FLORENCE'S POINT OF VIEW
"I was a victim of rape and abuse, Zyair. And Bernard, who happened to be my step-father before, was the person behind it."
I saw how shock passed by Zyair's face. He stares at me with his mouth partly open. Silence hover between the two of us, and quite honestly- it's making my blood run cold.
Will he really accept me after I tell him the truth? Will he still love after seeing all the ugly wounds that I still have from the past?
In the midst of my distress, Zyair suddenly wraps his arms around me. He didn't say anything, but his warmth alone gives me an assurance.
I heaved out a heavy sigh. "It all started when my father passed away," I said, almost a whisper.
I smiled bitterly, and as I close my eyes, my mind took a trail down to the memory lane of my past.
•••••
FLASHBACK EIGHT YEARS AGO
I was just staring at the empty space in front of me. The atmosphere inside that hall was undeniably heavy and sad. I was just sixteen years old that time.