I took a few shaky steps backward, trying to escape the sight of her. And then I heard it: her voice, cutting through the silence.
“0621!”
The call of that number hit me instinctively. My body reacted before my mind caught up. “Here!” I shouted, almost automatically.
I didn’t even realize why I responded until her sharp, mocking laugh followed.
“Oh, Clara,” she giggled, eyes sparkling cruelly. “I’ve heard prisoners react like that. I just wanted to see for myself… a little experiment. Just a joke.”
I turned slowly. Damian stood beside her, hand lightly resting on her arm.
“That’s enough,” he said softly, but firmly. “No more jokes like that.”
Chiara blinked at him and smiled sweetly. “Okay.”
The way they looked at each other made my stomach churn. Even in front of me, they couldn’t stop. Still touching, still flirting, acting like I didn’t exist.
I thought about the box of condoms upstairs. My chest went cold.
---
By evening, I couldn’t take it anymore. I met Mara at a small restaurant. The warm, dim light felt like a tiny comfort in the world that had turned against me.
Her eyes widened as she saw me. “Clara… you look terrible. Why don’t you stay with me for a while?”