Bought by the Devil

Shameless Father

Despite all of his flaws-his failures, his moral decay-he was still my father. The only family I had left. Or at least, I had believed so. But in that moment, I realized how terribly one-sided my perception had been. The man I had fought to protect, the one I had held onto as the last link to my past, was ready to discard me without a second thought, merely to save himself. The betrayal stung deeper than anything I had ever felt.

"No, no, please... I still have one thing left," my father said, his voice quivering in desperation. "Take my daughter. You can have her."

The words struck me with the force of a thunderclap. I couldn't comprehend what I was hearing. The shock froze me in place, my mind struggling to process the cruelty of it. My face, a mask of disbelief, mirrored the horror I felt inside. "Dad, what are you saying?" I whispered, unable to believe the betrayal that spilled so easily from his lips.

But then, his words cut through me, more venomous than anything he had ever said before. "You came just in time, Sophie," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of satisfaction. "You can finally be useful for once in your life."

The weight of his words was like a physical blow. After all the sacrifices I had made, all the times I had endured his cruel behavior, this was how I was repaid. A tool to be traded for his own survival.

The man-my father's so-called "boss"-looked at me with disdain. His voice was laced with mockery, an edge of cold amusement. "So, you're offering your daughter to settle your debt?"

My father nodded, a grotesque smile spreading across his face. "Look at her," he said, almost casually. "She's beautiful, charming. You could put her to work. A brothel, perhaps? Or-" He paused for a moment, as if savoring the thought. "You could sell her to your wealthy friends. There's plenty of money to be made that way."

The words sent a wave of nausea through me, and I recoiled, my body trembling with rage and disgust. "You're truly despicable," I spat. "You're willing to sell your own flesh and blood to save yourself?"

He reached for me, his hand gripping my face as though I were nothing more than an object to be appraised. I jerked my head away from his touch, my hands shaking as I wiped away the tears that threatened to spill.

"Don't touch me," I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper, as I fought to maintain some semblance of dignity in the face of his degradation.

The man's secretary, Christopher, stepped forward at his boss's command. "Take her to the car," he said, his voice smooth and authoritative.

"No, please, no!" I cried, my voice breaking as the full weight of the betrayal consumed me. My father watched, unmoved, as I was dragged away. His cold, indifferent gaze never once softened. He didn't even flinch as I struggled, my tears falling freely.

"You think this will pay your debt?" the man's voice rang out as he turned to my father. "This is just the beginning. You have one week to bring me the money, or I'll make sure you regret it. Don't think of running, either. I'll be watching you. If you fail, I'll sell off your organs and feed what's left of you to the dogs."

"But-but I gave you my daughter!" my father protested weakly.

The man's smirk was chilling. "I'll put her to good use," he said with an air of finality. And with that, he left, the door slamming behind him, leaving me to face a fate that had been sealed long before my father's betrayal.