A battle I won't lose

Part 3

It was the following morning, the scorching summer sun beating down relentlessly outside, accompanied by the clamor of construction that reverberated through the walls of Katherine's home. Despite the oppressive heat and noise, Katherine languished in boredom, having skipped breakfast entirely as the morning drifted into afternoon. Her father's recent outbursts had left her seeking solace, scouring her room for anything he had not yet destroyed.

Amidst the scattered remnants of her belongings, her gaze fell upon a familiar sight—a book, the one titled "THE FATED". With cautious steps, she tiptoed towards it, careful not to disturb the eerie silence that hung in the air. Flipping through its pages, she paused when she came across a passage written in a script foreign to her eyes, "کاترین الیس" etched in ink. The meaning remained elusive, a puzzle waiting to be deciphered unless one understood the language or delved deeper into its mystery.

At the book's conclusion, another name caught her attention, "الیوت وارن". The unfamiliar words sparked a relentless curiosity within her, prompting a flurry of questions. "How did Mommy write this for me? I never knew she knew other languages. Perhaps it was Nanny who penned it," she mused aloud, contemplating the origins of the cryptic messages.

Sunday, a day when the estate was relatively quieter with most workers taking respite, seemed interminable to Katherine. Her thoughts raced ahead to Monday, yearning for Nicole's return—hoping she could unravel the meanings behind these enigmatic inscriptions.

Abruptly, the tranquility shattered as William barged into her sanctuary, wielding the book like a weapon of accusation.

"What are these?!" His voice thundered, hurling the once-cherished book at her with a force that tore its fragile pages apart. Katherine's collection of books, carefully stowed beneath the cabinet to evade William's scrutiny, was now laid bare—a testament to her defiance, a defiance she now paid dearly for.

"You little brat! You dare lie to me? Who do you think you are, you wretched girl?!" His words lashed out, a torrent of rage unleashed upon a child who stood defenseless before him.

"What I am about to do to you will hurt me more than it will hurt you," he sneered, his face contorted with a cruelty that knew no bounds.

That night etched itself into Katherine's memory as a haunting nightmare. The cruelty inflicted upon her shattered any semblance of safety or trust. Her cries echoed through the halls, unheard or ignored by those who might have intervened. It was as though the world had conspired to punish her for a crime she did not understand.

Amidst the shards of her shattered books, Katherine sought solace in her own words:

"I will not endure this. This world is not meant for me. It was never my fault that I was born..."

"Can I ever break free from this? It feels as though I am drowning, suffocating without water..."

Each page of her journals bore witness to her anguish, a testimony to the isolation and despair she endured, imprisoned in a world that once held promise but now felt like a cage.

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