Her Burdens

[Avery's POV]

Stop.

Stop crying.

Don't give him a reason to look down on you.

Stop.

The pleas repeat themselves again and again in my mind, but my body doesn't listen. Instead, the sobs continue to come while Atlas stares on.

How was it possible that he would appear here, of all places?

I didn't want to be doing something like this, but I was desperate, and the time to make twenty thousand was growing shorter and shorter.

When I went home that day after embarrassing and shaming myself, I found my stepfather with two men. And when they spotted me, hunger immediately appeared.

"Is this her?" One had asked, giving a slow smile. "She's as much of a beauty as you said."

At his words, my heart dropped, and I realized that what my stepfather had said the day before was true.

In that moment, panic set in, and all I wanted to do was get my mother and get the hell out, but before I could get anywhere near her, I was being grabbed and thrown down.

I began to fight with all my might, but three ag