Unable to fall asleep, Darren browsed through the web about how to recognize victims of all forms of abuse and how to care for them. He falls asleep while staring at his screen.

In another part of town, Rhea winches as she checks her bruises in the mirror, her body, a map of pain bearing testaments of the brutality she's just suffered, her cheeks swollen due to the constant slaps, a huge red print had formed on the wrist Gerald had grabbed earlier. She breaks down in tears as she questions no one in particular.

" Why, why,why, where exactly have I gone wrong, am I that repelling?" She asks no one in particular, she stares at her lean body frame.  With a determined look, she declares " I will loose more weight". Her voice lowers as she says "if it's the last thing I'd do".
Darren paces around his office ,his mind drifts back to the message he received from Rhea.

" Good morning boss, I'm sorry to bother, just wanted to ask if I could take two days off work".
Did she get hurt,
He calls her. " Good morning boss". She winches.
" Are you hurt" . Darren anxiously asked.
" Well, I - I got .." she trailed off remembering Gerald's words" no one would help you, you are too ugly to be ...."
" Rhea are you still there?" Darren pressed, his worry growing. " Are you alright, are you sick, do you need me to bring you to the hospital?, send me your address ".
" Boss, there's no need I just need to rest, it's my time of the month.I promise I'll work overtime when I resume." Rhea reassures him.

  Darren's expression softens " Oh , sorry about that,Promise to call me if it gets out of hand okay?"
Rhea hesitates " That won't be necessary sir".
" Promise me now or I'll find your house myself". Darren stated firmly.
" I promise you sir. Thank you boss".
" Always has and will always be my pleasure. Take the rest of the week off".
" Thank you boss".

As soon as he ended the call, he received it a text from  Ben,his private investigator .
A file with the caption ' SHE'S BEING ABUSED' stares at him.
Anger surges through his entire body, as he types ' by who'.
Ben replied " her boyfriend".

Darren tightened his jaw and clenching his fists. He types
' send me everything about that fucker'.
The rest of the day, all the employees avoided him like a plague that could ruin their very existence.
" The boss's at it again, I wonder who made him angry?"
" When is he never angry, he's being wrathful right now, I wonder which bastard evoked his anger?"
" You're wrong he's Ares, Tyr, Rudra & Mars put together". Another employee cuts in.

While this was happening, Rhea had a hard time moving herself, her body clearly reminding her of the brutality she had experienced the previous night . With great difficulty,She throws a black hoodie over her baggy trousers, using a face mask to cover her face.  An attempt to hide her wounds and sorry state.

As she made her way to the pharmacy, Rhea's eyes scanned the crowded streets, anxious to avoid familiar faces or prying eyes. She just wanted to blend in, to be another anonymous figure in the sea of people. She hates when people cast pitiful looks at her.

The pharmacist, a kind-eyed woman with a warm smile, looked up as Rhea approached the counter. Her gaze lingered on Rhea's face mask, and for a moment, Rhea feared she would see right through the disguise. She asks the pharmacist" can I get pain killers that don't necessarily require me to eat before taking them?" The pharmacist looked at Rhea, masking her shock she asked " what happened to you?"

Rhea hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't bring herself to tell the truth either. So she settled for a half-truth, a watered-down version of the events that had transpired. "I bruised my face on a wall while drunk," she muttered, the words tasting bitter on her lips.

The pharmacist replied in a friendly tone " next time don't get drunk alone, stay with your boyfriend or friends , it safer than way".
As the pharmacist mentioned boyfriend, a creeping feeling of dread clouded Rhea.
" Hmmm, sure, thank you". She replied.
" Try eating some fruits or taking smoothies if you can't stomach food, okay?" The pharmacist mentioned as she hands Rhea the medicine bag.

Rhea appeared to be exhausted, both physically and emotionally, as she took the pharmacist's advice and started eating an apple. However, her momentary peace was short-lived, as a text from Darren brought back a mix of emotions.

