Chapter 2 Why Didn’t They Visit Me
in Prison?
She knew there was no way out.
Once her most trusted confidant and dearest friend, Hubery had become the person she loathed above all others–someone she wished would vanish from her life forever.
Between facing Hubery and leaving with Barnett, she chose the latter.
At least Barnett wasn’t a hypocrite. His hatred was honest–he’d never pretended otherwise.
On her first day back with the Elvadors, he’d made it crystal clear: “Blood or not, Bertha is my only sister. Watch yourself. If you ever hurt her, there will be consequences.”
His brutal honesty had spared her from false hopes. Ironically, Barnett’s open disdain hurt less than the betrayal of those she’d once trusted.
Prison had taught her one brutal lesson–when you lack power, connections, and anyone to rely on, survival depends on minimizing harm, no matter the cost.
When her cellmates taunted her, forcing her to choose between disfigurement or a slap, she chose the slap.
Chapter 2 Why Didn’t They Visit Me in Prison? When they demanded she pick between a beating or begging, she begged.
When they presented the degrading option of drinking toilet water or barking like a dog, she barked.
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She had tried to fight back once, but the harder she resisted, the harsher the punishment became. In the end, she traded her pride for survival.
Even among the most ruthless criminals, she endured by carefully calculating every move, grinding her teeth through every humiliation, and clinging to the will to survive.
Aurora walked toward Barnett’s black Bentley.
As she passed Hubery, she moved like a ghost, her loose T–shirt barely grazing his fingertips. The fabric hung limp on her bony frame, more like an empty shell on a coat hanger than clothing worn by a living person.
His hand froze mid–air, time seemingly suspended, leaving only the cold, hollow sensation on his fingertips. Pain flashed across his eyes as his chest constricted, each heartbeat echoing with a dull ache.
There was a time when her gaze had followed him faithfully, her eyes brimming with trust and dependence. Growing up together in the orphanage, they had been each other’s anchor. A simple “Aurora” from his lips would always be met with her warm smile and gentle response: “I’m here, Hubery.”
Chapter 2 Why Didn’t They Visit Me in Prison?
Now, she passed him as if he were invisible, as if their shared past had dissolved into nothing more than shadow and air.
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Hubery’s lips trembled slightly. He wanted to speak but found his throat blocked, unable to make a sound.
Aurora got into the car, settling into the back seat. She glanced around and immediately noticed that the traces of another woman were everywhere.
The passenger seat bore a fluffy pink cover, while cute teddy bears paraded across the dashboard. From the rearview mirror hung a photo of a woman- -more mature and alluring than
she’d been five years ago–her smile radiating the confidence of someone embraced by life’s comforts.
That radiance seemed to mock Aurora, a stark reminder that she remained nothing more than an outsider in this family.
Aurora had convinced herself she could face it all with indifference, yet seeing these things in person sent an unexpected sting through her heart. As she turned away, her eyes landed on the bag beside her, where an immaculate white gown lay hidden–its beauty betrayed by delicate feathers peeking through.
Her fingers unconsciously traced the rough denim of her jeans as every detail in the car screamed her displacement. The cruel truth lingered: everything she owned combined couldn’t match the worth of that single dress in the bag.
Chapter 2 Why Didn’t They Visit Me in Prison?
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She looked out the window, watching the scenery blur as it sped
past.
Barnett broke the silence. “Mom and Dad have missed your terribly these past five years. They’ve cried for you, even gone gray over it. So, don’t cause trouble when we get back. I don’t want to see you scheming against Bertha or putting Mom and Dad in a tough spot. If you behave, the Elvador family will treat you well.”
The car grew quiet again.
Not receiving any response, Barnett frowned and glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
“Aurora, did you hear me?”
Finally, Aurora turned to him and spoke the longest sentence she had since her release.
“The law allows prisoners to meet with family during their sentence. One visit per month, thirty minutes to an hour.” Her voice grew bitter. “I was in there for five years–sixty months. That’s sixty chances to visit. But none of you came. Not once.”
She let out a harsh laugh. “You say your parents missed me? Then where were they? Too busy to spare thirty minutes a month to see their so–called daughter?”
Her voice was calm, but every word pierced his excuses like a blade.
Chapter 2 Why Didn’t They Visit Me in Prison? 5/7 Barnett’s face flickered with guilt and panic. The rebuke he’d been ready to unleash got stuck in his throat.
He avoided her piercing, yet tranquil gaze. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles whitening under the
strain.
“Look, you were out of control. They thought some time alone would help you reflect–help you change. Everything they did was for your own good.”
Aurora let out a mocking laugh.
They had forced her to take the blame for Bertha, to endure five years of torment in prison.
Such “good” was something she couldn’t bear.
She had nothing left to say. Tired of looking at Barnett, she turned back to the window.
The car soon pulled into the Elvador Villa’s garage.
Barnett seemed eager to leave. He grabbed the bag with the dress and rushed off.
A few steps away, he paused, as if suddenly remembering Aurora. He turned, his expression still awkward.
“Change into something decent and head to the banquet hall.”
Without waiting for a reply, he strode off.
n
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Chapter 2 Why Didn’t They Visit Me in Prison? After five years, this house remained a stranger to Aurora. Even the orphanage, with its shared dorm rooms and crowded spaces, had felt more like home than this place ever did.
She remembered how morning sunlight would flood their dormitory, warm and bright, carrying the fresh scent of
sun–dried blankets – a fragrance that had come to mean “home” to her young heart.
But after she was taken back home, she got a room that smelled of dampness and mildew, untouched by sunlight.
She opened the door to her room.
It was small, windowless, and packed with junk.
The only furniture was a single folding bed and an old desk.
This was the storage room where she had lived for three years, a room too cold in winter and too hot in summer.
Barnett had told her to wear a proper gown.
But she’d never owned one.
All she had was her high school uniform, worn year–round. Even her current T–shirt and jeans had been bought with money she’d earned from part–time jobs. The two items combined cost just 39 dollars.
She remembered the day she wore this outfit, excited to show
Chapter 2 Why Didn’t They Visit Me in Prison? Barnett. He had frowned deeply when he saw her.
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“What the hell are you wearing?” he sneered. “Look at Bertha- why can’t you dress like that? Take that thing off and get rid of it. I won’t have you embarrassing us in public looking like that.”
