Chapter 3

Pain exploded in my skull. Stars burst behind my eyelids.

Caroline' s face, contorted with rage, was the last thing I saw before the darkness.

"You filthy piece of trash," she spat.

Then, a flicker, a memory from long ago: Caroline, younger, kneeling by my bed, stroking my forehead when I had a fever. "You're safe now, Leo," she'd whispered, her voice a balm. My savior.

Now, my enemy.

The contrast was a fresh wave of agony.

She dragged me out of the shed by my hair, across the manicured lawn, towards the main house.

"You'll kneel on the gravel driveway for three days," she decreed, her voice ringing with authority. "No food, no water. Maybe then you'll learn some gratitude."

Humiliation burned through me. Despair settled deep. I just wanted to escape this cycle, this woman.

The first day passed in a blur of pain and thirst. The gravel bit into my knees. The sun beat down.

On the second day, Mr. Alistair Finch arrived. He was Caroline' s elderly, retired business mentor, a long-time friend of the Hawthornes, and, more importantly, he had been close to my parents. His annual visit for his birthday lunch with Caroline was the only reason she' d temporarily halt any overt torture.

He saw me immediately, his kind eyes widening in concern. Caroline, flustered, ordered the guards to take me inside, to clean me up.

Later, Mr. Finch found me in the kitchen, where I was trying to make myself inconspicuous.

"Leo, my boy, what has she done to you?" he asked, his voice gentle.

I almost broke down, almost told him everything. But what was the point? It would only make things worse for me later. Caroline would see it as another betrayal.

"It's nothing, Mr. Finch. I was clumsy," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

He sighed, a deep, sorrowful sound. "I should have done more, years ago. After your parents... I promised them I' d look out for you."

His words were a small comfort, a reminder that not everyone saw me as worthless. He was my only ally in this gilded cage.

"Mr. Finch," I said, my voice barely a whisper, my resolve suddenly hardening. "I need to leave. Can you help me get away from here?"

Hope, a fragile thing, flickered within me. This was a turning point, a direct plea.

Just then, Caroline swept into the kitchen, Derek on her arm. They were dressed for the charity gala that evening.

"Alistair, darling!" Caroline trilled, ignoring me completely. "Derek and I have the most wonderful news!" She held up her hand, a massive diamond sparkling on her finger. "We're engaged!"

Derek beamed, looking like the cat that got the cream. Caroline was the most dazzling star, and he was her chosen planet.

Mr. Finch looked from Caroline' s radiant face to my bruised one. He nodded slowly at me, a silent promise in his eyes.

Later, after Caroline and Derek had left for the gala, Mr. Finch spoke to me.

"I' ve been weighing this, Leo. She' s... not herself. Hasn't been for a long time, especially where you and that young man are concerned." He paused. "I can arrange for your departure. Funds, a place to stay, perhaps that design school in California I mentioned once? I can get you in. It will take a few days to set up discreetly. Can you hold on until after the gala publicity dies down?"

Relief washed over me, so potent it brought tears to my eyes. "Yes. Thank you, Mr. Finch. Thank you."

Freedom. It was so close. Even if the System still claimed me in the end, these few days, this escape, would be mine.

The gala was a lavish affair, fireworks spelling out "C & D FOREVER" in the night sky. It was a public spectacle celebrating their love, a stark contrast to my quiet, desperate hope for escape.