"No, no... that's not it..."
Just then, my parents appeared.
When I thought they would stand up for their biological daughter, their words immediately shattered that hope and made reality painfully clear.
"What’s with your attitude? If it weren’t for your sister pleading with Ceasar on your behalf, you’d probably still be stuck there," they scolded.
"With all the things you’ve done, Ceasar didn’t send you to prison only because of the relationship between our families."
My parents' constant criticism, accusing me of not knowing my place, quickly shattered any remaining hope that they still cared about me.
It became clear that five years was enough to warp even the strongest family ties.
"You see how your parents feel now, right? You're not the only daughter in this family. If you're going to keep acting like this, I'll just send you right back," Ceasar said coldly.
I knew Ceasar had immense power. Even my parents had to play by his rules sometimes.
No one was going to protect me. I had to rely on my own fragile self to survive.
The thought of the torment I had endured over the past five years sent a chill down my spine. My legs gave out and I collapsed to the ground, trembling.