BREAKING FREE: FALLING INTO THE MAFIA

I

My mother rose from her chair, her face etched with sadness. With a

understanding, was now a defeated whisper. I looked at her, a flicker of

arpet muffling our footsteps. Reaching the end of the corridor, she stopped in front of my

rely a whisper, "your father...

hung heavy

stion wash over me. The fight seemed to have

my face, "he wouldn't do anythin

errupted, my voice breaking with a fresh

"He was desperate, Lily. We..." she faltered, her gaze dropping momentarily be

und the dinner table, the hushed conversatio

I whispered, the anger sof

out and placing a hand on my cheek. But the gesture f

ng the truth? From having

in my throat, acrid and bitter. In their desperate a

e," I said, my voice f

doorknob, the house phone in the hallway started ringing, a jarring intrusion into

words heavy with a newfound determ

. With a final, lingering look, she turned and walked

my knees to my chest, burying my face in them as tears streamed down my cheeks. The weight of the situation, th

ing at the top of the notifications, I saw the nine missed calls again– all from my parents. A bitter laugh escaped my lips

despair. No. They wouldn't control my life anymore

uldn't sit here and wait for them to decide my fate. I was

ons seemed limited. Where would I go? What would

he only person who truly knew me, the one person who

e, scrolling through my contacts until I found her number. Taking a dee

ird. Just as I was about to give up, her voice fil

wrong? Is ev

reatening to spill. For the first time that night, I felt a flick

, my voice raw with emot

g beat before Kristine responded, her voice sharp with

rknob rattled violently, followed by t

this door

ther end of the phone. "

But before I could hang up, the door burst open, my fat

elling people about our family secrets?"

I cried out, scrambling to

he screen. "Talking to your little

g to the floor. "No more of that. You're grounded. Until th

ear as he marched towards the door, slamming

oor, defeated. With a thump, I pounded on the door,

out! This i

d to crawl by, marked only by the rhythmic sound of my ow

ey, please

ther entered the room, her fac

her. Relief washed over me for a moment, bu

. "How could you and Dad do this to me?

. "Lily, we wouldn't have done it if we had a choice. I

erate to understand the reas

. Deep debt. The company i

the financial strain but ne

an you can just sell

oice gaining a strange edge. "This... this was

re they?!"

elf. "It doesn't matter who they are. They offered us a way out, a chance to save

hed for her, a cold realiza

the deal were very specific. "They wanted a virg

it was quickly eclipsed by a fe

ace grim. "Yes, and now

hat wasn't a lie, Mo

peration. "Those people... they are very strict about their deal

ut the meaning hun

shiver racking my bod

a primal fear. "They're...

physical blow. Mafia. My pare

he word itself conjured images of violence, ruthless men, and a life worse than anything I could h

ne. "Oh, Lily," she choked out, her voice thick with tears.

e turned towards the door. "I'll have to keep this do

, a chilling finality that mirrored the icy fear that gripped my heart. In my desperation, I slammed my fists against the doo

around me, leaving behind a terrifying re