Chapter 3 The Betrayal

Elena sat on the cold floor in the attic with a throbbing black eye. Jerry had beaten her to a pulp. She looked so bad. Pain racked over all her body like a bullet. She had been here since yesterday morning.

She was hungry, famished, and tired. Her head was also banging with an ache. She wondered if she could survive the night without food or care.

She gazed at the window as the tears dropped off her eyes. "Why did I ever get married to a beast like him? Papa why did you sell me off?" She wailed.

"This is your punishment for trying to run away from me, you nasty slut! After today, you would never try it again. " Jerry had yankdd at her hair after beating her up and dragging her there himself amidst her faint protests.

He locked the kids in a room, ignoring their shouts of protest while he battered her severely. It was a miracle that she was still alive.

Elena wondered how her kids were faring with him. She longed to touch them and hold them in her hands reassuring them that everything was ok even when it wasn't at all.

"Jem and Jon must be scared. Oh my poor babies. Mommy is sorry" she lamented. Her throat was parched. She needed water and food but there was no way she could get it.

"If i know Jerry, I'll last three of four days here before he brings me any food" the thought of it made her shiver. How would she survive? Her belly growled with hunger and she could barely lift herself up.

"I have to live for my children. Elena, you must live. You have no other choice" she encouraged herself.

The tears rolled off her eyes as she remembered what caused all these. The betrayal from Laura still shook her to the core. They had been friends for so long. It was still surprising that Laura could have done this to her.

"Of all people Laura, I didn't expect it to be you at all. After all my trust in you…" she thought inwardly.

Elena had suspected Laura's nervousness but she didn't see this coming at all. How had Jerry managed to buy Laura? Well she wasn't surprised, Jerry could buy off the village if he wanted to.

He had dirty businesses all over that gave him much money. That was the reason she was able to steal some money from him. He spent anyhow on ladies and patronised pubs on a daily basis.

"So the only friend i could ever trust could betray me this way, how could I have been so stupid not to see the glaring signs before me" Elena vowed.

She regretted ever having a best friend as she prayed earnestly that Jerry would come to release her soon. She would beg him if she had to. She couldn't die. Not yet.

Elena felt hot and itchy so scratched her hair. Then she removed the hairpin that held her hair in a tight grip. Her long chestnut hair came tumbling down.

She pushed it to a side of her neck. She was about plaiting it to keep herself busy when something struck her mind.

She stared at the hairpin for seconds as if she was in a trance. A thought suddenly came to her mind. "I'll have to try it out first. I hope it works" she prayed.

Jerry had fed the children some remaining food in the freezer. He wasn't the type to stay home so he had gone to the pub where his friends were.

Before he left them, he made sure he double-checke the attic well. It was locked.

"You must not go down to the attic! Do you hear me? If any of you dares to disobey me, I'll spank you so hard" He had threatened and sneered at them before leaving the house. That would scare them a bit he thought.

Jerry had wired the money to Laura immediately he dealt with Elena yesterday. "Silly woman! If not for her stupidity, I wouldn't have to spend any dime on that brat's sick mother" he whined before sending one of his men to give her the money.

Laura was so happy that he had lived up to his word. She has thought that Elena would change her plans or that Jerry would not pay her. If he didn't, there was little she could do. She rushed down to the hospital to pay her mother's bills.

"Don't cry anymore. Come here" Jonathan moved close to his sister to pet her. It took him a lot of restraint not to cry also. Their father had been yelling at them since yesterday's incident like a bruised dog.

He was trying to be strong for her. If he cried, who would pet them both? "Hush Jem, don't cry too much or your head will ache" he whispered to her, looking towards the attic, hoping that somehow their Mommy would appear.

"What are we going to do now? Mama has been there since yesterday. She didn't have any food or water. I want to go give her something to eat but Papa will hurt us if we try it"

Jemma spoke amidst sobs. Her heart went out to her mother. It was almost noon. "Mama is strong," Jonathan said, flexing his muscles. Jemma forced a smile.

They both couldn't go see her because they were afraid. Suddenly they heard a faint voice calling out to them. They turned back to see who was calling them. The voice sounded in the passage. When they looked into it, their eyes widened in astonishment.

Laura had paid for her mom's surgery. Jerry wired it to her account immediately he confirmed the truth. "The jerk must be really crazy about her to have sent this money to me* Laura thought.

Her mind went to Elena and the pain Jerry must have inflicted on her but she took it off her mind. "There's no going back now" she whispered into the air.

Elena had opened the door to the attic using her hairpin. After a series of attempts, the door opened. She ran out to hug her kids.

What if Jerry was at home? She thought then stopped in her tracks to call out to them in whispers. If they didn't answer, it meant that he was at home, but if they came closer to the passage it meant that he wasn't home.

She called out in a faint voice. "Jem, Jon, are you there?" She couldn't resist the urge to hug them when they stepped into the passage.

"Mama" they both ran into her open arms. Tears of joy fell off her eyes. "Did he hurt you?" They nodded but Elena still checked for any sign of bruises. None was there, she released a long sigh of relief.

"We have to go now" she held them in both hands but a wave of faintness hit her. She staggered backward.

"Mummy eat first please," Jonathan advised her." No dear, I'm good" For now, they needed to leave. Elena entered the room to carry the small unpacked suitcase. She took more cash and they hurried out.