
504 readers · 9 chapters · 3 free
My name was Claire Wynn, and I was born with congenital insensitivity to pain. Literally, I never knew what pain felt like. My dad said when I first learned to walk, I fell over and over again. My knees were always scraped and bleeding, but I'd quietly pick myself up and keep moving like nothing had happened. At first, my mom thought I was a tough kid. But when I was three, I stuck my finger into boiling water, watching expressionlessly as my skin turned red and blistered. Only then did she realize something was wrong. The doctor explained, "This is a rare nerve disorder. She can't feel any pain." For most people, pain was a warning, a built-in alarm that kept them safe. But I didn't have that alarm. So for me, the world was full of hidden dangers and injuries I couldn't even feel. My childhood was spent under my family's constant vigilance. They had to check me all the time, making sure I hadn't unknowingly hurt myself. Sadly, that protection slowly turned sour over time. When I turned twenty-two, my family saw the value in my flaw. I became their ideal pawn for an arranged marriage.