1. I was a useless child.
2. Not exceptionally pretty, no redeeming personality.
3. Just an ordinary, mediocre young girl.
1. I only began receiving compliments
1. after Mokran approached me.
1. When their precious daughter Mokran, who never previously showed interest in anything particular,
1. told them she wanted a 'friend' for the first time, her parents spared no expense to fulfill her wish.
1. As I was a 'friend,'
1. buying new clothes for me was but a drop in their bucket.
1. glance
1. My family also got a very lucrative opprtunity,
1. one that would make us wealthy.
1. Mokran, ever the clever girl,
1. knew that fact very well.
1. I wasn’t hostile towards Mokran in the beginning.
1. Even if I did not like something, I was not allowed to say so.
2. I was not permitted to even show my distaste.
1. Because Mokran was my master.
1. If my mother saw me disobeying my new master,
1. she would become enraged.
1. Each time, she would scold me in the same vein of words.
2. "What's so great about you that you dare pull away, you think an opportunity like this comes knocking everyday?"
1. Not pretty, can't dance, not a single good skill?! You can't even be sold off as a concubine or a maid! The least you can do is bow down to the floor and be thankful to Mokran for your entire life!
2. And so I lived as a mute.
1. "You’re mine."
2. I wished often that I was deaf.
1. No, that's not it.
2. I wished I was dead.
1. wished Mokran was
1. "Even if I die, nothing would change."
2. "Especially"
1. "Especially not your circumstances, Dohee."
1. That's when I thought,
2. how easy it is to put someone into submission,
1. simply make them desperate, like so.
1. But when I have a husband,
2. then I'll be able to escape you.
1. Even though it may not be complete freedom, at least then I can escape you.
1. A half of true freedom.
1. 'Good'
1. 'Luck'
1. "Are you awake now?"
1. "Why are you so surprsed?"
1. "You get out of bed now and get ready."
1. "Your big brother will be looking for a job soon,"
2. "and the Madam said we'll talk about it when I visit her with you."
1. "Sister!"
1. "Put in a good word for me, alright?"
2. "You can help this big brother of yours"
1. "get married to Mokran! That'd be just grand, right?"
1. "That's not possible."
2. "that would mean I'd become family with that girl-"
1. "That can't happen..."
1. "That's not the"
1. "That's not the answer you're supposed to say!"
2. "Girl, you're not suposed to answer at all!"