Jaded Heart

1 || Morning

Nalani's POV.
The circles under my eyes have turned almost black. All my energy is lost after gasping for air.
My hand is on my chest. I feel my lungs starting to fill in with cool air. "Fuck" I say to myself. This was the fifth nightmare I've had this week.

The events from last night keeps flashing in my mind. His deep voice. The marks from his knife and fists on my chest, my back and my legs. The bruises on my thighs and the small cut on my cheek.
His words.. "You're nothing but a slut" rings inside my head. My stomach aches as I get up from my bed. I feel the cool air from my open window brush my naked skin as I open the curtains. The driveway up to the house is empty which means he already left for work.
"Good" I think for myself. It's better when he's away..
I put on a black long sleeve shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants and starts walking down to the kitchen.
Every step I take feels like walking on knives. It stings. As I walk down the stairs, I flinch when I hear the sudden ringtone from the phone downstairs.
I quickly walk down and answer.
"Hello, daughter." My fathers deep voice says.
I let out a silent sigh before answering. "Father." I say, knowing what he is gonna tell me won't be anything good.

"I need you to remind Nicholas about our meeting at the club tonight" My father say.
I knew from this point that it wasn't a question but decide to talk back anyway.
"Why don't you call him and remind him yourself?" The phone turns silent for a second.
Shit, did I go too far now?
"I'm your father and he is your husband, so you are gonna do as you're told! End of discussion!" I hear his voice turn more angry.
"Okay, I will remind him!" I then say. Starting an argument with my dad is unnecessary at this point. I'll lose anyways...

I hang up the phone and walk over to the kitchen and start making breakfast. I start to chop up some cucumber when I suddenly realize that my cheek is bleeding. "Shit!" I yell as I start to run towards my bathroom. I look in the mirror and see the fresh cut on my cheek from last night. I feel my eyes tear up. "This is my life.." I think to myself. And it's the truth. Everyday for me is angry phone calls, fresh cuts from the night before and pain that never goes away.
Nothing more, nothing less. Just that.
I'm used to it by now. And all I can do is to cover it up as good as I can and hope that it's enough.
But I won't know that until Nicholas gets home.