Parting With No Regrets

Every day after that, Diana would ask me the same question. My answer remained the same—I did nothing wrong.

It wasn't that I was stubborn or defiant. I was simply stating the facts, as I couldn't lie to myself.

Moreover, I had only refused to apologize as they wished, and they were already using such cruel methods to punish me.

If I admitted I was wrong, I couldn't bear to think of the consequences that awaited me.

However, I never anticipated that Diana would escalate her methods when she noticed my refusal to apologize.

The pain grew more brutal by the day—electric shocks, whips, branding.

Each time I came close to death, Diana would bring me back to life. When she saw that I had basic signs of life, she resumed her cruel methods of torment.

She sprayed pepper spray on my wounds, sprinkled salt over them, and forced me to kneel on the floor covered in broken glass.

Still, Diana seemed to find that physical torment wasn't enough. She had people torment me mentally too.

They took turns humiliating me, telling me I was worthless and just a cheap plaything. People like me didn't have the right to love someone and weren't worthy of anyone's love.

And the only reason I became Jared's wife was because I'd stolen Naomi's place.

I was just too greedy, wanting something that wasn't mine to begin with.

I had broken the glass Naomi had given him on purpose because I was so jealous and wanted to take her place.

I was nothing but a petty wretch.

They repeated these things to me every single day, drilling them into my mind over and over.

But I knew better.

Just because they said it a hundred times didn't make it true.

I gritted my teeth and endured, refusing to bend to their cruelty.

Even when they gave me spoiled food, I ate it without a flicker of emotion.

I was going to escape.

And finally, the opportunity came.