2: The Return

Danice felt as if all her bones were broken. Every breath was a struggle—her ribs must be fractured. Her leg throbbed with a numbing pain, and her head was pounding.

It felt like she had been hit by a truck.

Oh, right.

She had been hit by a truck.

When the pain reached its peak, her brain went into shock. All she remembered was a blinding flash, followed by a wave of crushing pain all over her body. She even heard the sound of her own skull cracking beneath the massive weight before everything went black.

She was supposed to be dead...

So why was she still alive?

There was no way anyone could survive something like that.

Her skull had been crushed. That alone should have been fatal.

But if—by some miracle—she had survived, then she should be lying in a hospital bed right now.

Danice mustered all her strength to open her eyes.

But instead of the white ceiling of a hospital, her gaze landed on a wooden ceiling, covered in cobwebs.

Danice: ??

This wooden ceiling... it looked familiar.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang, and a middle-aged, obese woman stormed into the room.

"You bitch! You seduced my son and still had the nerve to call the police?!" The woman grabbed Danice's shirt and yanked her upright, not caring of the wounds and bruises on her body. Like a ragdoll, Danice's body was forced into a sitting position.

Agonizing pain shot through her ribs, her head, and her legs.

The woman shook her aggressively.

"How did you even call them? You don't have a phone! Did you steal money to buy one?!" The woman screamed, her loud yelling was almost splitting Danice's head.

"You ungrateful bitch—we took you in when your parents abandoned you!

We let you sleep and eat under our roof, and this is how you repay us?!"

The pain was overwhelming.

Danice's body screamed, her head spun, and her ears rang with every piercing word.

But something about this scene...

-was... familiar.

"Dear! They're coming inside!"

A thin, middle-aged man rushed in, grabbing the woman's arm.

"If they see you beating her, how are we supposed to plead for our son's innocence?!"

The woman finally let go of Danice.

But just as her body collapsed back onto the bed, the woman slapped her—hard.

Pang!

Danice's head whipped to the side.

The rusty taste of blood filled her mouth—her gums were bleeding, her teeth aching.

That slap had been merciless.

But strangely enough, it cleared the buzzing in her head.

Ah.

She remembered now.

The wooden ceiling.

This woman.

This house...

Wasn't this... the Zagar household?

The hell she had escaped eleven years ago was now right in front of her, haunting her once again.

Was this all a dream?

But that slap... this pain... it felt too real.

Danice slowly sat up.

Every breath, every movement sent pain shooting through her body.

This doesn't seemed like a dream. 

Still disoriented and unable to fully comprehend what was happening, she barely registered the couple in front of her.

"Danice, you have to tell them that you fell on your own," the man said sternly.

"You and Christopher were just playing. You fell from the second floor. Understand?"

Danice leaned weakly against the headboard.

The mattress beneath her was barely two inches thick.

Her bony frame could feel the hard wooden slats beneath.

Every single detail... she felt it all.

"Are you listening? If you can hear me, repeat what I said."

The man's voice grew sharper.

The woman grew impatient.

She grabbed the broom near the door and hurled it at Danice.

"Did you cut off your tongue? Answer me!"

Danice flinched, trying to dodge.

She wasn't quick enough.

The broom missed her face but hit her shoulder, sending another wave of pain through her.

She clenched her jaw, frowning.

She remembered this.

This exact event.

Was this the day when she got beaten up by Christopher because that pervert tried to force himself on her?

At that time, she hadn't fully understood the dynamics between men and women. But his touch—and the way he gazed at her during their "play"—had felt sickening and uncomfortable.

When she refused, he suddenly turned aggressive and used his fists like he always did. But this time, it was different. It wasn't just a beating—he was trying to strip her clothes off. For the first time, the usual Danice, who had always been too afraid to fight back, fought back.

She ended up with broken ribs because of it.

But she still managed to escape by jumping from the second floor. Thankfully, the newlywed couple next door who had just moved in had heard the commotion and called the police.

Back then, she was terrified of another beating, so she had hid in her room to recuperate. Adrenaline helped her limp to the corner and shut herself in.

Out of all the memories to relive... why this day?

Isn't dying supposed to show you your happiest moments?

"Husband, something must have gone wrong with her brain. Did she really turn deaf?" the woman asked, showing the first sign of concern. But then her eyes lit up with glee. "That's great! Let's tell them she can't testify!"

The man still looked worried.

No matter what they said, Danice didn't respond. She simply stared blankly into the air.

They knew Danice well. If they raised their voices, she would cower in fear. If they raised their hands, she would tremble. If they threatened her, she would immediately obey.

But now—she didn't react at all. Perhaps there really was something wrong with her brain? Did the fall damaged her head?

Even so, when they told the police that Danice had jumped from the second floor and that she was currently unable to speak, the officers insisted on seeing her themselves.

The couple hesitated, but ultimately allowed it. After all, they had raised Danice. They trained her well. They were sure she wouldn't speak against them. And now, she couldn't even talk.

So they let them in.

When the police entered and saw Danice's condition, they were stunned.

Dried blood covered one side of her head. A huge red mark bloomed on her cheek. Her lips were bleeding. But what shocked them most were the bruises—especially the ones on her chest.

Many of them weren't even fresh.

The policewoman who inspected Danice frowned. "From the looks of it, she has multiple broken ribs, a fractured leg, a bleeding head, and facial trauma. She needs urgent medical attention."

"Ah yes, yes. Just before you arrived, we were about to call the hospital," the man quickly said. "We just found out from our son that she jumped from the second floor. You see... she's not quite right in the head. She plays strange games, rolls down stairs sometimes. That's why she's always covered in bruises. But this time, she went too far."