Imagine an unfortunate victim attempting to rescue himself from a dungeon or a hole or the basement of an old, dilapidated building everytime he realizes that his abductors are already sawing wood, their limbs looking lifeless and their eyes shut tight as if in a trance. He goes ahead to steal one of their daggers lying on the ground, and then cuts off the ropes he's tied with, meticulously, and quietly enough. He's finally free and then creeps out of the building, climbing fences and tall trees, his legs tugging at thorns but he keeps trying his best to escape. He sees the town in a distance after running for hours. He heaves a sigh of relief, only to fall straight into the arms of another one of them, waiting at the gates for any victim wanting to escape. What do you do to save your head when that thing you thought you're finally free from, pops its ugly head and jeers at you and you keep running into it on your way out? A South African-American teenager, Ashley Amahle Butler has all her life, served punishments which should only be meted out to offenders despite not being a criminal. Running was not easy but it was her only option, and the more she ran, the more she sank into the abyss of life. She was going to get a new beginning somewhere else, and stop living as a victim. She had just one supporter in the whole wide world who wanted to give her that newness her soul craved. Eventually, she did get a new beginning but it was far from her wildest expectations. Find out if Ashley slipped into the sweet by and by, or made it out of the abyss with her scars.
PROLOGUE
People call me strong- everyone who's seen my story or heard it, call me strong. 'Oh, she's such a strong young lady, I bet I can't endure that much.'
'She's too young to go through so much but she's so resilient, I wish I had a strength like hers' and I just scoff at their words, and sometimes want to punch them all on the jaw or groin, or their eyes especially so they won't need to see me after then, because they actually do not know what they are talking about, i tell you.
You see, I'm actually really weak.
In fact, I could pass for the definition of a weakling. I'm not being pessimistic- call it realistic. I don't know what these people see, but it's definitely not the truth.
Come to think of it, a weakling is a person of weak character, lacking in courage and/or moral strength.
I, Ashley Amahle am a synonym for that word
Synonyms - Ashley, Amahle
Antonyms: Glenda, Zuri
Example One- You're a Ashley! You can't even do anything on your own! Phew!
Example Two- I thought I was a Glenda, but I tried doing it again and I'm afraid I'm starting to be a Ashley. I need some confidence, man.
That's how our dictionaries should be set now. There's nobody as cowardly as I am in the whole wide world.
Glenda(or Zuri), my older sister is my opposite.
I am like a frail old woman who can't even grab things without them falling off her fingers, or a wobbly individual who can't keep water down their throat.
Do these people even have dictionaries in their possessions?
Or maybe their own definition of strong is different from mine.
Strong people create solutions without letting nothing hold them back.
Nothing at all.
They don't encourage procrastination and they are usually not defenseless.
They don't whimper in the face of fear or crawl into a hole to avoid it.
All they do when they see an opportunity or a way out is, grab it as fast as they can and make a go for it, even when it's too difficult to do.
That's not me at all. I have never been that way
If I'm strong, why is it so tough for me to chug the dark thick liquid I bought at the store on my nineteenth birthday, down my throat without looking back?
It looked like death but who cared?
It's been lying there in my chest drawer for six days now. My birthday was six days ago, and I swear, I don't want to have any more birthdays on this earth.
Nicolas won't stop pampering me and treating me to a nice meal on my big days.
Not that I'm complaining or I'm not grateful for him, but I wish he will just forget about me and move on with his life because I'm no good for him.
I know he loves me truly but I wish he didn't.
I just want him to help me end my life, or teach me how to. I'm too broken, I guess.
I mean, I try all the time but I am just too cowardly to end it. I wince like a foolish wounded pet when I cry, and even I, hate the sound of it.
Why is it so hard for me to help myself? It's not like I am committing a crime- I am only trying to embrace peace. Not?
Nicolas did tell me that there is peace on the other side.
Anytime he talked about life to his friends at pool or at school, he never stops saying that.
I wonder what he means?
And when I remember those words, it makes me feel like texting him to come over already and help me swallow the liquid everytime I try to, but what if he thinks I am crazy and doesn't help me?
On a second thought, I stop caring someone might think that I am crazy. I don't care that Nicolas might already see me crazy.
Let him come help me shut my eyes and sip it like my favorite soda.
It is fucking hard each time I try to do it on my own.
It doesn't help that I try to imagine it being my favorite soda or hot chocolate drink, that Nicolas got me whenever I felt like having it,or maybe I am simply afraid of how mercilessly it would tear my intestines and liver.
Ask me what I fear the most, and I'll tell you 'Death'.
I really don't know which could be worse- the pain of dying physically from poison or dying emotionally from being abused.
I want badly to avoid the latter as quickly as I can, but I also want to cross to the other side without pain.
Nicolas knows a lot about these things.
He also knows that I hate drugs, bitter or not, I just hate their smell.
I need him.
I know all I need to do is text him and he will be at my doorstep in thirty minutes to take me away- he doesn't live too far away, but you see, I am not bold enough to call for him because as soon as he comes close, I am sure to have all my rehearsed words flying out the window.
I am going to find myself talking to him about craving chicken feet and soda for a while now, unbelievably, or about us seeing the latest series together at his place soon enough.
I always need courage to do everything and so most times, I end up not doing them.
I am too afraid to talk to my boyfriend about my problems. The thing is, I don't like talking about them.
Even though he knows all of them, he wants me to talk but I don't want to be a burden, so I rather go to my favorite place and talk to the sunset and the wind.
I've been doing that since my seventeenth birthday.
So when next you are tempted to call me a strong woman, get ready to be punched in the groin for lying to my face.
