After my mother came back to life, I was tortured to death

Ashley's mom was assaulted by a homeless man while taking her to the hospital for a high fever, and later, in her grief, drowned herself in the river.

Ashley's dad and brother, Josh, blamed her for their mother's death and forced her to go to the riverbank every day to beg forgiveness.

One night, Ashley was targeted by the same homeless man. After hours of assault, she was taken to the mountains.

Desperate, Ashley found a chance to call Josh on her dying phone.

"Help me," she sobbed. "Josh, please..."

Josh laughed cruelly. "Nice try, Ashley. Even if you were kidnapped, it'd serve you right. You were the one who should've been attacked that night, not Mom!"

Ashley's hope crumbled. She was soon captured by locals who, accusing her of some imagined infidelity, brutally dismembered her.

Later, Ashley's mother, Sarah, returned home, her undercover mission complete. When she learned that among the recovered bodies of trafficking victims was her daughter's, she was consumed by grief and went insane.

1.

Josh was called to the police station in the middle of the night. The face on the surveillance footage was blurred. The poor lighting and the camera angle made it difficult to identify the victim.

The detective’s sharp eyes scanned Josh. He placed a watch on the table.

"We found this at the crime scene. Scratches, old and new. Your fingerprints." He paused. "More importantly, we confirmed you purchased this watch yourself."

Josh frowned, staring at the battered watch. The glass was shattered, the band slashed. He turned it over, his eyes catching the inscription on the back.

"I bought it," he admitted, his voice hardening. He seemed to remember Ashley, a flash of disgust crossing his face. "But Ashley threw it away. If she's in trouble, go after her. It's nothing to do with me."

He stood abruptly, turning to leave, but his eyes were drawn to a news report playing on a nearby TV. It showed a young woman being brutally assaulted in a darkened alley by several men. Blood trailed across the ground.

Josh slammed his fist on the table, his eyes bloodshot, tears welling. His body trembled with rage. "Those bastards! Preying on a defenseless woman!"

Ashley watched, a flicker of bittersweet satisfaction. Was this Josh crying for her? She hadn't seen him like this since their mother’s death.

The footage continued. The attackers dragged Ashley’s broken body further into the darkness. Her screams and their laughter echoed. Terror, despair, and agonizing pain engulfed her. Before she disappeared from view, a glimpse of her face was visible.

The officers murmured sympathetically, patting Josh's shoulder. "Another attack. So many women have been targeted recently. You said you had a sister? Keep her safe. Don't let her end up like this poor girl. Two days, and no one reported her missing. We can't even identify her."

Josh stared at the screen, silent. Ashley bowed her head, her fragmented spirit aching. Josh hated her. He wouldn't protect her. That's ...