Inside, Aunt Jessica was all smiles. "He's a good guy; I checked him out. He's got a nice face and looks presentable.

"He has a good job and makes decent money.

"And he's really helpful, always pitching in when someone in the village needs it.

"He's perfect for your Phoebe."

I couldn't take it anymore and stormed into the room. The door slammed loudly, startling Aunt Jessica.

Mom shot me a disapproving look. I tried to keep my anger in check. "Aunt Jessica, I'm still young, and I'm not in a hurry to get married.

"If he's such a great guy, why not introduce him to Anika? She's the one who really needs it."

Anika was her daughter. She was approaching thirty, about 5'3", and weighed around 160 pounds. She still hadn't found a suitable partner, which had always been a concern for Aunt Jessica.

Aunt Jessica's expression turned serious. "Faith, is this how you teach your children?

"Interrupting when adults are discussing marriage is really disrespectful!"

Feeling embarrassed, Mom tried to step in. "Phoebe, please don't speak to your aunt that way."

Mom was generally kind and treated her three daughters well, but her one flaw was her preoccupation with appearances. Given our family's struggles, she often felt overshadowed by Aunt Jessica's dominant presence.

I shrugged off Mom's hand and replied coldly, "Aunt Jessica, don't try to intimidate Mom.

"My marriage is my decision, and no one's going to interfere!"

Seeing that Mom couldn't stop me, Aunt Jessica was displeased. "Well, I've already made arrangements."

She set the two bottles of cheap liquor on the table. "This is a gift for the matchmaking meeting. I'll bring him over tomorrow."

With that, she turned and left.

Mom picked up the bottles, looking uneasy. "Phoebe, maybe we should at least meet him?"

Seeing my reaction, Mom hesitated and added, "She's your aunt after all.

"Do you really think she'd mean any harm?"

The next day, Aunt Jessica really did show up with someone. To my surprise, it was Dylan from the neighboring village. He looked like a decent guy, but he had an accident years ago while driving a truck that left him with a limp. He'd since switched careers and now ran a shop specializing in funeral supplies and memorial items.

He was indeed a helpful person, always assisting others in the village during funerals.

The most pressing issue was that Dylan's wife had passed away two years ago, leaving him with two young children. Even my mom looked uncomfortable.

Aunt Jessica continued enthusiastically, "Faith, Phoebe's getting older, so we can't be too picky. Just look at the girls in our village who don't go to school; most of them already have kids running around.

"I'd say Dylan's a great guy."

Seeing us both quiet, Aunt Jessica said, "Faith, I'm not trying to be harsh, but Dylan's okay with Phoebe's age and education. That's actually pretty decent."

She gave me a sideways glance as if to say she was sure I wouldn't find anyone better. "Anyway, let's not stand here. We need to give the couple some space."

With that, Aunt Jessica dragged my mom out the door without giving us a chance to protest.

As I looked at Dylan's crooked yellow teeth, I stood up, intending to leave. But Dylan's rough hands grabbed my arm. I turned to see him leering at me with a creepy smile.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?" he asked, his gaze lingering unpleasantly on my clothes.

I pushed him away in disgust. "Who do you think you are calling me 'sweetheart'?"

Dylan's face twisted with anger. "Your aunt Jessica took two thousand bucks from me."

I was stunned. So, Aunt Jessica was willing to sell me off to Dylan for two thousand dollars. Before I could fully process this, Dylan moved closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. The heavy smell of smoke and alcohol hit me.

"Sweetheart, I haven't had any fun in two years.

"Heh heh, you'd better be good to me today."

Despite being worn down by years of booze and smoke, Dylan still had more strength than I could muster. I fought and screamed with all my might, but no one came to my rescue.

Dylan was busy stripping off his clothes, grinning as he said, "Don't waste your energy.

"The circus is in town for a show tonight," he explained. "Everyone's at the performance.

"And once the curtain goes up, who's gonna hear you scream?"

A shiver ran through me. He and Aunt Jessica had this all figured out. Aunt Jessica kept my mom distracted, and he took the opportunity to force himself on me when no one was around.

As Dylan's creepy face got closer, I found a surge of strength I didn't know I had. The window latch binding my hands snapped off with a fierce yank.

Our windows were on the verge of falling apart. The wood mostly decayed from years of neglect. We'd been planning to replace them when my dad came back for the holidays, but that delay ended up saving my life.

The glass crashed onto the bed, sending splinters flying and cutting me all over. Ignoring the pain, I didn't hesitate, kicking Dylan right in the crotch with all my force.

Dylan let out a guttural cry, doubling over in pain.

I jumped off the bed and sprinted for the town square where the show was happening, my bare feet tearing through the rough, icy ground, leaving a trail of blood behind me. But I didn't dare slow down.

Soon, someone spotted me, racing in the freezing cold in just a thin shirt.

"Hey, isn't that Owen's niece, Phoebe?" someone shouted.

"Quick, she looks like she's about to faint," another voice added.

"Get her to the hospital!"

The buzz of voices enveloped me as I finally let myself collapse, relieved that I'd been saved.