Chapter 2

Hearing Nathan's words, I trembled with fear.

Ignoring the pain all through my body, I frantically kowtowed to Nathan:

"I'm sorry, Nathan, it's all my fault."

"I'll do anything, as long as you don't send me back."

A dark, unreadable look flashed across Nathan's face. His foot paused, and he didn't kick me again.

Sandra, for once, lost her patience and shoved Brad into Nathan's arms.

Her face flushed red as she glared at me furiously:

"Arlene, I can forgive you no matter how you torment me, but you can't lay a hand on Brad."

"You know perfectly well that kneeling before a child is borrowing years off his life—you can't curse my son just because your own child died!"

I stared at her blankly. If it weren't for Sandra, how could my child have died?

He had been so good when he was still in my belly, and when the wild man beat him out of me, he was such a tiny little thing.

My baby opened his mouth as wide as he could, desperate just to stay alive.

I held him tight, but I still couldn't protect him. The wild man tossed the baby high into the air, then let him drop hard.

My vision blurred with something, and when I reached up to touch it, my hand came away covered in tears.

I lifted my head and glared at Sandra.

She seemed enraged by my silence, and she raised her hand and slapped me hard.

I snapped back to myself, quickly lowered my head, and didn't dare look at her again.

Back in the Blackpine Wilderness I had fought back like this too, but the punishments came round after round.

In the end, all that was left was numbness and begging for mercy.

That's right—in the Blackpine Wilderness, as long as I obediently took off my clothes and begged for mercy, they would roar with laughter and go easier on me.

I quickly stripped off my clothes:

"I'll do anything, I'll make it up to you."

But the burst of laughter I expected never came.

There was only Sandra's screaming and Brad's crying,

and Nathan's roar as he looked at me with disgust:

"Arlene, have you lost your mind!"

"Brad and Sandra are both right here—what are you trying to do?"

Sandra was shaking with rage, pointing at me and then at Nathan as she said furiously:

"You two don't need to act out your bedroom games right in front of me!"

With that, Sandra scooped up Brad and hurried away.

Nathan carelessly tossed me a piece of clothing, ordered me to put it on, and quickly left.

I stared blankly at their retreating backs.

When I was a wild thing in the Blackpine Wilderness, this was exactly what they had taught me.

So why did Nathan and Sandra seem so angry?

I couldn't understand it. I only felt a sour ache in my heart.

But Nathan had only told me to put my clothes on; he hadn't forgiven me.

So I'll just stay right here and wait obediently for them to come back.