Jessica slid down the cold wall, pressing her back against it as she pulled her knees to her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to control her breathing, but her mind was racing, spiraling down a path of suffocating fear and anger.
Her stomach twisted with dread. She could still feel the weight of Armando’s grip on her arm, the iron strength that had dragged her through the hall and thrown her into this room as if she were nothing. She’d always known he was capable of cruelty, but this was different. This was a reminder that in his eyes, she was just another possession. The walls around her felt too close, pressing in on her like a vice. She felt trapped, not just in this room, but in a life she could never truly escape.
She’d thought she could protect herself by staying quiet, b
