me at the edge of the village tonight.”
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone,” Karen whispered, her eyes wide with hope. “It’ll just be the two of us, right?”
I nodded, smiling faintly.
After she left, I turned and headed straight for Carl.
21
The village at night felt eerily quiet, as though something sinister lingered in the shadows.
<
From a distance, I saw Karen waiting for me. She spotted me and ran over, her braided hair swinging on either side of her head. She was wearing a set of freshly ironed clothes, clutching a small bag of belongings.
She looked just like I had in my past life–full of hope, dreaming of escaping this suffocating village and starting a better life.
But in my past life, it was her betrayal that dragged me into an even darker abyss.
Karen grabbed my hand, her face bursting with excitement. “Sophie, where’s your stuff? Didn’t you bring anything?”
I pulled my hand free and took a step to the side. “Of course, I brought something,” I said, my voice steady.
“I brought Carl with me.”
Carl emerged from the shadows behind me, his tall frame and menacing presence swallowing the light. His eyes gleamed with anger.
The moment Karen saw him, her face turned ghostly pale, and she dropped her bag. Without a word, she spun around and bolted into the darkness.
But running was pointless.
How could a terrified young woman possibly outrun a man like Carl?
He caught up to her within seconds, dragging her back. What followed was a savage beating, a fury so brutal that two wooden sticks snapped under the force of his blows.
“Karen! Karen! What did I ever do to you? Why are you doing this to me?” she screamed, her voice hoarse with pain.
Her cries became weaker and weaker until she could barely whisper. Only then did Carl finally stop.
He turned to me, his expression unreadable. After thanking me with a curt nod, he grabbed Karen by the leg and dragged her away, leaving a trail of blood behind them.
I stood there silently, staring at the crimson stains on the ground.
And then, I laughed.
I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face.
Finally, I dropped to the ground, burying my face against my knees as my laughter turned to sobs.
Karen, now you know what it feels like to be betrayed.
As Carl disappeared into the darkness, I wiped my tears and smiled faintly.
22
Not wanting to alarm the rest of the village, I met with Captain Miller and his team from the special investigations unit. We decided to move in on Carl that same night.
No one knew Carl better than I did. He had a pattern. After delivering a vicious beating, he always returned to torment his victim further in the bedroom.
“Carl,” I called softly, standing outside his house. “Karen left some of her things at the edge of the village. I brought them back for her.”
The house was silent for a moment, and I thought he might ignore me. Just as I was about to leave, I heard his voice from inside.
“Leave it at the door.” His voice was heavy, his breathing labored.
I didn’t need to see inside to know what was happening. The muffled sounds coming from within told the whole story.
I looked over at Captain Miller, who nodded and silently gestured to his team.
4:53 PM C
<
Within seconds, the officers kicked down the door.
The stench hit us first–blood and sweat mixed with something far more vile.
Carl was naked, pinned to the floor by the officers. On the bed lay Karen, her body covered in blood, her eyes vacant and lifeless.
I picked up a piece of clothing from the floor and threw it over her trembling body.
This was her punishment.
Carl was arrested on the spot, his crimes undeniable. The police hauled him off to the city for questioning.
“Sophie, just let me die,” Karen whispered, her voice barely audible. Her bloodshot eyes stared into mine, pleading for release.
I said nothing.
Living would be a far worse punishment.
23
A week later, I took my college acceptance letter and went to visit my mom in prison.
It had only been a few days, but she already looked like a completely different person. Her once full figure had withered away, leaving her skin clinging to her bones. Her cheeks were sunken, her cheekbones jutting out sharply.
“Mom,” I said, holding up the letter. “I got into college. Aren’t you happy for me?”
She stared at me through the glass, her eyes empty, as though she didn’t even recognize me.
“I worked so hard in school, did every chore you asked, but somehow, I was never good enough for you,” I said, my voice trembling. “Jason was a gambler, a thug, a killer, and yet you still loved him more than me.”
“Why, Mom? Why wasn’t I enough? Why did you even bother having me?”
At the mention of Jason’s name, her vacant gaze sharpened, and she finally seemed to notice me.
But there was no love in her eyes.
Only disgust.
“Your brother was a boy,” she said coldly. “A boy can take care of his parents when they’re old. A daughter’s only use is to marry well and bring in money for the family.”
I slammed my hand against the glass, my voice rising in anger. “But Mom, you’re a woman too! Don’t you see how wrong that is?”
She flinched, her head dropping as if my words had struck a nerve.
“Yes,” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. “I’m a woman. But my mother raised me the same way. That’s just how it is.”
She repeated the sentence over and over, like a broken record.
I didn’t bother responding. There was nothing left to say.
I stood up and walked out of the visiting area.
