Chapter 584

I curled up on the ground. The pain made me feel as though my insides were being torn apart. But even so, I gritted my teeth and stayed silent. I couldn't let this monster have his way, not now, not ever! Seeing my defiance, Caleb's rage only grew. He grabbed a nearby branch and began whipping me with it. The blows came down like a storm, and the pain was so intense that I nearly passed out. Blood blurred my vision, and I couldn't tell up from down. My consciousness began to fade, and the will to survive grew weaker. Perhaps, I thought, this was the end. But then, suddenly, the image of Zachary flashed in my mind. "Mom…" he called out softly. I couldn't die yet. Zachary was waiting for me. I couldn't leave him without a mother. With that thought, I snapped my eyes open. A surge of strength flooded through me. "Caleb, go to hell!" I screamed, grabbing a rock beside me and hurling it at his head with all my might. "Ah!" Caleb cried out as the rock struck, sending him crashing t