A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 379

"Where did you get this money?" the old man demanded, his voice perking up instantly.

"I found two kids. They paid me to call their mom."

"Where are they?!" he asked, suddenly overly excited.

"Over there..."

A flashlight beam swept into the tiny bedroom. Seth immediately lay down, turning his back and wrapping his arms protectively around his sister, pretending to be fast asleep.

Heavy footsteps entered the room, and the beam hovered over them.

"Such beautiful kids!" the old man cackled gleefully. "They'll sell for a fortune."

"Stop doing wicked things!" the old woman hissed, pulling him away.

The footsteps retreated toward the front door.

"Leave the door unlatched," the man called out. "I'm coming back after I get my drink."

"What about the phone?" she chased after him. "Let me use it for a second—"

It was a long time before the woman returned inside, and the rhythmic chopping of pig feed resumed. She went about her chores without another word about the phone.

"Ma'am, I need to pee!" Seth called out loudly.

"Oh. Okay." The chopping stopped, and the lightbulb flicked on.

Seth slid off the tall bed, walked out, and deliberately checked the front gate. When he returned, the woman still didn't offer the phone. He stood by the pile of radish leaves, his tiny shadow cast against the dirt floor.

"Did you get the phone? It's an emergency."

"Okay."

Taking her right hand in his, Seth led her quietly across the courtyard, slipping out into the freezing night and following the dirt path they had come from.

The escape went perfectly. But now, he faced a new, terrifying reality—he had no idea where to go. The dirt road was surrounded by barren, frozen fields. There were no villages, no stores, and no one to help them.

Annelise began to cough violently, followed by a string of sneezes.

Panic seized Seth's chest. He reached up and felt her forehead. She was burning up. Because of her underdeveloped heart valve, their mother was fiercely protective of her, ensuring she never caught a chill. The stress, the freezing cold, and the exhaustion were destroying her fragile body.

He couldn't force her to keep walking, but they couldn't just hide, or the old man would find them and sell them.

*What do I do?*

Surrounded by pitch-black darkness and freezing winds, the brilliant, brave little boy felt his entire world shattering.