The Mute and The Celebrity

IX

❝ Isn't Aira lucky to be related to Matthew? I've been begging for her to introduce us, but she refuses!❞ Karen exclaimed.

❝ I said I would,❞ Aira replied, rolling her eyes. ❝ And besides, he already likes you. Unlike James, who is such a player.❞ They all shook their heads in agreement on that point.

Belle took her turn next, sharing her love of flowers and her family's successful franchise of 2,000 flower shops worldwide. Karen couldn't resist teasing her. ❝ Is that all? ❞ she joked, causing Belle to blush.

❝ Hey, come on,❞ Belle protested. ❝ I have a little crush, that's all. You're the one with the huge crush on Shawn.❞ Karen gasped again, but quickly tried to deflect attention away from herself and chimed in ❝ Yeah, but at least I'm not the only one with a crush. Aira likes James the weird one. ❞ Aira laughed.

❝ Hey, don't call him that. James is just... quirky, ❞ she said, trying to defend her crush.

They all continued to share their secrets, feeling closer with each other as the hour passed by. Paula sat back and watched, happy to be included in this group of friends who cared about each other so much.

But eventually, they turned to Paula, and asked for her story. Paula hesitated, not wanting to relive her painful past, but she knew she had to move on and overcome it.

❝ Well, my parents were murdered and I lost my voice. Then I lived with my grandmother in her village, and it was great to live with her until she sent me here to study and have a better life. I'm currently living with my uncle, aunt, and my cousin Marielle. ❞

Belle expressed her sympathy, while Karen was surprised to hear that Paula was living with Marielle.

❝ So anyways, how did you meet Joulo and the rest of the band? ❞ Belle asked, changing the subject.

Paula told them the whole story of how she met Joulo in her village, and how they started talking to her because she was mute. The group was shocked but impressed by Paula's interaction with the famous band.

As the night wore on, the group continued to share their stories, opening up to each other in a way that only true friends can. And Paula felt grateful to be a part of this group, with friends who cared and trusted each other.

❃ ❃ ❃

The man in the car park had every reason to fear Joulo and his notorious gang. Known as a dominant and intimidating crime leader, Joulo's family reputation echoed through the underground community. Crossing him or his associates was a dangerous game, often resulting in violence.

Joulo lit up his cigar and walked towards the car, the guy rolled down his window. ❝ All I asked for was your fucking name and your idiotic leader's location. He owes my family quite a lot of money, it isn't as hard as you think to just give me his location and your fucking name, is it? ❞ Joulo said, still having the cigar on his mouth.

❝ My name is Kresten and his address is Block B 88 Nu'est Road, ❞ the guy said, afraid for his own life. ❝ That's good,❞ Joulo said, slapping the guy's cheek like a little kid.

❝ But it's too bad that you know who I am now. I don't want your little mouth to run wild and share it to the world, and you know that won't be good, right? ❞ Joulo said, blowing the smoke into the guy's face.

Joulo walked away and tossed the cigar onto the man's car, slowly walking off into his car with some random girl with him, going to his house.

This is one of those nights when Joulo's dangerous gang unleashes their full fury, which he has taken over his father's notorious underworld empire. They're known as one of the most dangerous and feared criminal organizations worldwide, and tonight their presence is palpable.

❃ ❃ ❃

CONTENT WARNING:

The following section includes depictions of violence, strong language, and abuse. If you feel uncomfortable reading about these topics, please skip ahead to the next chapter.

PAULA's POV

Marielle strode towards me with a purpose, her hand curling into a fist before forcefully striking my cheek in a sharp, stinging punch. I immediately recoiled in shock, my hand instinctively flying up to my face as I glared at her in disbelief. My aunt watched on in tense silence, unsure of what to say or do of Marielle's violent outburst.

As Marielle's tirade continued, her words became more hysterical and incomprehensible. ❝ This is what you get!❞ she screamed and slapped me again. ❝ I told you to not be near my boyfriend, Joulo. Why were you in his car today?! Is it that hard for you to understand or even comprehend it?! He's mine, you little whore! Stop stealing someone's boyfriend!❞ Her voice rose until it was a shrill, piercing scream, echoing through the room.

Marielle's sudden violent outburst left me in agony, with hot tears rolling down my face and pain keeping on stinging more and more. Her mother rushed to calm her down, but Marielle didn't listen and kept on screaming and scratching me. ❝ I hate you, you're a disgrace to this family! ❞ she yelled, and jumped on me, choking me.

Her mother's plea for calm was met with hostility as Marielle continued to attack me. ❝ If your father finds out we'll be dead! ❞she screamed, and I felt the heat of Marielle's anger as she grabbed my hair and pulled me towards her.

But the situation took a dark turn when Aunt Gebaloxxa came into the picture. ❝ We let you stay here and is this how you repay us by stealing my daughter's boyfriend?❞ she yelled. ❝ How dare you! How evil can you be? Maybe you are a demon sent from hell. That's why you can't talk, because the creator is punishing you for being so rude and heartless. You're a piece of shit! You're nothing!❞

She then dragged me into a dark room and threw me on the floor, leaving me there for hours. ❝ You are not to leave this room until sun rises tomorrow morning!❞ Aunt Gebaloxxa said. ❝ I don't want to see your face and if I knew you told anyone about this, I'll make it sure that you'll go back to where you came from,❞ and she closed the door behind her. I knew that my fate was sealed, and there was nothing that I could do to make things better.

As I lay in the room, blooded and injured, I asked myself what I had done to deserve this. But there was no answer to be found, only the pain that overtook me.

The following day, with a old cloth and cleaning solution in hand, I cautiously cleaned the room and wiped away the blood from the floor. With one final look of the room, I felt dizzy and took a minute to regain my balance.

Then, I took a shower to clean my body, gradually removing all of the blood.

Amidst of what had happened, I found hope in being grateful to the creator for letting me enjoy another day.

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The story initially progresses slowly in the first half, but the pace will gradually increases as it unfolds.

The photos, drawings / fanarts and gifs used in this story aren't mine. Full credits to the owners.