42
~Bella's POV
The first thing I felt when I woke up was exhaustion. Not the kind that came from sleep, but the deep, bone-deep kind that weighed on my chest, making it hard to breathe.
The hospital room was quiet except for the soft beeping of machines. A nurse was standing beside my bed, checking my vitals.
"You're lucky," she said without looking at me.
I let out a slow breath, staring at the ceiling. Lucky? That was a word I had never associated with myself.
"You can be discharged today," she continued. "But you need to take care of yourself. Rest. Eat properly."
I nodded absentmindedly. It wasn't like I had much of a choice. I needed to get out of here.
As soon as I was cleared, I changed into the clothes I had arrived in, cheap, worn-out fabric that felt rough against my skin. The moment I stepped outside, the air felt different. Heavy. Like the world itself was reminding me where I belonged.
The brothel.
