of my room. I let out a breath and glanced at my phone screen. 7:12. That left me with barely an hour to get ready and catch a bus.

Although I stayed with my very wealthy aunt and uncle, I didn't have any fancy cars or expensive clothing. That was all for Hailey. She was as dumb as a rock with a very low IQ and for some reason she got everything. She had a way of using her failures to get what she wanted, whereas when I fail I get beat up.

I had yet to grasp why everyone compared me to her when it came to smarts. Christopher, her father, would always brag about how intelligent she was and how proud he would be when he handed the company my father once owned to Patrick Star's sister but in a way it was in my favour. No one bothered thinking of me so the injuries on my body would go unnoticed.

Dragging my aching body off the bed, I trudged into the shower, sighing as the warm water hit my body. I wrapped myself in a towel before heading to my closet to pick out my clothes. Not wanting to smear make up on my body to hide the old and fresh bruises, I chose a teal long sleeve turtleneck sweater and a black skirt with black heels.

I hurried out of the mansion I hated living in to hail a taxi. Luckily, I got to my desk three minutes before eight O'Clock do I was in the clear.

For now.

I got straight to work, scheduling meetings and doing some paperwork. As tiring as it was, I enjoyed working at Jordan & Co. It kept me busy and away from my demons. Well, some of them.

I worked as Christopher Jordan's, aka my uncle's, PA. Everyday was a challenge with the amount of work that I got and who my boss was but I needed the job if I was going to get away.

Fear crept down my spine when I heard the intercom buzz.

“Alyssa, in my office now.”

I scrambled to my feet, hearing my uncle's growl. Being called to his office meant that I was in trouble and or he needed the family punching bag. Usually it was the latter.

Silently praying that he just wanted a file or something, I stepped into his office, immediately seeing the fury in his eyes.

I just can't catch a break, can I?

“Y-you asked for me, s-sir?” I stuttered out, cautiously approaching the desk.

He held up a folder, one that I knew I handed to him yesterday. “What the fuck is this?!” He threw it to me.

I picked it up, scanning the files. “This is the summary of the Danes meeting, sir.”

“That trash is not what I asked for. Do it again and hand it over to me in thirty minutes or else.” I nodded and scampered out of his office, sighing in relief.

By the time the day was over, I still had some work to do that was due tomorrow and knew I couldn't go anywhere till I was done. It was late by the time I finished and left the building and I was eager to get off the streets of New York.

After waiting for five minutes and having the cold October air hit me, I figured that no taxi was going to be around this area at this time of night so I began walking. I knew the way back on my own because I had done this before many, many times.

I had to walk through a part of town known for being the epicenter for drug abuse, prostitution and rape. Lucky for me, I had yet to be a victim.

I continuously looked over my shoulder as I walked in case anyone was stalking me but unfortunately, I failed to see the man lurking in the shadows of an alley because I picked my phone to check for any texts.

“A pretty girl like you shouldn't be walking around at this time of night.” The man said with a sick grin, oozing of alcohol and sweat.

Because it was dark I couldn't see his face and didn't want to stick around to. I turned around to walk away but of course I there were two other guys blocking me.

It was just like your typical 'three guys one girl' gang rape situation. A man at my left stopped me from running into the streets and one in front, the other at the back.

“Please, let me go.” I pleaded, backing up against the wall with a silent prayer.

“We aren't gonna hurt you, doll. We just want to have some fun.” As the second man spoke, the third, who was on my left, lunged and held me by the waist.

I let out a scream which was later muffled by a hand. I thrashed and fought against them but it was futile, three muscular men against one woman was not really a fair fight.

Just as I was about to accept my fate, the man holding my waist was pulled away from me and I fell to the ground. I watched as someone fought against the three of them easily, maybe because they were drunk.

I regained myself when they were still fighting and ran as fast as I could after abandoning my heels. I ran a few blocks before I was able to find a taxi that was dropping someone off.

I slid into the back seat, throwing a few dollar bills to him from the purse I miraculously managed to hold onto. When I got home, everyone was asleep so there was no one to bother me which I was thankful for. I slipped into my bed after a warm shower, happy that I got out of what I did alright.