Burned and Crowned

Bennett's boot crashed into my head, and for a moment, my heart just stopped. Cradling my belly, I reached for the phone, my fingers slick with blood, and punched in the number I could dial in my sleep."Harriet? Did you set Bennett off again?" my mother's voice was a whisper of worry."Mom! Help me! Bennett's going to kill me!" I could barely get the words out, my voice shaking.Silence stretched on the other end before my father's voice broke through, harsh and impatient, "Keep your family drama to yourself!""However, I'm bleeding, and the baby!" I choked on my tears."That baby is the heir!" he exploded, his anger palpable even through the phone. "You can't even protect an heir, you deserve what you get! You brought this on yourself when you refused that arranged marriage; Bennett's just teaching you a lesson!"I gripped the phone tighter, blood and tears mingling as they dripped down my chin.Before the line went dead, I heard him dismiss me to my mother, "Hang it up. She's

Back in my room, I leaned against the door that I locked tight, listening to him bellowing into the phone out on the balcony.He was laying down the law to my teacher, insisting my college choices had to be his choices!"A girl in computer science? That'd be a laughing stock for the Harlows! Yeah, I'm the one who calls the shots here!"I let out an icy laugh.The head of this family? Not my head, not anymore.At 2 a.m., I fashioned a rope out of bed sheets and shimmied down from my second-story window.My ankle twisted on impact, a sharp jolt of pain shooting through me, but I bit down hard and hobbled through the darkness to a private clinic.The night-shift doctor eyed my ballooning ankle, "What happened here?""Family discipline."I need a damage report, and make it quick," I demanded.By 4 a.m., I had it in hand, a medical report with the hospital's official stamp: torn ankle ligaments, two weeks off my feet.If push came to shove, that piece of paper was my ticket to sh

After hours in the air, I touched down in Engleton.Aunt Jane was there to meet me. I limped out of the airport, and she looked me over like I was contraband."So you're Harriet? Your dad's briefed me." She grabbed my bag with a force that startled me, "Here's the deal: home by seven, no guys, live on two hundred a month. Run out, and you're on your own."I looked down, my voice barely above a whisper, "Got it. Aunt, I'll do as I'm told."She nodded, pleased, as if she had just checked the quality of a purchase and found it satisfactory.When we got home, Jane pointed carelessly, and just like that, the storage room became my bedroom.That first night, I caught her on the phone: "John, don't worry about a thing! That girl won't cause any trouble. And hey, don't forget the three thousand dollars for the caretaker fee each month. Make sure it gets sent over on time."I gripped my phone tight, recording every word.Jane's daughter, my cousin Angela, lived there too.Angela had a

Bennett whipped around, his glare sharp as a snake's. "Harriet! You betrayed me!"I met his gaze without flinching. "Being a talented woman doesn't mean you're up for grabs, Bennett. Not for you to use as a stepping stone."He was escorted out, leaving a heavy silence behind.Sophia clutched my hand, her voice shaky. "Harriet, I can't thank you enough.""Don't mention it," I replied. "Just remember, if a man from our circles seems too good to be true, question whether he deserves to be by your side."That piece of advice would echo through the families for a long time to come.The council of elders did their digging and the verdict was in: Bennett was a creep, a tech-savvy snake who was slithering into the private affairs of the family.There I was, in the thick of the onlookers, as they carted him off. My heart? Stone cold.Flashback to a former life where he snuffed me out, and the family bigwigs slapped him on the wrist with a measly three-month timeout.Fast forward, and I

I hit play on a recording: "Law enforcement? I'm reporting godfather John for long-term abuse, illegal confinement, and threats."Dad's voice rang out clear, "A girl who won't listen needs a beating. If she won't listen, I'll hang her at Camford University's gates."Each word slapped him across the face.He could not hide the guilt in his eyes.I showed the third piece of evidence: the family business accounts."Four years of college, student loans, scholarships, and money from working the gambling scene."Which penny came from the family?"Well, there was one."I pointed at the screen, "Freshman year, he sent me five hundred bucks, said not to shame the Harlows."That same day, I sent it back, 'Your pride costs too much, I'm not buying.'"Other than that, not a dime was exchanged."The lawyer's voice faltered, "However, what about the debt of raising you?!""Gratitude for raising me?" I scoffed. "Is that what you call selling me off to Bennett for a couple of docks?"I sl