The Child Bride

The Child Bride
Cathy Glass

Cathy Glass, international bestselling author, tells the shocking story of Zeena, a young Asian girl desperate to escape from her family.When 14 -year-old Zeena begs to be taken into care with a non-Asian family, she is clearly petrified. But of what?Placed in the home of experienced foster carer Cathy and her family, Zeena gradually settles into her new life, but misses her little brothers and sisters terribly. Prevented from having any contact with them by her family who insist she has brought shame and dishonour on the whole community, Zeena tries to see them at school. But when her father and uncle find out, they bundle her into a car and threaten to set fire to her if she makes anymore trouble. Zeena is too frightened to press charges against them despite being offered police protection in a safe house.Eventually, Cathy discovers the devastating truth from Zeena, and with devastation she believes there is little she can do to help her.

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Copyright (#u59db0d86-5327-55b2-a880-7d5f28b5b6ba)

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the children.

HarperElement

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First published by HarperElement 2014

FIRST EDITION

© Cathy Glass 2014

A catalogue record of this book

is available from the British Library

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2014

Cover photography by Nicky Rojas (posed by model)

Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780007590001

Ebook Edition © September 2014 ISBN: 9780007590018

Version: 2016-04-22

Contents

Cover (#u4af22811-27e4-530b-935f-4b667541a831)

Title Page (#u1a61c02d-2abc-50db-a07c-0b6c0efbb46e)

Copyright (#u1aa00aa6-c61e-51e2-a8ff-c1db5891e901)

Also by Cathy Glass (#ulink_d3e9bff2-4b5e-57cc-80a6-0da5411c739f)

Acknowledgements (#ulink_f2c58a6f-d035-539f-8234-5a433ed5a312)

Prologue (#ulink_5d3951a2-f906-533a-a6d3-9202b7be7994)

Chapter One: Petrified (#ulink_9b4647f9-d1fc-5135-9001-689205811ddb)

Chapter Two: Different House (#ulink_ce8cc55e-be63-53b4-b466-bcf8b940fc76)

Chapter Three: Good Influence (#ulink_a690ce59-5c7f-54cc-a8d9-2d1ca47f9701)

Chapter Four: Sobbing (#ulink_e1e832e4-a1af-5941-8343-5508e726e0b9)

Chapter Five: Scared into Silence (#ulink_3aba872c-fab4-5156-a718-4abff5cbd668)

Chapter Six: Dreadful Feeling (#ulink_d6248a15-6e77-5ed5-97ae-07b1fa5ef8ee)

Chapter Seven: Desperate (#ulink_df7275ca-31c9-5209-b726-b96d19ce8930)

Chapter Eight: Lost Innocence (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine: Ordeal (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten: Optimistic (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven: Worries and Worrying (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve: Only Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen: Consequences (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen: Review (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen: Vicious Threats (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen: Zeena’s Story (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen: A Special Holiday (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen: Overwhelmed (#litres_trial_promo)