Eveleen opened her eyes slowly. Morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, painting the room with golden stripes that should have been soothing. But to her, the light only served to illuminate all the bitter memories lingering in her room.

She moved slowly, every joint in her body screaming in protest. A sharp, throbbing pain between her thighs reminded her of what had happened last night.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to banish the images. The room was silent and empty. Damian was gone, leaving her alone with a tormenting sense of shame and defeat.

A soft knock sounded at the door. "Miss Eveleen?" It was Launa, her dutiful maid. "May I come in?"

"No!" Eveleen answered, her voice hoarse. "Leave me alone."

But Launa opened the door anyway, her face full of concern. "Mr. Damian instructed me to—"

"I said go away!" Eveleen cut her off, this time more forcefully.

Seeing the uncharacteristic firmness in Eveleen's usually gentle eyes, Launa finally relented and left with a sorrowful expression.

Once alone again, Eveleen rose from the bed. Her legs trembled, struggling to support her aching body. She staggered towards the bathroom, leaving the torn silk nightgown lying on the floor.

Inside the bathroom, she stared at her reflection. Swollen eyes, pale skin, and reddish marks on parts of her body. She felt utterly filthy.

She turned on the warm water to fill the bathtub, then grabbed a bar of soap and began scrubbing her skin harshly.

"Dirty... I'm so dirty..." she mumbled, her hands scrubbing her already reddening skin even harder.

Tears began to fall, mixing with the bathwater. She thought of her boyfriend, who was probably out there, confused and searching for her. Their promises of faithfulness and all those sweet memories now felt like a betrayal.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her hands still scrubbing. "I've betrayed you... I'm not pure anymore."

Her skin started to sting and turn red where she had scrubbed too hard, but Eveleen didn't care. The physical pain felt better than the guilt gnawing at her soul.

She submerged her head under the water, hoping to cleanse not just her body but her memory too. The memory of Damian's hands touching her, his warm breath in her ear, and the sharp pain when he had taken her.

Eveleen surfaced, coughing and sputtering. Tears streamed down her face as she realized no water in the world was clean enough to wash away what had been done to her.

She remained in the bathtub until the water turned cold, until her skin was pruned, until she had no tears left. But the feeling of dirtiness remained, like an indelible stain.

Eveleen stepped out of the bathtub, her body trembling. Her skin was red and stinging where she had scrubbed too hard, but the guilt in her heart remained unshaken. She dried herself with a rough towel, not caring about the pain it caused. The pain felt like a form of temporary penance.

She put on the clothes that were laid out for her and emerged from the bathroom without drying her hair.

As she stepped out, Launa was waiting outside with a worried look, holding a tray of food and a glass of water.

"Miss, please eat something," Launa pleaded softly.

Eveleen shook her head, her eyes empty. "I'm not hungry."

"But Miss—"

"Leave me!" Eveleen snapped, immediately regretting her outburst as she saw the hurt on Launa's face. "I'm sorry, I just... need to be alone."

Launa nodded in understanding, but before leaving, she said quietly, "Dr. Arumi will be here soon. Mr. Damian ordered a check-up."

Hearing that felt like a slap to the face. A check-up? As if she were just a production machine whose functionality needed to be verified. Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time, she held them back.

After Launa left, Eveleen walked to the window and looked out. A beautiful garden stretched out below, but all she could see was a gilded cage. In the distance, a high fence surrounded the property, reminding her there was no escape.

She pondered her fate. Somewhere out there, her boyfriend was probably trying to figure out where she had disappeared to. But how could he possibly find her? And even if he did, was she still worthy of love after everything that had happened?

She touched her stomach fearfully. The thought that a seed of life might have started growing in her womb made her nauseous. An unwanted child, the product of violation, that would bind her forever to the man she hated.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Dr. Arumi's familiar voice called out, "Miss Eveleen, I'm here for the examination."

Eveleen took a deep breath, trying to gather the last shreds of her dignity. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her broken.

She opened the door, her face now a flat mask. Her eyes, which had been full of tears, were now empty and cold.

"Do what you must," she said in a hollow voice before turning and walking towards the bed.

Inside, something had shifted. The pain and humiliation had burned away the last remnants of her innocence and weakness. Maybe she couldn't escape. Maybe she had to endure this terrible fate. But she would find a way to survive and, one day, perhaps, to get her revenge.

She lay down on the bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling adorned with a luxurious crystal chandelier. To her, this opulence now felt like decorations in a tomb.

Dr. Arumi pulled on latex gloves. "This won't take long," she said, preparing her equipment.

Eveleen closed her eyes as she felt the doctor's hands touch her. She tried to detach her mind from her body, imagining she was somewhere else—in the green meadows near her old home, where she and her boyfriend used to spend their afternoons.

But Dr. Arumi's voice cut through her daydream. "Your physical condition is fine. We'll know in a few weeks if last night's *attempt* was successful."

Attempt. The word echoed in Eveleen's ears. As if what she had endured was some sort of scientific project, not a violation of her very being.

Once the examination was over, Dr. Arumi removed her gloves. "I'll be back in two weeks for a pregnancy test. Until then, take care of your health."

With that, the doctor and her nurse left, leaving Eveleen alone with her thoughts. She remained lying down long after they had gone, feeling a deepening emptiness.

A few hours later, Damian appeared at her door. He stood there for a moment, observing Eveleen, who still lay listlessly.

"Dr. Arumi reports that your physical condition is good," he stated, entering the room. "We will continue tonight."

Eveleen didn't answer. She kept staring at the ceiling as if he weren't there.

Seeing her attitude, Damian approached. "Do you think silence will change anything?" he asked mockingly. "You will do your part, as we agreed."

Finally, Eveleen turned to look at him. Her previously empty eyes now burned with the fire of hatred. "We never agreed on anything. You forced me."

Damian smiled, pleased to see a reaction from her. "You'd better get used to this situation, Eveleen. This will be your life from now on, until you give me an heir."

He left the room without another word, leaving Eveleen in agony and despair.

***