Chapter 3

"Aurora, Aurora!"

I looked to the side and saw my friend Isla. She was wearing a long sky-blue dress, her blonde hair loose, waving at me as she walked over.

"I thought you weren't coming, Rory!" she said, hugging me.

"Isla, you have no idea what just happened—Xander, that bastard, tried to rape me," I said, crying, the memory of that filthy man touching me still fresh.

"What?!" she replied, stunned.

I told her everything, and she hugged me, crying with me.

"We're fixing this, Rory. You're never going back to that house. I know what to do!"

"What are you thinking?"

"I have a travel authorization signed by my parents and my ticket's already bought. You just need to get on the bus in my place."

"Are you crazy?! You'll miss your trip!"

"I'll just buy another one and leave tomorrow. Besides, classes at the university don't start until next week."

"What will your parents say?" I asked, worried. I had my own problems, but I didn't want Isla to get in trouble because of me.

"Don't worry. I'll come up with an excuse. I'll say I missed the bus because I got distracted at the convenience store or something. I'll figure it out."

"I don't even know what to say, Isla. You're the best friend I could ever ask for. Tell me how much the ticket was—I'll pay you back so you can get yours tomorrow."

"No way! Think of it as a gift for your freedom. I know how much you've suffered in that house and I don't want you going back. Now go. You can't miss the bus!"

"Isla, did I tell you I love you today?"

"No, but I know you do," she smiled. "What's in your bag?"

"My bows, my documents, and all the money I've saved."

"You didn't bring clothes? Take mine."

"No way!" I said quickly. Isla had already done more than enough for me—I couldn't take advantage.

"Once I get there, I'll buy some. I don't even know where I'm going yet, and I can't be carrying too much."

"Then at least take this." She pulled some dollars out of her wallet.

"I can't take that. Don't worry, I've got some money."

"Please, Rory, I'm giving it to you from the heart. I'm going to my aunt's, I won't have expenses, and my parents send me a good allowance every month."

Isla's parents weren't rich, but they were financially stable.

"You'll need that money until you find a job."

"Okay, I'll take it—but only on one condition: once I get a job, I'll pay you back."

"Deal, Miss Proud."

We laughed, and then they announced the last call for the bus. I hugged my best friend one last time.

"Don't forget to change your number and call me. I want to hear from you always!"

"I promise!"

I boarded the bus and showed the document Isla had given me. They didn't even ask for my ID. I took a seat and started thinking about what I was going to do with my life. I thought about my little sister. I knew that monster wouldn't touch her—his hatred was only for me. Still, I worried. She was sick, and I hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

I had 2,300 dollars with me. It would be enough to rent a room in a boarding house and look for a job as soon as possible, but I felt overwhelmed—I'd never worked in my life. My mom had never allowed me to take any kind of training, not even free ones. The only thing I knew how to do was take care of a house and children.

Around six in the evening, my phone started ringing. It was my mom. I picked up right away.

"Aurora, where are you?" Her voice was stern.

"Mom, how's Alice? Is she feeling better?" I tried to dodge the question.

"Don't play dumb, girl. I'm standing outside the house. If you're not here in ten minutes, I'll destroy you."

"Why?" I asked, trying to figure out what that bastard had told her.

"Because of you, Xander had an accident. You left your sick sister alone and ran off. He didn't know what to do, and during lunch, he slipped with the food tray. On top of burning himself, he cut his face on the broken pieces."

"What?" He didn't have the guts to tell her the truth. That bastard was planning his revenge another way, no doubt. "No, Mom, that's not what happened. That man you chose to marry tried to assault me and I only defended myself—I threw the soup in his face with all my strength."

"What nonsense are you talking about, girl?" she screamed, hysterical.

"You heard me. Funny how he didn't tell you the truth, considering he calls himself a real man."

"Do you have any idea what you're saying, Aurora? Xander is a public servant—he's well-known in this city! You want to ruin his life with your lies? I knew I couldn't trust you. He probably got burned trying to dodge your advances. You know what? Don't come back. Stay wherever you are, you ungrateful brat!

"He did everything for you—raised you like his own when he wasn't even your father, and you never had to worry about a thing in that house. I hope life teaches you a lesson. I hope you suffer and cry tears of blood when you regret this."

"Mom, when did you become this heartless monster? How can you believe some man over your own daughter?"

"Listen well: from now on, I don't consider you my daughter. You're nothing to me. My mistake was ever having you. I ruined my youth raising you, and this is how you repay me!"

She hung up on me.

Hearing all that made me cry like a child. She got pregnant at sixteen, met my dad, they fell in love, moved in together, and two years later got married. We were so happy—I never once saw regret in her eyes for having me young.

