The Devil's Sweetheart

Leena sobbed, tears dripped raining down onto the pillow. Her breathing ragged, strength left her body. Her sounds of wailing and suffering echoed throughout the house. There was no one to comfort her now. She cried until no more tears came, but still emptiness and sorrow reminded. Even the first light of the day arrived, she remained unmoved. Eventually, fatigue kicked in and she dozed off in the morning.

.....

"I have never let you down, I am shining on sight

In a flash like that, I am back...I am back my dear Leena." Singing to a song as if she was choir leader at a church, Reese keyed in the passcode of the house. Her grandfather has started business lectures even before she graduated. So, she started the early journey to escape from his boring classes.

"I will pull a ghost prank on crazy Leena now." Reese giggled. She hasn't informed Leena that she would be arriving. When Reese stepped into the house, she was surprised to see the living room all messy. Leena's favorite plant was thrown on the ground, a glass vase was broken, pictures sprawled across the floor. Leena, being a clean freak, would yell at Reese and Jane even if it is a little untidy. What happened today? Is she not in the home? Reese wondered.

Reese moved ahead and picked a picture lying on the floor. It scared the bejesus out of Reese's mind like a shot. "What on earth happened? Why is Leena lying next to a different man in every picture?"

Reese hurriedly made herself into Leena's room. She was expecting something would have happened to her friend when she saw those morphed pictures, but the reality was worse. Reese was horrified to see the disheveled clothes on Leena's body, bruises on her face and arms which have turned purple. Her face darkened instantly. Who did this to her!

She drew a few shaky breaths to calm herself and touched Leena's face.

"Please...Don't..." Involuntarily Leena shuddered gripping her blanket tightly. Her heart race accelerated and attempted to control her breathing rate thinking he has come to torture her again. Since last night, Leena would smell his scent with no source either and scared she has woken up from her sleep now and then

"Leena. Don't panic...It's me...Reese." Reese quickly explained and rubbed Leena's arms to relieve her tensed body. Only when she heard the familiar voice, Leena loosened up a little.

"What happened to my Leena! Who came here and harmed her!" Reese mumbled Other than the guest list, people have to have the consent of the flat owner to enter the apartment and Francis made sure there shouldn't be any outsider on the directory. Reese's eyes glimmered with watery tears, it spilled over the sides of her eyes seeing the wretched state of her friend.

"What do I do now? Should I call Wilbur and Francis? No. They would freak out..." Reese incoherently mumbled and grabbed her mobile. She hastily made a call to Jane and asked her to come home immediately without letting Wilbur know anything.

Reese did not know what to do except to call Jane in a frenzy. She sat next to Leena, wiped the tears every few seconds that were flowing involuntarily even with Leena's eyes closed.

Within half n hour Jane arrived home and even she was mortified like Reese when she saw Leena lying on the bed like a broken doll. "Who...her bruises?" With a shaky hand, she tried to touch Leena's arm but Reese swatted her hand even before that.

"She is not in her usual self," Reese said.

"Who has done this to_"

"It must be Ethan. I have asked at the front desk. No one has come to meet Leena except him." Reese felt a stab of anger towards that monster. She has an inkling of the situation when she saw the pictures. Ethan must have misunderstood and slapped her. Who has given the right to torment her?

"Bastard! I am going to break his bones today." Jane had enough of him. She was brimming with hostility. Jane turned around to go to his office and beat the shit out of Ethan, but Reese gripped her arm tightly.

"Let me go, Reese. He needs a lesson_"

"Let's take care of Leena first,"

Jane calmed down when she thought of Reese's words. She is right. Leena is their priority. Her eyes bleed with pain. "Did he violate her, Reese?" Her voice barely a whisper.

"I_I still don't know. We will take her to the hospital first." Replied Reese. She wished nothing would have happened as such. Leena would be heartbroken. She has trusted that monster and put her guards down but looks what has he given in return?

"Fine." Jane walked towards the bed blaming herself. If she was with Leena all day...Jane gently touched her arm and whispered into Leena's ear. "Don't panic...It's me...Jane... I will take you to the hospital."

"No." Leena instantly denied gazing at the ceiling. "I_I am fine...Nothing that you are thinking has happened."

"Thank God..." Reese and Jane sighed in solace. Still, they wanted to make sure her bruises would not leave a scar on her face and nagged Leena but she did not succumb. Jane called a known doctor to treat her in the home itself.

.....

Reese and Jane were tapping their feet on the floor in fear while the doctor was checking Leena's wounds. At least, Leena is cooperating with the treatment.

"Any major injuries?" Jane asked in unrest. The doctor informed Jane not to disturb her, but her mind was in chaos.

"No." The doctor named, Olivia smiled at the friend's protective nature. "But the bruise near her ear is a little sensitive. I hope her tympanic membrane is not ruptured."

"What does that mean?" Both asked in unison. They are not much aware of medical terminology.

"To put it up simply, she would lose the ability to hear."

Reese and Jane gasped in shock. Will Leena lose the ability to hear permanently?

"But you don't need to panic," Olivia said. "I couldn't perform a full scan here. Let's not dwell on assumptions and bring her as soon as possible to the hospital. A surgical repair has to be performed in case it is ruptured." Olivia revealed a reassuring smile. She gave a lotion for the bruises before she left.

After sending the doctor, Leena and Reese arrived back to check on Leena. They are not aware of the things that happened in the night but they could practically assume Leena's struggles.

"Why did he do that, Reese?" Jane asked slumping on the floor. Jane doesn't like Ethan but she felt his love for Leena was real and she was softening up a little towards him but he has screwed up.

Reese did not speak a word.

The whole day, they stayed with Leena looking after her.

"She hadn't had anything from the morning," Reese said.

"I know." Jane turned to Leena and gently touched her arm. "Get up and eat something, Leena. You will fall sick at this rate."

Leena didn't respond.

"Do you want to talk with your brother?" Jane asked.

Leena denied shaking her head.

"What do we do, Jane?" asked Reese.

"Let's give her some space," replied Jane. Wilbur and Francis called to talk with Leena and the two friends convinced them Leena was busy with some priority work. How long they could mask the lie, they don't know. But right now they did what they felt right.

.....

Two days passed and Leena has stepped out of her room and straight away went to the kitchen when she heard her friend's voices.

Jane and Reese were engrossed in talking and they failed to notice someone has entered the kitchen and until they felt a tug on their dresses, they turned around.

"Can you make Burrito" Leena whispered gazing at the floor? "I am hungry."

"Oh, my dear Leena..." Reese and Jane embraced her in a tight hug. It's been two days since she has spoken a word and finally, they saw a little spark in the lost eyes.

"Take her to the living room, Reese," Jane said. She was happy that Leena started interacting with them a little. "I will make the breakfast in an hour."

"Alright." Reese beamed and pulled Leena out of the kitchen.

Although Leena did not eat like she used to gobble up, she didnot starve herself. Jane had to submit an important assessment and after breakfast, she was ready to leave, Leena also insisted on coming.

"Take rest for today. You don't have to come." Jane said.

"I_I am getting other thoughts," Leena replied in a whisper. She was beginning to have thoughts of ending her life when ever she remembers his touch.

"I am sorry. We were not here to protect you." Jane muttered wiping Leena's tears.

"It's not your fault." Leena released herself from the hug and wiped her tears. I have made a mistake and trusted a monster. She was beginning to hate men and she even felt that might be the beginning of her wisdom.

Like a determined girl to change herself, Leena stepped out of the house, a little smile etched on her face.. Little did she know, there was another surprise waiting for her today which would break her again.

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