Chapter 2
Thank God for my dad. He’s the only one who still treats me like a human being.
But with his job taking him out of town constantly, I’m still at Mom’s mercy whenever he’s gone.
Somehow, I’ve survived this long.
Lying in that hospital bed, with my entire body feeling like one massive bruise, this empty coldness spread through me.
Mom stood over me, still looking at me like I was something that needed to be exterminated.
I couldn’t help myself. “Mom, why do you hate me so much? Just tell me what I did wrong so I can fix it!”
I genuinely wanted to know what my crime was.
But when she met my tear–filled eyes, she just let out this mocking laugh. “I beat you because I fucking feel like it! Only thing I regret is not finishing the job!”
She said it so casually, like she was discussing the weather, not admitting she wanted her daughter dead.
My hope died right there in that sterile hospital room.
Additionally, I could sense that this time, she had actually tried to kill me.
Thank God I’d managed to call my boyfriend, Adam, before I blacked out.
Suddenly, my thoughts were cut short as the door flew open with a bang.
Adam burst in with three uniformed cops right behind him.
The lead officer stepped forward, slapping handcuffs on my mother’s wrists.
“Mrs. Mitchell, you’re under arrest for domestic assault. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a
court of law.”
The cops might as well have been furniture for all my mother cared. Her face remained as cold and unreadable as a poker player with a royal flush.
Adam stared at my battered body and completely lost it.
“What the actual fuck is wrong with you?!” he shouted at my mother, his face flushed with rage. “Is Emma even your biological kid? Because I’ve seen crack addicts treat stray dogs better than you treat your own daughter!”
“You sick, twisted witch–you don’t deserve to be called a mother!”
Adam’s hands were balled into white–knuckled fists, trembling with the effort it took not to swing at her. I could tell the only thing stopping him was that unwritten rule about not hitting women.
Knowing someone still had my back made the pain fade, just a little.
The lead officer stepped forward. “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to explain these injuries.”
My mother didn’t even acknowledge him. Just stared straight ahead like he wasn’t worth her time.
Adam jumped in, his voice shaking with rage. “I’ll testify. I’ve seen my girlfriend covered in bruises multiple times. This psycho needs to be locked up
before she-”
My mother’s laughter cut through the room like a knife.
With calm, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her iPhone, beckoning Adam with one perfectly manicured finger.
7.4%
Chapter 2
“Come here, boy. There’s something you should see.”
♡ (0)
(0)
