Chapter 3

Soon, the drama ended. I dared not tell my mom about the tearing pain in my stomach, enduring it in silence.

Days passed uneventfully. My mom was pleased with my habit of staying in my room, diligently working on my assignments.

She even suggested I go back to school in a couple of days. To celebrate, she enthusiastically dragged me out to make me a delicious meal. Of course, I didn't dare object. In truth, I didn't want to go out at all. I was terrified of seeing men in public.

At the supermarket, my mom carefully picked out my favorite ingredients, while I silently followed her, keeping my head down, a silent shadow, just nodding along to keep her happy and satisfied.

After we paid, she suddenly remembered we were out of soy sauce. She told me to wait by the supermarket entrance, so I stood in a corner, head bowed, waiting for her.

Just then, someone tapped my shoulder from behind. I instinctively turned around.

Alex!? What was he doing here? No, no, I couldn’t look at him.

I shuddered all over, retreating several steps, drenched in a cold sweat as if I'd fallen into a pool.

Alex didn't know what was wrong with me. He continued to approach, familiarly resting a hand on my shoulder. I violently shrugged it off.

He looked puzzled. "Willow Grace, what's up? Heard you were sick, are you better? When are you going back to school?"

Before I could say anything, I felt a strong pull, yanking me forward.

It was my mother. She shoved me hard towards the backseat, then jammed the key in the ignition and sped off. We shot out of the parking lot so fast I was caught off guard, stumbled backward, couldn't hold on, and tumbled clumsily to the ground.

My mom slammed on the brakes. She glared at me, gritting her teeth. "You disappoint me so much. I sent you to that academy to stop you from dating and to focus on your studies. But it seems the Director was right; you're still sneaking around with Alex. You're going back for another six months!"

"No, no, Mom, it's not like that, please listen to me..." I was terrified. I never wanted to return to that hell.

"Hmph, I can't trust you anymore. I'm sending you back this afternoon." She reached for her phone.

Right there on the street, I dropped to my knees. Passersby pointed and whispered, and the men's voices ringing in my ears made me dizzy.

"Mom, no... it's not like that!" I shook my head wildly, frantically trying to grab her phone.

No, I couldn't go back to that hell that drove people mad!

I snatched the phone and smashed it against the pavement. It shattered into pieces.

My mom stood frozen, staring at my crazed expression in disbelief.

I trembled, my voice shaking, but I spoke to her seriously.

"Mom, I told you, I'm not in an early romance. I just happened to run into him!"

"I didn't say a single word to him, you..."

I hoped she would finally believe me, just this once, but she didn't listen.

A slap, harsh and stinging, landed on my face.

It shattered the last sliver of hope I had for her.

"Willow Grace, you're getting bolder now! Dating, lying, and now you're smashing my phone!"

"Hmph, that correctional academy's discipline is too lenient. When you go back, I'll make sure to tell the Director to really take care of you. Even if they have to beat you, let's see if you'll finally behave."

Every word she spoke felt like a stab to my heart.

Beatings.

Ha. If only it were just beatings. The pain in my bruised and battered body was less than a thousandth of the hurt caused by her disbelief.

I no longer trusted her. Desperate to avoid returning to hell, I had to run.

The steel needles deep in my feet tore at me with every step, an agonizing pain.

The staff had hammered them in while I was fully conscious. The needles were fine, but there were so many.

But I couldn't stop. I had to escape. Escape hell, escape the nightmare, escape the mother who, like a devil, had sent me to that inferno.

"Willow Grace, stop running! Get back here!"

My mom chased after me.

I sprinted across the road. Maybe she wouldn't catch me there!

I charged forward heedlessly, not noticing the surging traffic.

"Willow—"

"Screech—"

Along with my mom's scream and the deafening sound of brakes,

My body was flung several feet by the car, tumbling twice like a broken doll before landing on the ground.

How wonderful. I looked up at the sky, a void. Finally, there were no annoying men in my sight!

But then, a red haze quickly covered my vision, and I could no longer see the blue sky.

I heard my mom screaming my name beside me, "Willow, don't scare me! Mom will take you to the hospital right away!"

I could almost hear her hysterical, panicked cries, "Quick, someone help me! Save my daughter!"

I smiled. After all this time, I finally felt a sliver of warmth.

Dying like this wouldn't be so bad. To feel a bit of her motherly love before I died, I was content!

I fell into a warm embrace, wanting to drift off to sleep completely.

Was it Mom? Mom, your embrace is truly warm.

I quietly closed my eyes, my lips trembling. "Mom, I won't go back. I'll be tortured... tortured to death..."

The hand gripping mine grew cold, and I no longer had the strength to say anything more...

And my mother, seeing me struck down, the skin exposed beneath my torn clothes, had lost her voice entirely.

She couldn't believe what her daughter had endured in just half a year.

Beneath my frail body, the marks of needle jabs and iron brands were dense and scattered everywhere.

From my broken arm, several pencil-thin steel needles protruded.

"Willow... Willow, my daughter! Your mother is to blame! Wake up! Mom won't force you anymore, I won't send you away again..."

In a daze, I heard her heartbroken sobs, and a tiny warmth emanated from the hand she clutched tightly.

I wished I could feel that warmth a little longer, but I couldn't hold on anymore.

My eyelids were heavy, and I slowly closed my eyes.