Hey I'm back! Did you miss me? Well it's only been, like, a day, so if you DO miss me… I guess that must mean my story's decent! ❤

Anyways, here's the second chapter! I hope you enjoy it and please keep the reviews up! See you at the bottom…

The pain was like nothing I could ever have imagined. As soon as the cane made contact with my back, I screamed out in agony, but my voice was almost completely muffled by the cloth wrapped around my mouth. I wanted Maxon by my side more than ever, and the thought of him sitting in the dining room completely clueless made me want to cry even harder than I already was.

No matter how much I screamed and begged through the gag, the king would only hit me harder. With each whip, he threw a different insult at me. "Maxon was out of his mind to have chosen you!" "Nobody loves you!" "You're a disgrace to everyone you meet!" One after another, as if the whips weren't terrible enough physically, he was wounding me on the inside as well. I'm sure at least an hour had passed, and my back had almost become numb from the incessant beating. Every thrash had brought a new tear in my skin and a louder cry for help, but I knew no one would come. Nobody could hear me.

Nobody cared.

King Clarkson was right, and every word that came out of his mouth was nothing but the truth. I wasn't loved. I just bring destruction everywhere I go. I didn't deserve Maxon, and Maxon made a mistake choosing me to be a part of the Selection at all in the first place. I was a nobody.

I needed to get away from Maxon. I was a threat to his rule in the future, and I was making him soft and weak. Just as I decided to leave, I felt the king's hands wrap around my arms tightly and he threw me up against a wall, then I fell to the floor, as my hands and feet were still tied up.

"I've had enough of you, you worthless trash. Get out of my sight!"

"But sir," I said between sobs. "I can't do anything until my hands and feet-"

"Shut up!" He pulled out a dagger and with one quick slash, I was free of the rope that had held me back. He also left a large gash on my arm, but that was the least of my problems. Blood was seeping out of my back as I pulled my dress back up and stumbled as fast as I could to my room.

"Anne! Mary! Lucy! Somebody!"

Before I could take another breath, the three maids skited in through the bathroom door and took one long look at me, horrified expressions slowly crawling on their faces. They were all staring, fishing for words, which resulted to them just standing in the doorway with their jaws hanging.

I knew any second I would faint from the blood loss, so I had to make my last words before wiping out smart. I breathed out "Don't tell Maxon" before falling on the floor and blacking out completely.

Okay there. America's blacked out, she's leaving her loving fiancee because of Clarkson, and her maids are sworn to secrecy. See what's coming? No? Good. Me neither. xD

Sorry if my chapters are too short, but it was Christmas today if you didn't notice, and of course my grandparents wanted to do something all day so be proud of me. I just wrote this whole thing tonight when I should be asleep.

Let me know what you think so far and all that good stuff in the reviews! Thank you for your support!

~Anni