Next to the large man.

Lila's heart raced as she made her decision. With faltering steps, she moved towards the corpulent man, averting her eyes from the brutal scene at the other end of the car. As she approached, the man's piggy eyes lit up with cruel delight. He shifted slightly, creating a sliver of space beside him that seemed woefully inadequate for Lila's slender frame.

Steeling herself, Lila lowered herself onto the hard plastic seat. The man's bulk immediately pressed against her, his flesh spilling over the armrest to engulf her hip and thigh. His body radiated heat and the sour stench of stale sweat. Lila fought the urge to gag, focusing instead on making herself as small as possible.

The train lurched forward, and Lila gripped the edge of her seat to keep from sliding further into the man's gelatinous form. She fixed her gaze on the grimy floor, silently willing the journey to pass quickly. The rhythmic clacking of the wheels on the tracks seemed to mock her, each click a reminder of her powerlessness.

Minutes crawled by like hours. Lila's muscles ached from the tension of holding herself rigid. She dared to hope that perhaps the man would leave her be, content with the proximity of her body. A fool's hope, as it turned out.

Without warning, a meaty hand descended upon her leg. Thick, sausage-like fingers splayed across her thigh, the heat of his palm searing through the thin fabric of her skirt. Lila's breath caught in her throat, her body going rigid with fear and revulsion.

The man's touch was possessive, claiming. His fingers kneaded her flesh, inching higher with each squeeze. Lila's mind raced, torn between the ingrained need to submit and the **** urge to flee. She knew that any resistance could mark her as a troublemaker, stripping away the fragile protection afforded by her father's influence.