Yours

Maria paced back and forth in her cozy little bedroom. She had just left her town of birth -- a place where she had learned to grow up and cope with the problems she had brought upon herself -- and decided to live in a two-story grange which was situated in the heart of the woods where she knew she was safe. Right now, she was contemplating on her mother's suggestion that she'd marry soon... She was 27 after all, and most of her friends already had children. All the more reason for her mother to be jealous.

But every time she brought a man home to introduce to her mother, the lady would often comment on how her daughter could do better than a "gold digger". Her mother could be quite stingy, especially when it comes to people who can't seem to spend a dime. Maria thought no one she had learned to love would be good enough to impress her mother. All that changed, however, when a shiny convertible drew to a close in front of her old home. Her mother had chosen someone for her -- someone named Alfonso.

At first, she'd brush him off and irritate him so that he'd leave her alone. Unfortunately, he was one of the persistent types and as days passed and the number of efforts he had wasted increased, it came as to no surprise to everyone when he finally captured her heart. They have been together for three years. Maria knew quite well that he would be proposing to her that day.

But why was she constantly bothered by the thought that he was coming for her and her alone? Did it concern the fact that she was the only one inside her home right now?

The sound of tires screeching interrupted her thoughts. Maria bolted to the window to see Alfonso climb out of his car and walk to the front porch. A smile pulling onto her face, Maria hurried downstairs to welcome him with a warm embrace.

Upon reaching the door, she unhinged the lock and swung it open, grinning widely at her lover. "I'm so glad you came, my dear."

Alfonso said nothing and bolted inside rather angrily. There were cuts everywhere on his neck, and it was highly evident they were new. Maria swallowed hard and walked closer to her lover just to pull his coat off. Her cold hands fell on his shoulders shakily. For a moment, he didn't react.

"I... Do you want something to drink, love?" She asked, her voice reverberating the fear she had felt. "It's a long way from the city. You must be tired."

"You filthy little tramp," Alfonso finally stated, firmly. His voice was hoarse but there was grave seriousness behind it. "You were with him the other day..."

Maria froze. "With who...?"

"Don't play coy with me, Maria,"  Alfonso stood up and grabbed the girl by her hair. "You were with Andre... Weren't you?"

Andre was Alfonso's best friend who, despite his family's shortcomings, managed to maintain his reputation as a young and vigilant man with a great potential. He studied quite hard and is now a doctor at a certain hospital in the city. Back when he was a student, he had become Maria's first suitor but the girl's mother swept him out of their house the day he introduced himself properly . They met again yesterday and Andre, being a gentleman, treated her to a descent lunch at a french restaurant. Apparently, Alfonso had caught site of them.

"You don't understand, Alfonso... He was just being nice."

"Nice enough to explain how well you could kiss him," Alfonso said, pulling her across the room and into the kitchen.

"I didn't kiss him. There was nothing going on between him and me," Maria said, ignoring the pain caused by Alfonso's firm grasp. Her long, dark hair was winding around his fingers. If he wanted to untangle the strands, he'd have to pull his hand back and rip her hair out of her scalp.

Alfonso paid no heed to her whimpers and dragged her towards the sink. He grabbed a cork and sealed the drain before turning the faucet on. Water filled the sink so slowly, as if to give Maria some time... The girl, despite her attempts to remain positive, knew what was coming.

"I needn't your excuses, Maria. My best friend doesn't lie," he said before forcing her head into the sink. For seconds he waited, then he pulled her out. Maria threw a fit of violent coughs. It wasn't long before he pushed her back inside. Just before Maria ran out of air, he dragged her away from the sink. He yanked at her hair as he ascended the steps. In no time, they were in a bathroom, facing a huge mirror.

"You want to know what it feels like when a person you love is deceiving you?" He said, letting go of her hair. Strands fell to the floor. Maria now had a visible bald spot on the left side of her head. She began to cry.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She choked.

"I don't need your apologies," he said before grabbing her hair once more and smashing her face against the mirror. Once. Twice. Thrice. Maria cried for help but that only infuriated him more. He rammed her head against the glass, and he became increasingly violent with every hit. Shards fell to the floor and Maria's beautiful face became heavily deformed. The sight of her bleeding before him was less than enough to keep him satisfied. He picked up a shard and stabbed her in her left eye... Deeper and deeper until a part of her eyeball fell off...

Contented, he dropped Maria and stared at her motionless body. Guilt finally swept over him. He began to cry.

Depressed and mad with anguish, he descended the stairs with her corpse in tow and laid her on a couch facing another huge mirror. He sat beside her and began stroking her hair lovingly. "You're still beautiful, my love."

He took out a silver ring from his shirt pocket, tears staining his eyes. Gently, he grasped her hand and slipped the object on her middle finger. "At least you're mine now."