Chapter 117

Mia

I lay there naked and with my eyes closed, as the dull pain in my body continued to ache like hot coals burning my skin. I tried not to let it get to me as I mustered some sort of ability to get up and out of bed. But it was hard since I had been severely beaten.

I had no idea how bad I looked. Sophie had said I was ugly, especially with all the bruises about my body. Then I wondered how James would react if he were to see me now. Would he, like Sophie said, be repulsed at the sight of me? God, I didn’t know, and honestly, I didn’t have time to think about that right now.

Now I needed to take control of my weak, throbbing, inflamed body and tell it to get a move on if I wanted to get out of here before night came, if I didn’t want Herbert to take me out of town as Sophie had implied.

Miraculously, in agony, I somehow managed to pull myself up. Then I raised my gaze to the window where the curtains were still drawn shut. What little light managed to sneak in through the dark room t