Page 5

My eyes squeeze shut as the word echoes in my ears.

I’ve always known our marriage was a sham, but hearing him talk about me like I was nothing more than cattle at an auction brings tears to my eyes.

If I don’t find a way off this ship before we dock, I’ll be left with unimaginable nightmares for the rest of my life.

I look down the hall, seeing the exit to the back of the boat.

On weak legs, I quietly back away from the door and hurry down the corridor. My knuckles clutch the railing as I climb the spiral staircase to the upper deck. Each step feels heavier than the last, my pulse roaring so loudly it drowns out everything else as I push open the door.

The sky is filled with dark, ominous grey clouds. Gone is the bright sun that greeted us when we departed earlier. Now, I’m met with an angry storm that wants to keep me trapped in this vessel.

Trapped in a world I never wanted to be a part of.

As the winds whip against me, I stumble toward the railing in a fog, my mind still trying to process everything.

He sold me.

This is the second time in my life I’ve been sold off to the highest bidder.

The second time someone has decided my future for me.

I wrap my arms around myself as I stare toward the distant shoreline a few miles away. Through the darkness, I can just make out the faint glow of a solitary light by the dock we left behind, swaying against the wind as if beckoning me closer.

I lower my gaze to the water below.

Massive waves slam against the boat, relaying a warning.

A sane person would be terrified at the prospect of jumping.

But when I glance over my shoulder to look at the door I just came from, the thought of staying with these cruel men frightens me even more.

Because if I stay, I know the fate that awaits me.

A new cage.

A new owner.

Another life with no freedom. No choices.

I look around, finding the deck empty.

No crew members or guards. No one watching me, and no one to stop me. They’re all probably inside taking cover.

And this might be the first time in years I’ve been left with no prying eyes on me.

That has to mean something.

I glance back at the ominous sea, my arms dropping to my sides, and for the first time in a very long time, hope blossoms inside me.

It’s not a lot.

Merely just a flicker.

But it’s enough to give me the courage I need to choose the one thing I’ve always desired more than anything else.

Freedom.

Swallowing hard, I step closer to the edge and climb onto the slippery barrier. I swing my legs over the side, my heart hammering beneath my chest as I brace myself for what I’m about to do and turn, pressing my back against the wet metal.