Right on the heels of the commotion, the sound of a man’s furious, guttural shouting erupted from the pigsty.
“You filthy wretch! You ought to count yourself lucky I even touch you. After all the men in this village have had their way with you, you still want to act innocent? And you dare fight back? I ought to beat you to death!”
As he spat out the words, he began kicking and punching the woman with brutal force.
A woman’s heart-wrenching screams tore through the air, echoing from the pigsty.
Between sobs and shrieks, the woman cried out, “I’m Ms. Linwood! My father’s a company chairman, my mother’s from high society, and my brother’s the CEO! They’ll come for me—they’ll save me, I know they will!”
The man sneered, “Your father? That washed-up cripple who can’t even take care of himself, let alone you?”
He spat at her feet, then snarled, “You useless tramp, can’t even have a child. Only thing you’re good for is keeping men happy. Escape? Dream on.”
He kicked her over and over, wild and relentless, until he finally wore himself out. Panting for breath, he staggered back, straightened his rumpled clothes, and stepped out of the pigsty.
That’s when he noticed Claire, Sean, and Jeffry standing in the courtyard.
His eyes landed on Claire, and his gaze instantly turned predatory, dark with lechery. He ogled her openly, lingering on her form.
“This one’s got good looks and seems healthy—she could give me a son. You folks looking to sell her? Name your price. I’ll buy her right now.”
Both her legs had clearly been broken, twisted at grotesque angles so she couldn’t stand, forced instead to drag herself across the dirt like an animal. Shackles clamped around her ankles, the iron chain rattling harshly with every movement—a grim measure to ensure she couldn’t escape.
Claire recognized her immediately: Vanessa.
Vanessa crawled forward, muttering feverishly under her breath, “My parents, my brother, they’ll come for me… They love me most, they’d do anything for me… I’m their precious girl, their little star—they’ll save me, I know they will… I have to take care of myself, I have to eat, I have to eat, eat, eat…”
She dragged herself to the feeding trough.
Inside was animal feed, reeking of rot and filth. Without a second thought, Vanessa grabbed handfuls and stuffed them into her mouth, shoveling it in as if it were the finest meal she’d ever had.
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