Chapter 24.1

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"Why don't you just die?" The words reverberated like a never-ending echo, each syllable a dagger piercing her already wounded heart. These words escaped from the lips of her father.

Emily’s trembling hand reached up to wipe away the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks, her body trembling with the effort to contain the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. But no matter how hard she tried to block out the hurtful words, they continued to haunt her, a relentless reminder of her worthlessness in the eyes of those who should have loved her unconditionally.

"This is your place and it'll be, remember this." The cruel insistence in Steve’s voice sent shivers down her spine, the threat of never escaping this cycle of abuse looming over her like a dark cloud. She felt trapped, suffocated by the confines of her own existence, powerless to break free from the chains that bound her to this life of misery.

Tears streamed down Emily's cheeks, tracing a path of anguis