Her shoulders were broad.
Her hands were enormous.
Years of forced labor had hardened her muscles and left scars across her body.
Her dark eyes seemed distant, fixed somewhere beyond the marketplace and beyond the people staring at her.
She appeared calm.
Unmoved.
Almost untouchable.
The auctioneer cleared his throat and began describing her.
“Benedita. Twenty-three years old. From the Recôncavo region of Bahia.”
Then came the warning.
Strong as an ox.
Difficult to control.
Already transferred between multiple properties.
No overseer had successfully managed her.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
Some buyers frowned.
Others shook their heads.
The stories alone were enough to scare most of them away.
The Bidding Begins
The auctioneer called for opening bids.
Nothing.
He lowered the price.
Still nothing.
Again.
And again.
The value continued to fall as buyers lost interest.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the square.
The woman standing before them possessed remarkable physical strength, yet no one wanted her.
