Chapter 1: My First Mistake Looked Like a Dream

"Bounded by Bruises" is a haunting tale of a young college girl entangled in a relationship that began with passion and promises but slowly unravelled into a web of betrayal, emotional blackmail and psychological control. Drawn to a man who knew exactly how to touch her body while dismantling her mind, she mistook his manipulation for love and his absence for mystery. As she sacrificed pieces of herself to keep the illusion alive, she slowly lost her voice, her will, and her sense of self. I never understood where the line is drawn between sacrifice and self-slaughter. It wasn't until the silence turned suffocating and the love turned cruel that she faced the truth she feared the most: In essence, I am the one who ruined me. I did it myself. This novel is a raw, intimate portrayal of the kind of heartbreak that doesn't just break your heart-but reshapes your soul.