Svetlana smiled at Azrael, ever the proud wife. And really, she was so thankful she'd been given to him. He was so gentle and careful with her. "If I'd been sent back they would have killed me," she said, matter-of-factly. "I know it wasn't what Azra planned, but he protects me."
"They would have killed you?" Lena whispered, absolutely disgusted.
"Yes. It's seen as failure. And if a man isn't happy with the woman he bought, he could potentially cause troubles for them by giving law enforcement information about them. I learned very young not to do anything to upset anyone so I could be the perfect wife. I used to talk back but I got hit so I stopped."
"And this just...happens all the time?" Thomas asked in disbelief.
Svetlana nodded gravely. "I think some people do it because they want to come to America, but others...like me...aren't given a choice. I just got lucky."