Identity

Azalea could see every bit of her life flashing right in front of her eyes. This was the man she loved for five years. Her first love, the one she thought was the one. 

"A long time ago, humans had four hands, four feet, two faces, and one heart. However, the gods, fearing they would overpower them, decided to tear them apart in half. From then on, humans spent their whole life searching for their other half…" 

The bedtime story that her mother told flashed in front of her eyes. Soulmates...what a joke. There is never a way to tell who your soulmate is. Just a story to make kids believe in fairy tales. When in reality, fairytales are nothing but glittered macabres. 

Daniel forcefully grabbed her hair, slamming her onto the ground, even before Azalea could hit him with the vase in her hand. With a loud thud, Azalea fell onto the floor on her stomach, as she yelped out in pain. The sharp stinging pain under her abdomen grew, as the feeling of something moist underneath her. 

Daniel didn't stop, instead grabbed her by the hair, and started dragging her toward the bedroom. Her white dress stained the crimson liquid, as stinging pain pierced deeper into her skin. With all the immense pain, Azalea still tried to put up a fight, her vision slowly blurring. 

Azalea knew if she didn't escape by now, there would be no chance for her to escape. With every inch of energy, Azalea scratched the arm that was holding onto her hair. Suddenly the grasp on her hair loosened, and seeing a gleam of hope, she tried to crawl towards the door. When a sharp stinging pain hit her cheek. A burning sensation spreads through the cheek. The metallic taste mixed with her saliva. It took a few seconds for Azalea to realize the slap that had landed on her cheeks. 

"Since you are that desperate to get f**k. I will fulfill your wish, you f**king B*tch!" Daniel spitted right at her face, as he grabbed her white dress, now tainted red, and tore it apart. 

"Stop!!!" Azalea pleaded, trying to keep his hands off her but she was nowhere to fight against his might. Without a struggle, Daniel grabbed both her hands and pinned them above her head, spread her legs, and pinned them with his knees onto the floor. 

Tears spilled down her eyes, as those lustful eyes checked every inch of her. "please…I beg you…" Azalea begged, her whole body trembling in fear and pain. This was not how she wanted to end up. this was not what she thought when she fell for him. Why was destiny so cruel?

"Shut the f*** up!" Daniel yelled, forcefully punching at her face. Without a care, trying to tear off her underwear. 

Azalea could feel her nose bleeding out, even with every bit of her energy, she couldn't move an inch of his weight. As the daunting reality that no one was going to save her started to dawn. She could only tear up hoping with all her heart that someone… anyone to save her. 

As Daniel was about to pull her bra off, a hand grabbed his collar from behind, tossing him away. No longer feeling the grasp, Azalea finally opened her eyes as her eyes fixed on the silhouette of the man. The hazy figure finally took shape. As she was at the brim of giving up her hope he appeared. 

Adam immediately put his coat over her, just seeing her face made his blood boil, and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. She was the one that he couldn't even imagine seeing in tears. And the audacity of him….to not only make her cry but hurt her. 

Adam looked at his assistant, "Call the doctor." He ordered, carefully picking up unconscious Azalea into his arms and carrying out. 

"Who the f**k are you man? I was first in line." Daniel blurted, completely unaware it was his boss he was speaking to. Adam spared a cold glare, his dark eyes bloodthirsty for Daniel

"Take him to one of the warehouses. Make sure he doesn't die or escape." Adam instructed, walking out of the place with Azalea in his arms. 

***

'What was the worst identity one could have? It was being an illegitimate child. A label worse than anything. You are nothing but a curse that ruins the lives of many. That was my identity. Even being rich and influential can't brush away the identity I was born with. No matter what I did, who I met. My origin remained the same, a red mark on my forehead. I was the result of two people's mistakes. That's what I was. A vessel born out of such malice was never entitled to have love. I deserve misfortune more than anyone until…'

Azalea's eyelid flickered, feeling a soft voice whispering in her ears, begging her to not leave him. Something so foreign to her. When did her existence matter? Azalea was well aware of how big of an eyesore she was, even to her family. They all act like they love but in the silence, they all must think she was nothing but an eyesore who deserves to be punished worse than death. 

"Please….wake up…" The soft painful pleads of the man confused her. How strange was it? Azalea opened her eyes, curious to see the man who was pleading for her return.

Instead of a face, a soft gleam of the setting sun and a meadow of reed caught her eyes. The wild geese that fly on the multicolored sky and the serene and mystical feeling of twilight healing one's soul. 

Azalea took a step forward when the playful laughter of a child caught her attention. Through her peripheral vision, she saw a shadow running into the field of reeds and without thinking a second she followed the shadow. As she grew closer the laughter of the child grew louder. 

"Hey, wait…don't run in there. It's dangerous." Azalea spoke but no one responded. Just another gleeful chuckle. As Azalea followed the voice, the beautiful scenery around her shifted. The field of reed had been nothing dark. The multi-colored canvas was consumed by the darkness and the soft sun leaving. She found herself all alone. The noise had long disappeared. In the quietude of darkness, loneliness became a fearful monster. 

"How could you do this to me!" A woman's yelling shifted Azalea's focus. Her face slowly lost every bit of life as the voice resembled someone she knew. The words she can never forget, the disgusted look that craves in her memory like stone. 

"How hard is it to keep yourself in your pants? You want me to accept your bastard's daughter. Fine, let me also go out and get knocked out by some stranger…you can also accept that kid, right?!" The voice continued, with sobs in between.

The more Azalea heard the conversation, the more she wanted to run away but her feet remained frozen at the place. She had heard the convo a million times by now. Every time she hears it, it chips away at a part of her. Like a dull knife stabbing her and bleeding her out. The unbearable pain and suffocation it brings is immense. 

"No!...."