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[The Recruit]

Arianne

Unbelievable! It was just unbelievable. How could he? Of all the ways Sebastian had laid his hands on me, it was never in this manner. Never with such rage and cruelty enough to want to kill me.

I paced back and forth in my room, glaring every so often when I caught a reflection of myself in the mirror. Look at what I have become. A shell of the woman I once was and all for a man.

For years, I pined and chased after a man who never cared to love me or reciprocate an ounce of the feelings I so adamantly carried for him. Yet, did he care? Not in the slightest. Not even when he barreled into me relentlessly, day after day, week after week, and month after month. How had I let myself become so used? How did I let myself become this person?

I blew out a breath and wrapped my hands around my neck. Both the bruises from my father's and Sebastian's tyranny had already healed. Thank you, Goddess.

Often enough, I pondered what my life would have been like if I hadn'