Chapter 2

The early morning streets grew busier as the commute picked up, and soon a crowd had gathered, encircling the two traffickers. Realizing they were trapped, the men panicked and fought desperately to escape.

But the scene left no room for doubt. From somewhere in the crowd, a voice shouted, “Beat the traffickers!”

The mob surged forward, fists flying, forcing the two men to cower and shield themselves as the blows rained down.

I clung tightly to Sophia, trembling from the ordeal. Relief washed over us as the sound of police sirens pierced the chaos. When the officers finally arrived, the traffickers’ faces went pale with despair.

Sophia and I were taken into the police station. It was only then that I learned we were already fifty kilometers away from my home. After I was drugged, the car had driven us to a neighboring city. It turned out Sophia and I were from the same city, which gave me a small sense of comfort.

The police escorted us to the local precinct, where they managed to track down my address. When we arrived, the first person I saw was Linda, my aunt.

The moment she spotted me with the officers, her face went ashen. “Stella! How did you get back? Silly girl, where have you been? Your parents are worried sick!”

Before I could reply, Linda rushed forward, throwing her arms around me in an exaggerated display of concern. She wailed dramatically, her voice cracking as she clutched me tightly to her chest. To anyone watching, she looked like a devastated and loving relative. But I knew better.

I tried to speak, but her grip tightened, her arms locking me in place. Her embrace was suffocating, and I could hardly breathe.

The police officer stepped in, pulling me from her grasp. “Can you contact her parents?” he asked.

Linda released me reluctantly, her expression shifting as she fumbled for her phone. “Her parents went to Oakland to look for her. Hold on—I'll call them right now!”

Her eyes flashed with something dark as she pulled me aside, out of the officer’s view. “Stay quiet,” she hissed under her breath, her voice low and venomous. Then she began dialing, but the calls didn’t go through.

“They must not be hearing their phones,” she said with a forced smile. “Don’t worry, I’m her aunt. You can leave her with me.”

Tears welled in my eyes as I turned to the officer. “I don’t want to go with her!” I cried. “Officer, she said she was going to sell me far away, so I’d never come back! She said Dylan would be the only child left in the family!”

I ran to the officer, clutching his arm as I sobbed uncontrollably. “Officer, what does it mean to be the only child? I’m my mom and dad’s daughter. Why does she want to sell me?”

Hearing this, Linda’s face went pale, and she stammered, “Stella, you can’t say things like that!”

Neighbors began to gather, drawn by the commotion. Some looked skeptical as they muttered amongst themselves. “She’s your niece. How could you sell her?” one woman asked.

Linda waved her hands defensively. “She’s confused! Stella, you must be mistaken.”

Tears streamed down my face as I clung to the officer. “But I saw her holding a stack of cash when I woke up! I’m scared. I don’t want to go with her!”

I cried harder, my grip on the officer’s leg tightening. Linda, now visibly flustered, tried to regain control. “This child is talking nonsense!” she said, her voice tinged with panic. She shoved her phone toward the officer. “See? I’ve been trying to call her parents, but I can’t get through. She must be traumatized and imagining things!”

“She’s always been close to me and her uncle,” she added hastily. “We eat together all the time. I’d never harm her!”

The neighbors chimed in, some siding with Linda. “That’s right,” one said. “Stella’s always spending time at her aunt’s house. She must be scared and confused.”

The officer’s gaze shifted to me, his face serious. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, my voice trembling. “I’m not lying. The traffickers called her ‘Linda.’”

I looked up at him, desperation in my eyes. “Officer, how would they know her name? I’m scared. If it weren’t for Sophia, I wouldn’t have made it back to my parents.”

“I want to go back to the station. I don’t want to stay here,” I pleaded. “I remember falling asleep at her house, but when I woke up, I was in the traffickers’ car!”