Then I looked around the room, and that was when it hit me. I wasn’t in my room. This wasn’t my bed, and this wasn’t my house.
Distant bells sounded but they sounded different from the bright chime of Greek chapels. It sounded older, duller. My breath caught in my throat when I gazed out the wide picture window at the horizon. No blue domes and no calm crystalline blue waters in sight.
My head whipped toward Sergio, as terror rose inside me. “What have you done?”
He didn’t utter a word, but his expression showed a complete lack of concern for the fallout that was coming.
“What the hell have you done!”
I tried to sit up, but pain shot through me causing me to lose my breath.
“What I should have done years ago,” he said, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Mrs. Puglisi, I’m Dr. Vlahos.”
My glare shot to Sergio, and he lifted his brow, shrugging. The doctor was oblivious to the tension in the room, or she just didn’t care.
“Don’t move too much,” Dr. Vlahos said. “You have a few broken ribs, several contusions to your torso, and some other… bruising,” she stammered. “Do you remember anything?”
“Bits and pieces,” I mumbled.
My cheeks burned with shame. This was part of my life I wanted to remain secret, but now it looked like the one person who I tried to purge from my system knew more than he had the right to know.
“Since there are also signs you may have been sexually assaulted, your husband has requested you be given the Plan B pill.”
I took a peek at Sergio. His jaw and fists were clenched so tight, and his nostrils flared. I could tell he was only hanging on by a thread. But he had nothing to worry about. I couldn’t have children, thanks to Dorian. I had so much damage to my uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes that had caused a lot of scarring. It was impossible for me to carry a child.
Another secret I’d take to the grave.
“But I need your consent to do that,” she continued. “Now you’ve been unconscious for over 72 hours, which makes the drug less effective. However, the percentage rate of effectiveness is still high. Would you like that medication?”
I sighed, closing my eyes. “It’s not necessary.”
“Seraphina.”
Sergio called my name. My eyes popped open, and I glared at him.
“I said it wasn’t fucking necessary, Sergio!”
He jumped to his feet and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
“Okay…okay, Mrs. Puglisi.” The doctor stepped closer to the bed. “I need you to remain calm.”
I was as fucking calm as I could get given the circumstances. He didn’t need to know every aspect of my life. He didn’t need to know not only was I a battered wife, but I was also fucking defective.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. No need to apologize. This is a stressful situation. Your husband has been worried about you.”
I nodded and pushed down the warmth I always felt whenever Sergio was around. I still hadn’t forgiven him for getting my nephew kidnapped, and me being almost killed. That was the only anger I could hang on too, so I didn’t fall back into the same cycle of destruction that was Sergio Puglisi.
“With a sexual assault there’s also other medications that need to be given for sexually transmitted diseases. There are seven. I’m not sure of your reasoning for not taking the Plan B, but I would highly recommend that you take these.”
“Yes, I want those.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, where are we?”
