Chapter 4

It happened about six months ago.

I had just finished my part-time shift. To save a few bucks, I decided to walk home.

I thought it would be a quiet night, like any other. But as I neared our house, a group of thugs intercepted me.

They covered my mouth and dragged me deep into a dark alley.

"This is Chloe," a familiar voice said. "Can I use her to pay off my debt?"

"As long as you wipe out the two thousand dollars I owe you, you can do whatever you want with her!"

It was my brother, Luke. He was bowing and scraping before the thugs, his face twisted in a pathetic, sycophantic grin.

His words made my blood run cold. He had set this up.

One of the thugs, a guy with green hair, stared at my body with filthy greed.

He looked at Luke and smirked.

"You sure about this, Luke? You'll have to take the fall if things go sideways."

I huddled in the corner, clutching my chest, too terrified to speak.

I kept shaking my head at Luke, hoping against hope.

Even at that moment, I foolishly thought he might change his mind and save me.

But he barely glanced at me. He just nodded eagerly to the thugs and even reassured them:

"Don't worry. Even if you kill her, my parents won't care."

With that, my last shred of hope shattered.

The thugs closed in on me. Panic broke through my silence, and I screamed.

"No! Stay back!"

"I'll pay his debt! Just give me some time, please!"

But the men just laughed mockingly.

"Who cares about a lousy two grand? Besides, we've never had a girl this pretty."

"Blame your brother. He's the one who traded you."

Luke had already sneaked away. These men were big and strong, and I was small and powerless.

I fell to my knees, begging them, banging my forehead against the concrete.

"Please, don't do this! This is illegal!"

But beasts have no mercy. My begging only made them more excited.

In desperation, I grabbed a handful of gravel from the ground and threw it straight into their eyes.

While they screamed in pain, I scrambled to my feet and ran out of the alley.

I was lucky. As soon as I burst onto the main street, I ran into a kind, middle-aged couple.

They shielded me, called the police, and kept the thugs away until help arrived.

Later, at the police station, I saw my parents rushing through the door.

All the trauma and tears welled up again. I thought my mother, Cassandra, would hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay.

But she didn't.

Instead, she marched up and slapped me hard across the face.

Then, she grabbed my hair and screamed:

"You little slut! You're out running wild and then you try to frame your brother?"

"I'll teach you a lesson!"

She swung her heavy designer purse at me, hitting me over and over. She didn't look like a mother protecting her child. She looked like she was trying to kill an enemy.

My mind went blank. I couldn't even fight back. I just stared at her in utter disbelief.

The police officers had to pull her off me and helped wipe the blood from my nose.

"Ma'am, calm down! Your daughter is the victim here!"

But Cassandra only got hysterical. She sat on the floor, fake-crying.

"She always stays out late! Who knows what cheap things she's doing out there?"

"She's always hated Luke. She probably set up this whole thing to ruin his life! My poor Luke was crying his eyes out!"

"What did I do to deserve such an evil child?"

Bystanders gathered, whispering and giving me dirty looks. They probably believed her—that I was a bad girl who had set up her own brother.

I looked at them and felt a cold, bitter amusement.

Outside, it was pouring. Driven by some wild impulse, I bolted out of the station into the rainy night.

I ran without a destination.

Rain mixed with my tears. The freezing cold numbed the pain in my heart.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of headlights hit my eyes, followed by the screech of brakes.