Maria’s eyes filled with relief, gratitude, and fear all at once.She nodded, waved at the door. “I’ll go get her.”She turned, held the door knob and paused. “Isabella?”I looked at her.“Thank you,” she whispered. “For listening.”Then she was gone. I stood alone in the playroom naked, weak, my heart still pounding.I picked up my discarded dress, slipped it back on. I walked to the mirror and looked at myself. There were marks on my neck, bruises on my hips, eyes red from crying. But I was still standing, still breathing, still here.A few minutes later, I heard soft footsteps. The door opened again. Lila stepped in with Maria behind her.Lila’s eyes widened when she saw me, then filled with tears when she saw the letter in my hand.She knew, Lila knew. I clenched my fist. She crossed the room so fast l couldn't react and threw her arms around me.“I’m sorry,” she sobbed into my shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you. I was scared. I thought if you knew… you’d hate
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