'Good afternoon Rhea, do you feel better?' even Gerald did not bother to text me. She thought.
'yes sir, I'm getting better now sir'. She replied.
' will you be able to resume work on Monday , I have something important to discuss with you'.

On one hand, she felt a sense of relief and gratitude towards Darren for checking in on her well-being. On the other hand, the prospect of returning to work on Monday and facing Darren, as well as the traumatic memories of Gerald's assault, filled her with anxiety and dread.

As she read Darren's text, Rhea's mind began to racing with thoughts of how she would cope with the situation. She suggested discussing the confidential matter over the phone, hoping to avoid a face-to-face encounter that might trigger more painful encounters especially with Gerald suspecting her relationship with him.

'  we can talk over the phone boss'. Rhea hurriedly replied, remembering what Gerald did to her the previous day.
' it's pretty confidential, see you at work on Monday, take good care of yourself, don't skip your meals. If the pain becomes too overbearing, call me'. Darren texted back.

However, Darren's insistence on meeting in person made Rhea's apprehension grow. She felt trapped and unsure of how to escape the uncomfortable situation.

Despite her reservations, Rhea politely responded to Darren's text, thanking him for his concern and wishing him a great day.

' thank you sir, have a great day '.
But beneath her courteous exterior, Rhea's emotions were in turmoil, as she struggled to come to terms with her fears and anxieties.

Darren's mom was taken aback by her son's fiery demeanor as he walked through the door, his clenched fists, tightened jaw, and blazing eyes Portraying a deep-seated anger. Her maternal instincts kicked in, prompting her to inquire about the source of his anger.
"Son, did something happen at work? Is everything okay with...?" she trailed off, her voice laced with concern.

Darren's response was curt and explosive. "She's being abused," he spat out, his words dripping with venom. His mother's expression transformed from concern to alarm, her eyes widening in horror. "Who?" she asked, anxiously.

Darren's reply was laced with emotion, his voice cracking as he said, "Rhea, Mom." He paused, collecting himself before continuing, his anger and frustration boiling over. " By her so called fucking boyfriend, it's taking every ounce of self-control I possess not to kill the son of a bitch who's doing this to her. How dare he raise his hand against her?" Darren's body shook with rage, his mother's concern for him evident on her face. She holds his hand and guides him to sit beside her.

Using her finger to draw little circles on his palm, her voice calm and measured, Darren's mom asked, "Did Rhea confide in you about this?" Darren's response was tinged with regret. "No, Mom, she didn't. She was absent from work today, and I suspected something was wrong. So, I asked someone to investigate, and...and I found out this has been going on for..." His mother's stern expression cut him off, she stopped drawing circles on his palm, her words a gentle rebuke.

"Darren, I know you have feelings for Rhea, but that doesn't give you the right to pry into her private life without her permission. You're invading her privacy, son. How would you feel if someone went around prying in to your privacy, digging up informations about you?"

Darren felt a deep Sense of remorse, acknowledging his mother's words. He looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know, Mom. I feel bad about it but I just can't believe she was going through such pain."

His mother's expression softened, her concern for Rhea evident. "I hope you didn't confront her about this?" Darren shook his head, relieved that he had exercised restraint. "No, Mom, I didn't. I didn't even read the report the investigator sent me."

Darren's mom nodded, her mind already racing with ways to help Rhea. "You said you had a way to help Rhea, right?" Darren asked, hope etched on his face. His mother nodded, her expression resolute. "Yes, I do. How's she doing? Did she go to the hospital?" Darren's response was tinged with worry. "No, Mom, she didn't, can't we just report this to the ..." . Mrs Hart cuts in " you can't do that, what if she doesn't agree that she was abused, will you claim that you conducted an investigation without her consent ?".

" I-I-I-I did not think of it that way" Darren replied with a defeated look. " Don't worry". His mom consoles him as her expression turned thoughtful, her mind already working on a plan to help Rhea.