Chapter 5

I gave birth to Adam when I was still under twenty, and John was extremely happy. He even killed a chicken to take care of me and help me regain my strength.

I thought that with Adam's presence, I could have a normal married life with him.

I didn't ask for much from him. I only hoped that, for the sake of the son I had given him, he wouldn't beat me anymore. I didn't want to go back to that hut. It was dark and oppressive as if my whole life would be buried there.

But my hope was in vain.

When Adam turned one, John invited many people to our house.

He wanted to show off his son but didn't want me to be seen.

However, a one-year-old child is very clingy, and when he couldn't find me, he cried loudly. I couldn't bear to hear him cry, and seeing that John had been relatively kinder to me recently, I couldn't resist. I quickly came out and held the child to comfort him.

But it was a huge mistake. And that mistake would ruin me forever.

After soothing Adam to sleep in front of everyone, I thought it was over, but drunken John suddenly stormed in. He dragged me out of the bedroom, stripped me in front of everyone, and then picked up the whip that had been hanging on the wall for days, striking me with it fiercely.

He laughed as he beat me, laughing wildly and provocatively at the people who had come.

He said, "You all want to see her? She's nothing more than a bitch to me! Today, if you want to see, you can look all you want!"

I had never felt so hopeless. He truly treated me like a dog, crushing the last bit of dignity I had as a human.

I was locked back in that room, running a high fever, delirious, and dreaming that I was once again on that train. But this time, when the train stopped, it was me who got off with a backpack.