Her Sacrifice, His Blind Hatred

ora whispered, the

abbed her by the hair and dragged her into the

than us?" she snarled,

op water over her head. They slapped her, kicked her,

o broken to fight back. She curled i

hed, standing over her. "Not s

anvas of bruises. Her face was swollen, her li

red. One of them kicked

as no r

one muttered. "I

started shouting for the guards. "Hey!

ried out on

l belongings from the office were waiting for her in a cardboard box on h

g in pain. She didn't bother cleaning herself

broke the silence. A m

re coming to visit you nex

group chat for he

on this Saturday! It's been so l

rough her head. She fumbled for her

stared at her reflection. A pale, br

the messages, her words cheerful and

t to see

un! I'll

ne last t

the city, a place only she and August knew. A

ps. From her pocket, she pulled out a delicate sil

all those years ago. She had saved for months to afford it. He h

n his rage and pain, he had ripped it f

ept it ev

on one of the tree's branches. A

he whispered to the wind. "B

a sapling. Now, it was tall and

look, then turne

in the wind, as i

ld classmates greeted her warmly, their

! We all heard you were workin

uld answer, t

Hughes on his arm. They were

d Cora's, and she gave her a l

been talking to her

bumped into Cora. In that brief moment of contact, Ha

he grabbed Harlow's wrist

wrist, his grip like a vise. "What do you think you're doing

ct. "It's nothing, Auggie. C

her a look of deep suspicion. He pulled Harlo

elt like a des

president decided to play a sl

e of their smiling graduation

tuttered, t

to a shocked, ho

to see, was a grainy, private vi