Chapter 3Sold to the Savage: The Runaway’s Return

Silas was rough. But in bed, even though he talked dirty, he never actually hurt me.

I thought Silas looked down on me. Because aside from the stuff in bed, I couldn't do anything right.

I tried to cook for him, but I burned my hand with hot oil. When Silas came back, I was blowing on my hand, my eyes red-rimmed.

He threw his hoe onto the ground with a loud clang. Before, I would have shaken with fear. But now, I knew he just had a bad temper.

Silas strode over, grabbed my hand, his brows knitted tight. "Who told you to touch the stove?" "You think I can't make enough money to buy you dinner?"

I whispered, "I wanted to save you some money..."

"Save shit." Silas cursed, turned around, and rummaged through the cabinet for a precious jar of burn ointment. He smeared it on my hand roughly.

"Don't do rough work from now on." He tossed my hand aside, then added unnaturally: "Your hands are soft like tofu. If you ruin them, they won't feel good to touch at night."

So, he was only good to me because this skin and flesh served him well. Like raising a cat or dog—when he was happy, he gave me a treat.

But I was greedy for that little bit of sweetness.

At night, the fan creaked overhead. Silas pointed the fan directly at me. He was shirtless, sweating in the heat.

Looking at his solid chest muscles, I extended my foot like I was possessed. My pale toes brushed against the hard muscle of his calf.

"Husband... are you hot?" I tried to mimic the tone the other wives in the village used. I wanted to call him over, to share the breeze.

Silas’s breathing instantly became heavy. In the dark, his eyes shone terrifyingly bright.

The next second, the world spun. He pressed me into the mattress, his lips tasting of tobacco as he kissed me fiercely.

"Ellis, you started this."

That night, Silas went crazy. He panted in my ear, biting my earlobe, asking me over and over: "If one day I have no money, will you still stay with me?"

I trembled in fear, daring not to answer. In the end, Silas stopped asking. He just said, "Better if you don't follow me. You aren't meant for a hard life..."