ISABELLA

It was painful. The emotional pain felt too physical. It felt like knives digging into my flesh. It felt like I was being tied to a car and dragged on the floor. My heart… every beat was torment. Maybe it should just stop and spare me from this anguish.

I can't… I can't deal with any of this. I wanted to shut down completely and not feel anything. I wanted even the slightest bit of relief. I wanted to forget. I didn't want to feel, and staying in that house made me feel, and the pain became unbearable. It felt like the air was laced with glass, and every...