The evening sky was orange as you pressed the bandage on your wrist, which had started bleeding again. The pain felt a little lighter. Since childhood, she had known that being a woman in her family meant always being submissive and obedient. Her father believed women were a burden, and her mother was too afraid to defend herself.

Every harsh word, every shout, and sometimes the blows from her father made her feel smaller. "Don't dream too big, your job is only to obey!" Those words echoed in her mind.

At school, she tried to smile. Her friends never knew that beneath the long sleeves, hidden lines of red scar tissue marked her own wounds. Wounds that paled in comparison to the ones inside her. At least, the physical pain made her mind quiet for a moment.

But as the days passed, she grew more and more tired. She wondered, how long should she endure? Was there a place in this world where she could be free, without fear?

Then one day, someone noticed her wounds. Julian, a quiet classmate, saw her hands tremble as she quickly covered her sleeves.

"Hey,"* he called softly in the quiet school hallway.

She was startled. "Why?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Julian stared at her for a long time before speaking. "I heard your father hurts you."

She nodded. After a few minutes of talking, she finally let all the anger inside her out, crying in front of Julian. Suddenly, his hand reached out and held her head.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here for you."

In that instant, her heart raced.