I'm not anything like Glenda, my older sister- she's the definition of strong, brave, cool and resilient.
She is no crybaby like I am, she wears her problems like a pair of underwear and wears a big smile over them like a coat in winter.
I know she got bigger problems than I got, and I wonder how she can manage with them all this time.
And that is why I don't want to talk to her. I don't want to disturb her with my troubles. I can't even do that if I want to. She's left home.
I don't want to disturb sweet Nicolas either but I gotta call him now.
I don't even have a choice.
ONE-- THE LAST STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK
Ashley knew better than lying there on her back, waiting for his next action. He was not a cruel young man, but he was never a patient one either.
Typical him must have thought it was not a serious hit, and should get her ass back in the van on time.
Another car lay upside down across the road with thick smoke emanating from its ruptured engine. Nobody was in the car or so she thought.
With her elbow on the smooth tarred road, she lifted her weight slowly from the ground, not without suppressed groans escaping her mouth.
She glanced back at him as she did so, but he never left the steering.
Ashley kept falling back after many attempts, and it was then she noticed that she must have broken not a bone, but two or maybe three in her left leg.
She instinctively laid back on the ground letting the warmth of the sunset shine on her amber skin, swallowing the last trickle of saliva in her mouth.
Giving up was the best option for her now.
She kept stealing glances at his figure in the steering and wished he would just come down the van and help her up.
She thought she should ask him for help, because she knew that despite his loving nature, he rarely ever helped anyone if they didn't ask for it in a way.
Ashley groaned as she stretched the injured leg on the ground. Her throat was still dry. Horns still blared.
A white man in a blue Volkswagen behind Nicolas' van cussed at him and told him to move it or he'd run him over.
She was overly familiar with this alley and knew that it was not a busy one, still she hoped someone noticed her and came to help.
It dawned on her that her boyfriend must have been in the accident too as his posture remained the same at the steering despite the man's threats.
With that, Ashley attempted standing up again, while yelling his name.
She succeeded this time and jumped up the van with her leftover strength
"Nicolas! Please wake up! Nicolas" she called, tapping his shoulder, and wetting his blood-soaked body with her own tears.
The man behind them must have realized what happened, because he came running up towards their van, pulling the victim's stuck body out aggressively.
With his other hand, he dialled 911 and waited, pacing up and down the road
Ashley heaved a sigh of relief. The pain in her leg was excruciating, and she felt like she would pass out from losing so much blood.
The ambulance soon arrived and two men, alongside that man who called 911 pulled the young victim out of the van without much ado, and also pulled out a middle-aged woman from the other car on the road, which had somersaulted, and so she expected that she would be next but no one paid any attention to her.
"Please help me too, I'm losing blood" she cried but the man jumped in the ambulance and it zoomed off the road towards BetaDay Hospital.
That was when she realized that the man in the van had not been Nicolas and that this van was not his.
Ashley cussed under her breath, wondering why no one thought to rush her to the hospital too.
She tried to scream but she was extremely dehydrated.
Once again, the alley was quiet with no passers-by. No sound could be heard except the distant screeching of vehicles and the plat-plat drip of Ashley's blood on the road.
No one was coming to save her.
At school, she was exposed to bullying and all forms of rebellious attitude from her classmates and teachers. Young Ariana's journey through life was one which was constantly controlled, until adulthood by the aftermath of wrong choices made by the woman who birthed and nurtured her. Running became her hobby. Running from life and on one of her tireless races, she got to a destination of self-discovery. Her life had indeed come off ironical because where she was running from was actually more bearable than where she actually belonged. She realized to her greatest surprise as she kept running tirelessly away from life that there was more to her than met the eye, and it wasn't just her incredible intelligence but something incredibly superhuman. All her life, she met with people who weren't actually people and these meetings had led her to discovering her supernatural qualities, abilities and strengths, and of course her weakness(es). Meeting face to face with a real life werewolf had weirded her out the first time it happened, but on many other occasions, she had become accustomed to it as there were still many more supernaturals to meet, avoid or compete with-in that order. Soon enough, she realized that she didn't belong in the world where her mother and family existed; she belonged in the world of her fantasies-- the world she thought only existed in the pile of books on her shelf. And from here, the story really begins.
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Looking at the divorce papers my lips curled up into a mocking smile. 'How big fool I am? How can I think that he will give a chance to this marriage? How can I forget that I was nothing more a tool in his eyes to vent his anger until his beloved Tara is back. Since, she was back, how can he let me stay there?' "After you will sign these papers, you will receive 100 million dollars as alimony." the lawyer added. Because of his words, I came back to my senses took the pen from him, and signed the name. I have also gotten exhausted from this marriage both physically and mentally. Even though I had wanted my child to be born into a complete family, I didn't want my child to have a stepmother and live miserably like me for the rest of his life. After taking the papers from my hand, the lawyer gave me the bank card, turned around, and was about to leave when he paused at the door. He then turned around and added, "Mr. Carter said that he hoped that you won't pester him, or you have to bear the consequences." The lawyer's words were like a knife stabbing in my heart, but I still nodded. Anyway, I also don't plan to have anything to do with him anymore. I just want to live a good life with my children. After the lawyer left, the ward fell into silence. I placed my hand on my belly and said to my children, "Baby, I am sorry, Mommy can't give you a complete family! But I promise you, I will do my best to give the love of both mother and father." 'As for giving one of my child, I will never do that. They are my babies and my alone. I and I will give birth to all of them and raise them no matter what.' Four Years Later... Anya came back to the country with her three kids, to inherit the company left by his grandfather...
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!