1. A NEW BEGINNING

                                        

                                              
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of physical and emotional abuse. Please read with care. If you are sensitive to these topics, proceed with caution or skip this chapter.
It was midnight. Lily was on the floor, crying, begging him to stop. But he didn't listen to any of her pleas.
"Please... please stop... don't do it. Don't hit me..."
She joined her hands together, pleading, but he turned all her cries into silence.
He smirked, lifted the belt he used to hit her, and gave her one last blow.
She covered her face with both hands, praying to God for mercy. She was tired — tired of this torture, every day, every night.
She just wanted it all to end.
"You deserve it, Lily."
And with that, he hit her again.
***
"NO!"
Lily gasped awake, her breath ragged. Beads of sweat clung to her forehead.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mouth was dry — all she needed was water. She looked at the jug on her bedside table and sighed when she saw it was empty.
She pushed herself up on shaky legs and, steadying herself on the wall, made her way to the kitchen.
She filled a glass with water, hopped up on the counter, and sipped slowly. A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
"It's been months since I got out of that hell. The scars may not show now, but they don't leave me. They come back as nightmares — dragging me under all over again."
She finished the glass, went back to her room, and started her morning routine.
After her shower, she stepped into her small walk-in closet to get ready for her interview.
Today mattered — an interview at the famous Hayes & Co. She dressed in her formal outfit, willing her trembling hands not to ruin her neat hair.
In the kitchen, she checked the time. Still early. She grabbed the instant pancake mix and made herself a quick breakfast — pancakes with honey.
She sat at the table, eating quietly, bite by bite.
When she finished, she grabbed her CV and documents, locked the door, then realized she'd forgotten her phone. She groaned, unlocked the door again, grabbed it, locked up — and realized she'd left her bag inside.
"Fuck you, Lily," she muttered, unlocking the door again. She grabbed her bag and checked everything twice before finally locking up for good.
She slipped into the cab she'd booked earlier, plugged in her earphones, and hit play on her favorite song.
Rain had fallen the night before; the city was still dripping with leftover dew. She liked the rain — it calmed her restless mind, hid her real tears, and drowned out his voice in her head.
Soon, she was standing in front of Hayes & Co. — the place people dreamed of working for.
She took a deep breath. It's not that I'm not good enough, she told herself. It's just... their standards are high. And I'm not who I used to be.
Inside the elevator, she found herself with two other girls, both whispering excitedly.
Girl 1: "Hey, I heard Noah Hayes is back from Milan."
Lily's head lifted at the name. Noah Hayes. The 'big boss' everyone whispered about.
Girl 2: "Yeah, I heard that too."