The Wrong Woman

Jake, my husband, believed his precious ex over me, his own wife. He kicked me when I was pregnant, called me trash. Ben, my brother, was set to marry the woman who killed our mother. He treated me like dirt, told me I should have died a long time ago. Those two, the guys I loved most, were the ones who threw me into that hellhole of a prison. They broke me there. Now they're begging for forgiveness, but my heart's turned to ash.

"Okay, inmate number 76, when you get out of here, try to act like a human being. You got that? Because I still got plenty of ways to make your life hell!"

The warden’s words were a nasty growl as she twisted my cheek, her eyes like daggers. Just for good measure, she dug her nails into my side, hard. Like she wanted to rip a chunk of flesh right out of me.

I didn’t dare fight back, just nodded like crazy, pulling my head into my shoulders, like a scared little bird.

Seeing how weak and pathetic I looked, she let out this ugly laugh, “Well, look at that. Guess they broke you in pretty good. You were just born trash, weren't ya?”

My gaze was blank, like I was a puppet, not even reacting to the abuse.

She tsked a few times before finally leading me to the prison entrance.

Waiting for me was Jake, my husband before they threw me in here. He was also one of the people who helped put me in this hellhole.

And there was also my brother, Ben.

Jake leaned against his car, looking bored. He waved me over like I was some stray dog.

Yeah, I guess that’s what I was to him. A useless, self-respectless dog.

But even dogs feel pain. And after a while, they learn their lesson, they move on, and stop coming around to get kicked.

I froze where I was. I still couldn’t forget him kicking me when I was pregnant, my belly throbbing with pain.

He’d yelled that I was worthless, that I wasn't fit to be the mother of his kid.

That day, I lost so much blood. So much of it soaked through the white dress I was wearing.

He just laughed, "You made Sarah miscarry. You don't deserve to have kids either."

"Don't deserve." Yeah right. Physical pain was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

I was about to fall apart.

Seeing me standing there, Jake's face twisted into a scowl. “Looks like they treated you real well in the slammer. Didn’t do a thing to fix your attitude, did they?”

Treated me well?

The cuts from shivs, the salt water and pepper burns, the fingernails they ripped off, the electrocution, the whippings...

Bear traps, nail beds, being stripped to the bone…

Just thinking about the torture sent shivers up my spine.

He noticed me shaking and got this disgusted look. “We haven't even left yet, and you’re already acting up? You were always a drama queen.”

His patience was gone. "Get over here! Stop embarrassing me!"

Before, when Jake called me worthless, or looked down on me like that, I would have gotten all worked up.

But now, I’m just numb.

The prison had broken me, body and soul.

The warden had taken me apart, over a...