Unfortunately, one afternoon, my dad was coming home from work when a drunk driver hit him as he crossed the street. He died instantly. The driver was a seventeen-year-old kid, the son of a wealthy, influential businessman. He wasn't punished at all. They paid my mom compensation, and she's been getting a pension for me ever since. But I never saw a cent of it.

After she met Xander, they bought a house in a nice neighborhood. He worked for the Public Prosecutor's Office and got her a job as a secretary. To outsiders, they seemed to have a good life. But I never got to enjoy any of it—except for private school, just so it wouldn't look bad for me to go to a public one.

In the early hours of the morning, most passengers were asleep. I stared out the window, watching the dark highway, wondering what I was going to do with my life.

Who would hire a minor?

At the first bus stop, around 5 a.m., I used the bathroom and grabbed some coffee at a small café—I was starving. I'd barely eaten the day before, since I'd thrown my lunch in that bastard's face. I bought some packs of cookies for the ride, water, juice, and a jacket from a street vendor—it was freezing on the bus and I only had on a short-sleeved shirt.

By 6 a.m., the bus was back on the road. I was better stocked up and wouldn't go hungry during the trip. While my phone was charging, I searched for rooms and boarding houses to rent—anything to avoid sleeping on the street once I arrived in the capital.

I also looked for job ads, but they all wanted people with experience and references. Sadly, I had neither. After almost a day and a half of travel, I finally arrived in the capital. The tall buildings and wide highways were overwhelming—my hometown felt tiny in comparison.

I got off at the bus terminal around 2 p.m. and looked for job info at a food stand. A kind older woman helped me and I asked her everything I could.

"Sweetie, even here in the capital, it's really hard to find a job. Openings are super competitive, and from what you've told me, your best bet would be working in someone's home. But even that's tricky—people don't just let anyone into their houses."

"I understand, Ms. Maria, but I know I'll find something!" I said, trying to sound confident.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I know a place where you might get hired." Maria paused, gazing up at the sky, then looked at me. "The Willowbrook Estate, a few kilometers from here. They're always hiring—harvest work, cleaning the barns, cooking for the workers… and they don't ask for fancy résumés."

"How do I get there?" I asked, hopeful.

"Willowbrook is about forty kilometers from here. Once you get to the town, just ask anyone about the estate. Actually, the town was built by the estate owner, for his workers to live in, with super cheap rent deducted from their salaries. My son's lived and worked there for seven years. He was just here this morning visiting me."

"Where's the bus stop that goes there?"

"That's the catch. They've got their own transport system, but it only runs on Saturdays.

It's practically a little town on its own, so people only come into the city on their day off—Saturdays. If they have their own car, they come whenever they want, but the bus only runs on Saturdays. Taxis don't go there anymore—the owner doesn't like strange cars near the village and had them banned."

"I understand, I'll see what I can do."

"Give it a shot, dear. Just last week about fifty new laborers arrived to work. I'm sure they need people to help in the kitchen."

"Thank you, Ms. Maria. Have a great afternoon."

Since it was still three hours until three in the afternoon, I decided to take a chance. I was going to that farm, even if it meant hitchhiking on the road. As I walked toward the edge of the city, I offered my bows for sale to any woman I saw with a little girl.

I spotted the sign pointing toward Willowbrook village and kept going. Sooner or later, a car would pass, and I'd ask for a ride. It was risky, but I was already so torn up inside—what could possibly go worse? I was drawn to the place because, as Ms. Maria had said, they were always hiring, and they had housing for workers at a low cost. It was exactly what I needed right now.

I walked about fifteen kilometers down the dirt road, and not a single car had passed. I was starting to regret this whole idea—wandering alone down a road I didn't know, in the middle of nowhere, with no one around.

By six in the evening, the sky started to darken, and the clouds grew heavy, a sure sign that a storm was about to break. That's when I really regretted it. But I couldn't turn back. It didn't take long before the rain started pouring down. It was heavy, the sky pitch-black, and I was soaked. I tried to shield my phone's flashlight so the water wouldn't hit it, but I could barely see a thing.

In that moment, I bitterly regretted not waiting until next Saturday to go to the estate. But since it was only Sunday and I couldn't afford to wait that long, I'd chosen this crazy idea—I couldn't waste the little money I had.

Earlier, I'd asked a taxi driver if he could take me as close as possible to the village, but he just stared at me like I was crazy. I hadn't understood why then, but it all made sense now. Still, I went through with my ridiculous plan.

The rain had eased up a little, but I was drenched and freezing. What struck me most was how no cars passed through that road.

That's when I realized I was approaching something. As I got closer, I saw it—it was a bridge. And just beyond it, my eyes caught the red taillights of a car.

The car was red with a horse emblem on it. It looked like a luxury vehicle, which was odd considering it was just parked on the bridge.

I got scared when lightning flashed—and in that instant, I caught a glimpse of a man standing at the edge, ready to throw himself off.