Courtney watched Helene, her heart twisting with sadness and frustration. “You can leave us,” she told the maid quietly.
The maid left, pressing her hand to her cheek, her sobs fading as she walked out.
Courtney’s lips trembled as she looked at the scabbed wounds on Helene’s shoulders. She tried to imagine what her daughter had gone through, but it was impossible to grasp.
“Mom, do you know what Julian did to me?” Helene’s voice was flat, empty. “He locked me in this silver metal room. Every day, I was just surrounded by cold walls. That’s all I saw. Just those walls.”
For two whole months, Julian hadn’t hurt her body as much as he’d tortured her mind. The room had nothing but a bed and a table. It was so empty, even her footsteps echoed back at her.
She had been in that room for one thousand, four hundred and eighty-eight hours. She had no idea if it was day or night. Time stopped meaning anything.
A doctor came to treat her wounds, but Julian wouldn’t let them use any painkillers. Someone brought her food, but that was it. No showers, no clean clothes. Blood and sweat dried and stuck to her skin, until she felt like she’d lose her mind.
She thought about dying every day, but Julian made sure she got the best medicine. He kept her alive, just barely.
That was the point. He gave her no freedom, no dignity, not even the chance to die.
It was suffocating, like the air itself was full of chains. It was enough to break anyone.
Julian hated her this much. He did all of this for Madeline.
Helene suddenly burst into laughter, the sound harsh and broken. She hugged her head and kept laughing, the noise echoing in the bathroom, dark and chilling.
“Mom, for two months, I wanted to die. Every second. Do you know what that’s like? I really… I really wanted to end my life…”
Courtney’s heart couldn’t take it. She wrapped her arms around Helene, holding her close. “Helene, it’s over now. We’re not going to fight them anymore. We’ll just live our lives. You’re still the Fortner family’s most precious daughter. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
She was done fighting. Madeline had survived everything, and there was nothing left they could do.
And besides…
Courtney looked at Helene. Julian knew everything now. He hated them. There was no way he’d ever marry Helene.

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