Downtown Love (18+)

Details/TW: BWIM (Brown Woman, Italian Man), toxic relationship, mental abuse, mafia, murder, rape

⚠️Warning: explicit content ahead ⚠️

POV: Maisha Dhar

*2 years prior*

"You stupid bitch. That's why you'll never be good enough for me because you can't even make a simple meal. I said I wanted well-done steak, mash potatoes, saucy gravy, and grilled asparagus. I didn't say I wanted this bullshit."

"I-i'm s-sorry," I managed to utter.

"Did I tell you to speak?!" He struck my face and threw the food at me. I held my face then scooted away frantically with tears swelling in my eyes. He took a sip of his wine then walked over to me. He took a deep breath then wiped the hot gravy off my face.

"You see what you made me do? You know I love you, right?" He took my face and made me look up at him, and I nodded my head hesitantly.

"It hurts me just as much as it hurts you, Maisha. I'm doing this all out of love so you can be a better wife. The steak wasn't cooked well enough, so you know sometimes as a husband I have to make hard decisions." Your not even my husband's bitch! That is what I so badly wanted to shout at him, but I didn't even have the guts to look him in his eyes. I nodded my head then he kissed me. I wanted to push away, but I know I'd just get beat down. I raised my hand like a kindergartner and waited for my fiance to call on me.

"You may speak."

"D-do you want me to make it again?"

"No, I'm not hungry anymore, but come to my bedroom after cleaning this up. It's the least you can do after ruining my food. You know I put up with a lot of your bull shit. I even did your brother a huge favor by giving him territory and money so your dad's sorry excuse for a mafia can last. You could and should be praising me right now. The fact I am saving you and your family is amazing. You're not worth anything, Maisha, even trash values higher than you do, but I still love you anyway because I'm a caregiver. No one else will EVER love you as I do."

My heart tightened at his words. In my mind, I was thinking he was probably right and that no one would ever love me because of how pathetic of a person I am. He was doing my family a favor, so I knew I owed him a lot. My family would've been in the gutter without him. Even though he did all of that for us, I still hated going to his room. He would use me like a rag doll then throw me out like I was nothing more than a bug. He would force me to do things I didn't want to, and he was never gentle with me. He always just shoved it in and kept going till he was satisfied. I've been living this way ever since my mafia dad went missing.

My family was in a panic because no one knew what to do now that my father was gone. He disappeared out of nowhere, and since then, other mafias took this opportunity to step all over us. My brother later stepped up in my father's position, and ever since our, family has lost ties, money, respect, and territory. To regain it back, my brother sold me off to our enemy, The Russo's. Which caused me to be in the predicament I am in now. I tried telling my brother about what Marco was doing, but he told me he was doing it out of love. I had to put up with it for as long as possible. I put up with all of it with the thought that one day my dad will be found. If he isn't dead already.

I started cleaning up the food and the broken glass plate while quietly crying. I used to be the most feared mafia daughter, but now I have been reduced to an underappreciated house slave. I always tell myself that I'm strong enough to stand up for myself. Every time I see him, my heart beats rapidly, and my hands get clammy. I can never seem to find my words or courage to stand up for myself.