Daphne's POV
The water burned against my skin like liquid fire.
I pressed my lips together, refusing to give them the satisfaction of hearing me cry out. What good would it do? These women scrubbed at me as if I were some filthy animal that needed to be scoured clean. The harsh soap stung where their fingernails had already torn into my flesh during our earlier struggle. My ribs throbbed from the brutal punch one of them had landed.
I fixed my gaze on the bathroom tiles, counting each crack in the grout. Anything to escape this nightmare, even if only in my mind.
When they finally dragged me from the scalding bath, my entire body was crimson and raw. They showed no mercy with the towel either, rubbing it across my wounded skin with enough force to make me bite down on my cheek until copper flooded my mouth.
