Chapter 42

Tears streaming down my face, I desperately tried to escape from this terrifying home. But his iron grip clamped around my wrists, his arms locking me in an unbreakable embrace that left me powerless to move. Of course it was him. It had always been him. That familiar sensation of being held against my will sent shivers down my spine—a nightly torment I knew all too well. Every hair on my body stood on end, like a provoked porcupine ready to unleash its spines against its tormentor. He was truly horrifying. A monster. I didn’t care about the stunned expressions around the room or the way people were staring at me. None of it mattered anymore. All I knew was that I had to get away—from this house, from this terrifying man. Then everything went black as I collapsed into unconsciousness. … When I woke, dusk had fallen. The sun had long since set, leaving behind a cold, creeping darkness at the edges of the sky. Blinking my eyes open, I found the room dimly lit, and a man sitting silently