Chapter 2

Sophie learned to be silent in the first year. Her voice was ruined in the first three months from all the screaming. She could no longer say a word and could only make noises.

Maria was happy with the result. "Look. The Lord has seen her repenting and has punished her."

Torture at the college was systematic. Monday was designated for purifying one's sense of taste. Sophie had to kneel and drink holy water mixed with glass shards at 5:00 am. In the afternoon, she had to swallow earthworms alive because they were supposed to consume everything dirty in one's soul.

Wednesday was for purifying one's sense of touch. Sophie would be stripped naked and tied to a metal table. The nuns would use rollers covered in thorns and roll them from her neck to her legs. Every time the roller turned, Sophie had to chant, "I'm a sinner who wants to sleep with my foster father."

Friday was for purifying one's sense of smell. Sophie would be locked up in a basement filled with rotting corpses for 24 hours.

Every month, she would need to meet with 'special guests'. They were the enemies of the Lucas family.

These people would pay Maria a handsome fee to defile the body of Soren's foster daughter.

"Think about it." A rival laughed lecherously as he fondled Sophie's body. "We're having fun with Don Lucas' daughter. Look at how much this sluts demands to be satisfied!"

He hit Sophie's bouncing breasts. "How about a few moans for us, Don Lucas' little slut?"

Sophie never fought back because her retaliation would only result in being electrocuted.

In her second year, Sophie learned to obey. She had been trained to act like a robot. She would kneel within three seconds the moment a man walked in, promptly removing his belt to start satisfying him.

In her third year, Sophie learned to give up. She started harming herself and carving on the wall with her fingernails.

Initially, she carved the words 'Save Me', but it eventually became 'I Hate You, Soren', and at the end, it was 'Let Me Die'.

Maria recorded everything and emailed it to Soren every week.

In the first three months, Soren would smash and destroy everything. After half a year, he would delete the videos after three seconds of watching them. A year later, he did not even bother looking at them.

Isabella sat in his lap while saying softly, "See? Time will heal everything. You've learned to let go."

Soren kissed her, but she did not get him as excited as the video of Sophie masturbating.

In the winter of 1998, Sophie was finally released.

Maria gave her a rare smile. "Congratulations, Sophie Rossi. You've graduated."

Sophie could not recognize herself in front of the mirror. She had lost so much weight that she was only 70 pounds now. She had lost half her hair, and her back was covered in scars. Her left eye was wounded, and she could no longer see clearly. Three fingers on her right hand were contorted.

However, she had learned one important lesson—never love Soren Lucas again.

When the helicopter came for her, it was snowing. Sophie was wearing a thin dress and standing barefoot in the snow, but she did not feel cold.

When the helicopter landed in Lucas Villa, she saw Soren staring at her. He said in a soft voice, "Welcome home, my little Principessa."

Sophie placed her hand on her chest when she heard Soren's cold voice. Her heart was beating wildly, but it was not because of love. All she felt was hate.

…

After her return to the villa, Soren would watch Sophie through the cameras in his study every day at 3:00 am.

He always saw the same look flash across Sophie's eyes—hatred.

Soren knew that look very well. He had seen it in the eyes of every person he had killed. He could not take it, and he got drunk several times because of this.

That was until one day, Isabella appeared wearing the same lingerie as Sophie's. Soren thought Sophie had come to him. He made love madly to Isabella, mistaking her for Sophie. It just made him thrust harder.

Soren choked Isabella, as if trying to vent his anger, but when he saw her orgasming, Soren looked away.

Sophie would never look at him that way. That was when his mind suddenly cleared. The woman under him was not Sophie.

The more time stretched on, the more horrible Soren felt.

One late night in July, he finally pushed open Sophie's door for the first time. She was still awake and sitting by the window.

"Sophie," he called out to her.

She turned to look, and something broke inside her. Sophie slipped off the bed and knelt in three seconds. She started to remove his belt.