When love finds you

"You're going to think I'm crazy, but I'll tell you anyway. Imagine being trapped in a living nightmare, where the people who are supposed to love and care for you are the ones causing you the most pain. That's my life, or at least, it feels like it. "Let me tell you about Annabella, that's me, by the way. My friends call me Bella, but I don't really have many friends. Just one, actually – Sofia James. Anyway, my mom died when I was five, and my dad remarried this woman, Olivia. He thought she'd take care of me, but boy, was he wrong. "Olivia's got a son, Grayson, who's three years older than me. He's not really a part of the story, though. It's Olivia you need to know about. She's cruel, manipulative, and abusive. My dad's always away, so she's got free rein to do whatever she wants to me. And what she wants to do is hurt me. Physically and emotionally. "I've lost count of how many times she's beaten me, starved me, locked me in my room. It's like I'm her personal punching bag. And the worst part is, my dad doesn't even notice. Or maybe he does, but he doesn't care. Either way, I'm stuck in this hellhole with no way out. "Today was one of those days. She beat me so badly I'm pretty sure I've got broken ribs. I'm lying in bed, trying to catch my breath, and all I can think is 'why?'. Why is she doing this to me? What did I do to deserve it? "I glance at the clock, and it's like a countdown to my next beating. Tomorrow at 4 pm. I've got time to heal, but it's hard to relax when you know what's coming. I just wish someone would help me, you know? But for now, I'm on my own."