1 1. Sold by her lover

[Warning: Implication of Sexual Abuse]

"Let me go, you bastard!" Amara kicked the man who kept dragging her. She held back her tears and scratched the arm of Gerard, her lover, until it bled. She was overjoyed when he heard him talk of a job that could pay her a huge salary, but when she saw they were heading to a brothel, she finally understood what he meant.

"Argh! Damn it, Ara! Stay still, will you?!" He pulled her forcefully, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Can't you see I'm trying to help you here?! Who would have thought this ugly face of yours would be able to attract a nobleman?"

She flinched at the blatant insult from the man she loved. Was it true that Amara had an ugly face, or was it only called ugly because it didn't fit in with the existing standard of beauty?

Her purple eyes were hidden from the large frame of her eyeglasses. She wore her auburn hair in a messy ponytail, looking like it had been a few days since it had been washed. Some locks covered her twin moles located diagonally in her right temple. Her face and body were round and a bit plump, which is often the reason why Gerard and other people called her fat.

Moreover, a thin yet long scar ran from her left temple to the corner of her earlobe. It was black, making it more conspicuous against her pale skin. She usually hid the scar with a mask that only covered her left eye, but Gerard threw it before she was dragged. She had no choice but to wear eyeglasses instead.

"W-Why are you doing this? I'm your lover!" Amara shrugged her shoulders, trying to break free from the man's tight grip. Her tears finally rolled down her cheeks as she remembered their happy memories.

"Oh, come on, Ara! Do you really think that nobleman cares even if you have a lover? What he wanted was your service! Didn't you say you need money? Why not open your legs wider, warm his bed, then return to me?! I would still accept you even if that's the case!"

Amara was astonished. She had never heard him talk like that during the year they had been dating. "W-What…?"

Gerard looked at her frustratedly and annoyed. 

"Now, let's not make him wait any longer. Aristocratic men have a short fuse; what if he suddenly ordered us to be killed if we don't come in time?" Gerard dragged her again, turning to a dark alleyway. 

Amara wanted to struggle and break free, but the man's unsympathetic look rendered her speechless and frozen.

Amara was hauled inside a room as the streets were bustling with a joyful atmosphere, celebrating the marriage of their kingdom's king. Her body slammed on the floor, and she winced in pain when her shoulders hit first, throwing her eyeglasses off somewhere.

"Ngh!"

"Is that her?"

A voice snapped her eyes wide open even when she squirmed in pain. She looked up and saw an old bearded man with a bloated stomach and only wearing a robe.

"Yes, my lord," Gerard answered, bowing his head. Amara moved her teary eyes to him, but he looked at her as if she were a stranger. Her heart bled more at the merciless stare than at the fact that she was being sold.

The old nobleman walked over to Amara. He clutched her face with his one hand and turned it sideways. "Hm. Not bad. She's a bit meaty, but I prefer them over skin and bones anyway. Is she fresh?"

"I haven't taken her, my lord. And I'm the only one she had a relationship with."

The old man smiled and slapped her face lightly. He stood and took a pouch of gold and threw it on Gerard. The pouch landed on his feet, scattering the gold coins it contained. Gerard bent down and picked the coins individually, sporting a satisfied smile.

One coin rolled in Amara's reach. When he extended his hand to pick up that coin, Amara grabbed him. Her face was covered in tears, and her hands were shaking.

"P-Please…t-take me out with you…" She begged. Gerard cupped her hands with both of his and replied.

"Just this once, Ara. We'll split the money. I'll still love you even when you didn't give your chastity to me. I'll wait for you at the plaza, okay?" He said solemnly, feeling proud that he was still willing to accept her despite what will transpire.

Gerard let her hands go and stood, bowing once more to the old man who was already looking at Amara with lust in his eyes. 

Once the door was closed, he pounced on her on the floor.

"No!" Amara screamed, trying to crawl away.

But the old man's grip was firm. He flipped Amara and forcefully opened her legs, burying his lower body in between while his heavy body pinned her down. His hands traveled in her soft curves, and Amara shuddered at the contact.

She wailed and tried her best to push the old man, allowing her a chance to crawl again. Her mother's ring, which she tied on a string and made a necklace, snapped and fell from her neck. She reached for the leg of the table and grabbed it. She heard a ripping noise and saw a piece of cloth fly away. Then, a cold and rough hand touched her exposed thighs.

"Let go!" She flung her legs, kicking the old man off. 

"Damn, girl! I already paid for you! Let me have my taste!" The old nobleman shouted, pulling her body back to him. Due to this, the table shook as Amara did not let go. It fell on them, the edge hitting the old man's nape. Luckily, the accident didn't harm her because she was hidden below the bulky old man.

"…uhh!" The old man yelped, shoving the table away and grasping his nape.

Amara took the chance and shoved the old man, then she quickly grabbed the lamp that fell with the table and pummeled it on the old man's head until he bled and lost consciousness. She stopped only after Amara saw the red liquid trickle down the floor. 

She stared in horror. Her body trembled greatly. The man she harmed was an aristocrat! She definitely will receive death as punishment!

She gathered her thoughts, took her broken eyeglasses, and picked up her necklace, clutching it near her chest. It was the only one she had kept from her mother, so she couldn't lose it.

She flung the door open and ran from the backdoor where they entered earlier. Fortunately, no employees were roaming the corridor, so she escaped without being seen. She only found out before getting dragged by Gerard that he actually visited such a place and often spent his earnings in the arms of prostitutes working inside. 

And he met the old nobleman looking for virgins and willing to pay a considerable amount of money. Blinded by money, he offered his own lover.

Amara hid in the dark alleyway, afraid to go on the streets as Gerard may still be roaming around the streets and drag her back if she was seen. She leaned on the wall and hugged her knees; the cold floor and the foul smell of garbage did not bother her. She silently cried and prayed for her mother to save her. 

But she knew it was impossible, for it had been long since she passed away, leaving Amara all alone in that world.