Six days had passed, and I was still locked inside that suffocating room. I tried to hold onto the hope Brenda had always told me to cling to, but it was slipping away. I was too weak to stand, the physical pain from Mrs. Carlos’s blows had mostly healed, but the ache in my heart remained. What had I done to deserve this? All I wanted was to be with Ivan. Was that too much to ask?

Now, she had threatened to hurt Kelly if I didn’t give in to her demands. The thought of my little girl in danger because of me haunted my every waking moment. My throat...