e Hensl

t. The first thing I did after leaving the hospital was go to the authorities. I filed a report, detailing the forced marriage, the unpaid labor, the abu

still ached, every movement a precise calculation against a backdrop of pain. I

uselessly into the deadbolt. I knocked, then pounded. Nothing.

n, her face a mask of saccharine sweetness. Behind her, a group of household

eyed poison. "Such a shame you're back so soon. We

t a chill down my spine. "

g on here?" he demanded, his voice sharp, but not directed at E

, all the... filth... she's brought into your life, she needs to be cleansed. It's an old family tradition, isn't it, darling?" She turned to me, her

his is insane. I'm leaving. Ju

her grip on his arm. "She' s just ungrateful, Caleb. Don't let her poison your good

to me. "Isabelle, cooperate. It's

of psychological torture, another way to dehumanize me one last time. "N

ook at me when he said it. His choice, as always, was clear. He followed her back inside, t

ring buckets of liquid over my head. It wasn't water. It was thick, oily, and reeking of sulfur and something

verwhelming, burning my nostrils, making my stomach churn. My allergies, alre

n fire. The guards, oblivious, continued to douse me, the foul liquid soaking

ch emptied onto the pristine cobblestones, the acrid smell mingling with the awful stench coating me. My vision blurred. Spots danced befor

ness.

were stiff with the putrid liquid, my skin still crawling. I dragged myself up, every muscle screaming in protest, and stumbled to a hidden garden ho

bag, a figure appeared in the garden archway. Eva. She held a sleek, b

" she asked, her voice flat. "Good. No

e Wiley family and Judge Contreras from any and all liability for my injuri

To absolve them? Never." My voice s

ean. For his peace of mind. And for us." She emphasized the word,

y father is dead because of his 'unpleasantness'! I was