LEFT BEHIND

Chapter 44

4 YEARS AGO
Carlos' POV
⚠️TW⚠️
I looked in the mirror in front of me staring at the new bruise forming on my cheek. Tears fell down my face as I turned on the tap. Just six more years. Just six. Then I would turn 18 and I could escape.

Mario would help me and we would run away together. I would be ok. I let out a deep breath. Letting the water run for a moment before washing my face. I let out a wince when the cold water came into contact with my bruise. More tears gathered in my eyes but I quickly blinked them away.

I looked back in the mirror. Hating the reflection Infront of me. I looked like a living corpse. My cheeks were hollow and my eyes were sunken with dark circles riddled around them.

I let out another sigh before walking back into my room where Ms Abridge was waiting for me. "Your father is looking for you." She said making me tense.

"What does he want?" The maid shrugged before looking at the bruise on my face with no emotion.

"You should stop being such a brat. Maybe then he wouldn't hit you as much." She said. I looked down at the ground as she made her way out of the room.

I hadn't done anything wrong. I was just so hungry. I didn't mean to break the rules. I took a deep breath before making my way out of my room and towards my father's office. I walked down the narrow hallways with my shaky hands behind my back. I kept my head down to make sure I didn't make eye contact with anyone.

If I didn't break anymore rules he wouldn't hurt me anymore. I just had to stop being such a brat.

I finally reached his office standing Infront of the door as nerves crept up on me. With a deep breath I knocked on the door. I heard a gruff come in sound out from the other side, so with another breath I shakily opened the door.

Stepping into the dark office I was quick to attract my father's attention. "Good you're here." He said standing up as he began to walk around the room slowly filling me up with fear. "You're no longer going to take over after me." My blood ran cold. What did he mean.

I didn't want to take over anyways but he was just casting me aside? I had been training, slaving away, starving to take over after him and he was just... setting me aside?

"Excuse me?" I said almost insulted at how easily he had made this decision.

"Don't make me repeat myself." He seethed taking a step closer to me. I let out a gasp as he roughly grabbed my wrist bringing my face right up to his before roughly pushing me away. My back hit the door roughly as my side came into contact with the handle. Tears filled my eyes as my vision became blurry.

I let out a cry of pain as I fell to the floor but had no time to recover before a rough knee hit me right in the jaw. "Don't test me Carlos. The fact that you're my son means nothing."

"Y-yes sir. I'm sorry." I whispered out pain rushing through my like the River Nile. My tears fell from my eyes down to the floor as I tried my hardest to blink them away. Crying only made him angrier.

"How could you ever take over after me? Look at you crying like a little bitch." He said kicking me again making me let out a cough. "You're a pathetic excuse of a person." Unintentionally I made eye contact and I swear his eyes physically darkened. I tried to move back but didn't get far before he gripped my hair tightly. "Who the fuck do you think you are looking me in the eye." He seethed his face so close to mine I began to get cross eyed.

"I didn't mean to. I-i swear I'm sorry I'm sorry."

"It's been a while since I've taught you a proper lesson hasn't it." He said with a smirk making my eyes widen in fear.