Chapter 1

The year I turned eight, my mom broke my arm, and my father rushed me to the hospital.

Desperate, I reached for help, dialing the phone number Mom had drilled into my memory, the one she’d ordered me to keep etched in my heart.

Less than half an hour later, a convoy of over a dozen sleek black SUVs descended upon us, lining up in an intimidating procession.

The man leading them brutally beat my father, crippling him, then forced him to reveal Mom’s whereabouts. They rescued Mom from a hidden cellar in a remote, secluded cabin.

Mom gazed at my father's broken form, her face utterly devoid of sympathy, before she threw herself into the man's arms.

Everyone was about to leave. I stumbled forward, my small legs barely carrying me.

“Mommy, a hug…”

Mom whirled around, her hand flashing out, delivering a stinging slap across my face.

“Don’t call me Mommy! You make me sick just looking at you. Get out of my sight, and don’t ever, *ever* come back!”

My cheek burned, a searing pain, but the ache in my chest was worse. Hadn't Mom promised she’d love me if I just did what she said?