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.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw my mom sitting beside me, tears streaming down her face.

Every part of me ached, and my throat felt like it was on fire. After sipping some water, I managed to ask in a raspy voice, "Mom, why are you crying?"

Her tears flowed even more as she replied, "I shouldn't have trusted Jessica and Dylan." She gently touched my face with her calloused hands. "Because of me, you had to go through this."

Aunt Jessica was standing nearby and scoffed. "Faith, you're not being fair."

"This was all for Phoebe's own good," she continued. "Honestly, you shouldn't have sent her to college in the first place. Look at what came of it—she's fragile, and now she dares to hit a man."

"She's the reason Dylan's still in the hospital."

Her eyes were filled with disdain, clearly angry that I hadn't listened to her and that things had escalated so badly. I was about to argue back when I noticed my mom's grip tightening on my hand.

Aunt Jessica didn't seem to notice that she was pushing my mom's limits.

Without warning, there was a loud "smack" as my mom delivered a heavy slap to Aunt Jessica's face. Having worked on the farm for years, my mom's strength was considerable. Aunt Jessica's face swelled up quickly from the impact.

"Get out!" my mom shouted in a hoarse voice, not giving Jessica a chance to respond. "Get out, and if I see you near Phoebe again, I swear I'll tear you apart."

Her face was a mask of fury, like a mother wolf defending her cubs. Aunt Jessica, momentarily stunned by my mom's anger, backed away.

After a few moments, she managed to yell, "How dare you hit me? You'll regret this…" She continued to curse as she retreated, clearly intimidated.

I watched as she spat on the floor before leaving, the spit tinged with a hint of blood.