Chapter 1

Just because I made my adoptive brother unhappy, my sister and my wife sent me into the deep woods of the Appalachians to be "taught a lesson."

Before leaving, my wife even handed the locals a stack of cash, whispering for them to give me a "rough time."

After that, I became nothing more than a toy for the villagers to beat for amusement, the lowest form of trash for their release.

If I showed even a hint of resistance, the lashes grew harder and the violations became more brutal.

It only took three months for me to go from desperate struggling to numbly stripping myself bare whenever they approached.

Then one day, the village head burst into my shack.

I instinctively started peeling off my only tattered jacket, but she screamed at me.

"Put your clothes on! Mrs. Sterling is here to take you home!"

I wrapped the rags around myself in a daze, wondering silently: Do I even have a home left?

1.

Before I could even process the news, a sharp pain shot up from the bridge of my foot.

The village head stepped on me, her spit flying into my face as she hissed a warning.

"You know what to say and what to keep shut, you little rat."

"If you talk, we won't mind letting the whole world know what happened to you here."

"By then, a high-society golden boy like you won't have a shred of reputation left."

I lowered my eyes numbly. She actually thought Sienna would care?

If Sienna truly cared about me, she wouldn't have dumped me in this hellhole for over a year.

She had left me here to rot without a single word.

I shrunk back, pulling my torn clothes tighter as I caught the flicker of greed in the village head's eyes.

Over the past year, I had seen the true, ugly faces of these people.

As long as I could leave, I promised myself to stay far away from Sienna and Basil.

I would never show my face to them again as long as I lived.

I followed the village head out of the low mud hut, the sunlight blinding me so much it felt like a physical weight.

Sienna was standing by her black SUV, her gaze freezing on my tattered rags while her brow furrowed in disgust.

"What is this supposed to mean, Silas? Are you dressing like a hobo to remind me how miserable you were?"

Originally, she felt a tiny spark of guilt for leaving me in the mountains.

But Basil had warned her that I might play the victim to gain sympathy.

Looking at me now, she was convinced he was right. I wasn't even wearing shoes!

Her guilt instantly curdled into loathing. She thought I was pathetic for using such a low tactic to guilt-trip her.

The long-term abuse had turned my trauma into a reflex. I immediately dropped my head and began slapping my own face.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn't have done this…"

I slapped myself again and again, showing no mercy to my own skin.

Sienna was startled by the sudden violence, reaching out instinctively to stop me.

She froze when she saw my cheeks swelling instantly, a thin trail of blood leaking from the corner of my mouth.

The village head panicked too, grabbing my hand and pretending to be concerned.

"Mr. Silas, what on earth are you doing? Why are you hurting yourself?"

Secretly, she gave me a murderous glare that made my entire body tremble.

"Fine, just get in the car. Stop acting," Sienna said, waving her hand dismissively as if looking at me made her feel dirty.