Chapter One: The Silence That Stole Her Childhood
Chapter One: The Silence That Stole Her Childhood Rowan’s earliest memories weren’t of love or warmth. They were of pain. Before she even understood the world, before she could form words to explain what was happening, it had already begun. She was just two years old when the first violation occurred. Too young to comprehend what was being taken from her, too small to fight back. The memories from that time were blurred, locked away in the deepest parts of her mind. But the body never forgets. The fear, the shame those stayed with her, buried beneath the surface, shaping the girl she would become. Then, at six, the nightmares took a face. Her cousin. It started with small things, a touch that lingered too long, a whisper in her ear. Then it escalated. Dark corners, empty rooms, moments stolen while the adults laughed and talked nearby, oblivious. At first, she thought it was just a terrible secret she had to keep. That maybe this w...