Chapter 13

• ELEANOR
• I dragged myself across Armando’s room, forcing my body to move as I wiped down the already spotless floor. My arms felt heavy, my back ached, and my mind… my mind was drowning in a sea of thoughts. I couldn’t focus on the exhausting task in front of me. The more I tried, the more my mind wandered, slipping further and further away from the present.
• I had been enduring Armando’s cruelty for so long that I didn’t even remember what it felt like to be free anymore. Every day was the same—his threats, his anger, the way he watched me like I was nothing more than property. It wore me down, piece by piece, until I barely recognized myself.