Chapter 1

My boyfriend said he was taking me to meet his parents.

On the way there, he whacked me in the back of the head with a brick.

When I came to, the graffiti on the mud wall looked weirdly familiar.

Wait a second.

Is that the goofy face I drew when I was six?

Outside, two men were arguing over the price. "2600 dollars, She's a top university student, That's a steal."

The other man replied, "1000 dollars. You've already slept with her. She's not worth that much."

I held back my laughter.

Oh, Kevin Black. Seriously, Kevin.

Do you even know what this village is called? It is Stonebridge Hollow.

My grandfather served as the village party branch secretary for thirty years.

People called him "The Reaper of Stonebridge Hollow."

You sold the Reaper's own granddaughter right to his front door.

Let that sink in for a second.

*****

The back of my head hurt so bad it felt like it was about to crack open.

I reached up and touched it. My fingers came away sticky. I sniffed them. Bloody.

It was blood.

Memories started coming back, frame by frame.

Kevin, the guy I'd been dating for six months. The one who texted me good morning and good night every single day. The one who sent me bubble tea last night.

He said, "Em, I'm taking you to meet my parents."

I actually believed him.

I was all smiles, did my makeup, and put on that floral dress he said looked cute on me.

Halfway there, my phone lost signal, "Kevin, this place is seriously remote. Where's your hometown, anyway?"

He smiled. "Almost there."

Then he swung a brick right into the back of my head.

Everything went black.

Now I was awake, but I didn't open my eyes right away.

My ears were already doing the work for me.

Someone was talking-two men.

One of them was Kevin. I could recognize his voice even with my eyes closed. He sounded one way when he was sweet talking me, and completely different when he was bargaining.

Right now, he was using his bargaining tone.

"2600 dollars," Kevin said, sounding like a salesman. "She's a top university student, hasn't even graduated yet. Super cute, fresh-faced, slim waist, wide hips-built for making babies. Honestly, I'm giving you a great deal here."

I clenched my fists around the blanket.

Top university student.

Fresh-faced and pretty.

Slim waist, wide hips, good for breeding.

Was he selling me or auctioning off livestock?

The other guy's voice was rough, with a heavy local drawl, "1000 dollars."

Kevin got flustered. "What, you think I'm begging here?"

"1000 dollars is plenty," the man replied, totally unfazed. "You've already slept with her who knows if she's knocked up with your kid? I'm paying for used goods and might have to raise your baby. 1000 dollars, that's my sincere offer."

Kevin cursed.

I lay on the hard wooden bed, blood from the back of my head stuck to the pillowcase, making my scalp feel tight.

Yeah, I was pissed about being sold by my own boyfriend.

But what really made my blood boil was 1000 dollars?

I was a top university student, five foot six, top ten in my grade, fluent in English, and I'd even run a half marathon.

1000 dollars?

Even a full-grown sow could go for over 600 dollars.

That price was a slap in the face.

I took a deep breath.

Keep clam.

Gotta figure out what's going on first.

I barely cracked my eyes open, enough to peek, making sure nobody could tell I was awake.

The first thing I saw was a mud-yellow wall, so rough it looked like it could sandpaper your skin right off.

There was some graffiti on it.

Crayon scribbles a lopsided clown face with blue eyes, a red nose, and green hair. Next to it, in wobbly kid handwriting, four words: Julian is a pig.

My brain froze for a second.

Then all the blood in my body shot straight to my head, and as fast, dropped to my feet.

Those four words and that ridiculous face. I drew them.

When I was six, Julian next door swiped half my popsicle. While he was out in the fields, I snuck over and left that message on his wall.

Grandpa smacked me so hard I bounced off the wall for that stunt. Julian stood there nodding vigorously. "Mr. Rivers, you really know how to raise your granddaughter."

This wall and this room.

Stonebridge Hollow. Julian's house.

I squeezed my eyes shut, barely keeping myself from losing it.

Kevin, seriously, Kevin.

You went through all that trouble, all those miles, and ended up selling me right back to my own doorstep.