Staring at the closed door, I recalled their cruel faces and vowed under the moonlight.
One day, I—Emma—would drag each of them down to hell!
My stepfather John was a local bully with connections to the village chief; he was notorious for his violent ways that terrified everyone around him.
During those early years of abuse, I attempted to escape countless times but was always caught and brought back home for another beating.
John's threats echoed through the village loudspeakers. If I ran away, no one would be safe in their homes.
This time would be no different.
A three-wheeled cart waited at the village entrance as Lewis roughly pulled me onto it.
He was a friend of my stepfather's with a terrifying scar across his face.
"You better behave; otherwise, I'll break your legs!" he warned.
Under his watchful eye, I started working at a food packaging factory.
My days were spent on the assembly line from dawn till dusk, earning piecework wages while Lewis kept a close watch on me as if I were his prisoner.
Despite the oppressive atmosphere, I resolved to work hard and save money—there had to be a way out someday.
Every month, I sent money to my stepfather through Lewis, hoping to keep him calm and prevent any trouble.
But just three months in, my stepmother showed up at the factory, causing a scene.
She grabbed my hair and slapped me hard across the face.
"Emma, so you've grown some wings, huh?" she shouted.
"Not even sending money home anymore!"
Dazed from the blows, I quickly tried to explain that my stepfather had taken all the money.
He must have hidden it from her while squandering it on gambling and drinking.
But she wouldn't listen, throwing a fit like a madwoman as she continued to pull my hair and hit me.
Lewis, watching from the sidelines, shrank back, clearly afraid to get involved.
Then one of my male coworkers couldn't take it anymore; he pushed her away in anger, which only made her scream louder.
"No wonder you're broke! You must be out with some man!" she yelled.
Men, men—she only thought about men!
Did she really believe I was like her, unable to survive without one?
I wished I could silence her once and for all to stop her from barking like a dog.
As I reached out to pull her away from the break room, she suddenly dropped to the floor, flailing her arms and crying out for everyone to see.