Chapter 3

"Please, Andrew. I can't take it here anymore," I pleaded desperately.

Andrew scoffed, like it was the biggest joke he'd ever heard. "Take the fall? Come on. You were the one who hit them."

Seeing Andrew act like that, I felt hopeless all of a sudden.

But what he said next hit me like a punch to the gut.

I heard him say, "Alissa, still trying to pin it on Lucy? You never learn. Stay here and let the warden straighten you out. I'll make sure he teaches you a lesson you won't forget."

I practically screamed at him, my voice raw and desperate. "Please, Andrew, I'm begging you! If I stay here any longer, I'm going to die!"

But Andrew just stood up, his face cold. "Scum like you should die."

I watched him hang up the phone, not even sparing me a glance, and walk straight out of the visiting room.

When the warden found out I'd begged Andrew to get me out, he threw me right back into that pitch-black torture room.

He tied me up tight to a pole, then whipped me all over with a spiked lash. The spikes ripped into my skin, leaving long, deep scars that bled like crazy.

I blacked out from the beating, but they zapped me with a stun gun to wake me up.

When I was barely conscious, they forced me to repeat over and over that I was a worthless loser who wasn't good enough for Mr. Hensley.

If I didn't obey, they'd hold a knife to my hands, threatening to destroy them.

My hands meant everything to me, so I had no choice but to scream at the top of my lungs, "I'm a worthless loser who isn't good enough for Mr. Hensley."

By the end of that night, my throat was so shredded from screaming that I couldn't get a single word out.

But they still weren't done with me.

They drove the knife right into my ring finger.

They cut off my ring finger, and the pain was so overwhelming that I couldn't even make a sound. My mouth opened in a silent scream.

They looked at me and just laughed wildly, completely unrestrained.

I passed out from the pain, but right before everything went dark, I could still hear their taunts echoing in my ears.

"This is what happens when you offend Ms. Turner! A vile wretch like you deserves to be punished!"

I deserved to be punished. But it wasn't for offending Lucy. It was because I loved Andrew.

Andrew noticed I was zoning out and, clearly annoyed, tapped my arm impatiently, trying to snap me back to reality.

But when I saw him raise his hand, I immediately crouched down, covering my head. "Please, don't hit me. I know it's my fault. I'm begging you. Please, don't hurt me anymore."

Andrew just stood there, stunned.

He seemed to notice something was off and quickly asked, "Alissa, are you okay?"

Lucy's expression shifted, and she stepped in front of Andrew, blocking him from seeing me. Pretending to care, she said, "Alissa, are you not feeling well? Come on, let me help you inside so you can rest."

Hearing Lucy's fake concern made my stomach turn, and I reflexively pushed her away.

But I barely used any strength, yet Lucy cried out and fell to the ground, looking up at me with that weak, pitiful expression.

Andrew immediately lost his temper, shoved me aside, and rushed to Lucy's side. "Lucy, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Lucy clung to Andrew's hand, acting all fragile and wronged. "I lost my balance. It's not Alissa's fault."

Andrew's anger spiked even more when he heard Lucy. He shot me a glare and snapped, "Alissa, you haven't even walked through the door, and you're already bullying Lucy? After spending so long in prison, you still haven't learned to behave?"

I didn't dare argue with Andrew. But I had already been obedient enough.

The other inmates knew the warden was targeting me, so they went out of their way to make things even worse.

They'd gang up on me during work, toss my food onto the floor at mealtimes, then stomp on my back and make me lie flat, forcing me to lick it all up like a dog.

If I didn't finish, they'd press their boots down on my head, making me lick up every last bit.

Then they'd crack up, like I was their favorite sideshow, something to make their day.

The warden and all the guards saw it happening, but nobody ever tried to stop it.

Actually, there was one exception.

A new guard couldn't stand it and stepped in to help me. That same day, the warden dragged him into the torture room and beat him within an inch of his life. By the next morning, he'd been shipped off somewhere else.

No one in this prison dared to stick up for me.

Everyone made me their target.

Some of them even got rewards from the warden for tormenting me, so they got even bolder about it.

Andrew supported Lucy as they walked into the house.

I stood outside for ages, unsure whether to go in, but eventually stepped inside.