Chapter 1
I stared into the fabric of the green flowery dress forced into my face. The scent of expensive perfume stung my nose as my eyes welled with unshed tears. I glanced down at my own faded T-shirt and worn-out jeans — stained with bleach and misery.
Sally twirled like a ballerina in front of me, her dress fanning out with every step. She giggled, her glossy curls bouncing with arrogance. “Look, Octy — you missed a spot,” she sneered, then tipped her glass of juice and let the red liquid spill across the freshly scrubbed hardwood.I flinched.
I hate it when she calls me that — Octy. Like I’m some mutt they picked up and forgot to name properly.
Sally is my stepsister. My dad married her mom, Catherine, two years after my mom died in a tragic car accident. Since then, my life hasn’t felt like life at all — more like a punishment for existing. A maid in my own father's house.With my dad now critically ill — battling cancer from a hospital bed miles away — he’s too weak to shield me. He doesn't even know what I've become here: invisible.
“Octy!” Sally’s voice rang out, sharp and smug. “Stop mopping around and get me a fresh glass already.”
I swallowed hard and rose from the floor, my knees aching, my pride fraying. I turned and walked toward the kitchen, feeling her victorious laughter trail behind me like a slap to the back.
As I passed the hallway, I heard voices — low, tense, unfamiliar. I froze.
Catherine was speaking to a group of strange men dressed in black — leather jackets, dark boots, and cold eyes. They looked out of place. Dangerous.
“She’s above eighteen,” Catherine said, her voice low and trembling. “She’s obedient… hardworking. She speaks fluent English. He’ll approve, I’m sure.”
My stomach knotted.
One of the men handed her a thick envelope. Catherine hesitated, then — with a deep breath — signed the paper.
What in God’s name was she doing?
“Ms. Catherine,” the man said smoothly, “thank you for your cooperation. We’ll contact you once our master confirms the transaction.” His eyes glinted as he exchanged looks with the others. “We’ll keep you posted.”They exited through the back door — silent as shadows.
I pressed my back against the wall, heart hammering. What transaction? Who were they talking about? Who was being sold?
No. No — this couldn’t be about me.
“She said above eighteen,” I whispered to myself. “I’m seventeen… I’m not even—”
But even as I said it, something inside me — something quiet and sharp — told me it was about me. That this wasn’t just some deal. This was something else.
I stepped away from the wall, my breath shaky, and walked back to Sally with her juice.
She snatched it from my hands like I was a servant, wiped the rim with a napkin, and took a sip. “Took you long enough,” she spat.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
All I could hear was Catherine’s voice in my head, trembling as she signed those papers.
And I didn’t know what scared me more — the fact that she might have sold me...
Or the haunting possibility that she didn’t want to.
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