“Get up!”A cold tide of water suddenly rushed over me, drenching my skin and clothes. I was taken aback, whipping my head around to find the source of the strange shower. There was mother standing close by with a plastic bucket still in her hands, evidently what had contained the cascade moments before. She was quite calm and composed while I on the other hand stared in shock at her daring deed in confusion.“M-mother…”My head suddenly began to throb and I moved my hand up to massage my forehead, casting a look towards my mother before a vision of Aiden suddenly appeared in my mind. It was as if he were right in front of me, but I knew that was impossible. He wasn't here. But the intense weight of his presence made it hard for me to deny what seemed like an undeniable truth in the moment - despite his physical absence, he was still very much alive in my thoughts and memories.“I-i remember everything…” I suddenly blurted out of nowhere.Mother didn’t say a word. Instead, she threw t
My heart pounded in my chest as I was forcefully pulled away from Aiden, his anguished cries for help ringing in my ears over the thundering of the sirens growing silent. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the dirt and grime that had accumulated on my cheeks.Exhaustion had become my new companion. My body felt drained and beaten, aching from the never-ending mistreatment it had endured at the hands of my mother. The physical pain paled in comparison to what I was feeling emotionally after miscarrying our baby, but her blows of violence were enough to break down even more of my defenses. The experience seemed like an eternity that I was unable to escape from, feeling completely helpless.It was as if I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders, a burden I could no longer bear.I stumbled, struggling to keep up with my mother as she dragged me away from our house. Her grip on my arm was strong and almost punishing, her nails digging into my skin and leaving behind angry r
“Take out this trash, honey.”I hesitantly reached out to accept the plastic bag, filled with the garbage, from my mother's hands. My arm trembled with trepidations of what she may do next; perhaps I was expecting her to reprimand me or drop it on the ground. But no such thing occurred. She simply let go of it delicately, and allowed it to gently rest on the ground below us. In that moment, I felt a sudden wave of relief wash over me.“You’re too slow, come back here when you’re done.” she whispered, turning around.“Y-yes, mother.”I took the garbage outside and felt the crisp wind of the forest rushing against me, bringing with it a wave of fresh air that filled my lungs with invigorating satisfaction. It was exhilarating to feel that natural energy on my skin and smell those fragrant aromas in the air as if I was standing in a wild garden of beauty. All around me there were birds singing to each other and trees rustling almost peacefully in unison.But my heart and mind are in a st
My mind was stuck in a whirl of conflicting thoughts as I looked upon my father, who I had never seen before. He seemed like a completely different person from the one I had imagined.My throat went completely dry, and all other things around us faded away - he was the only figure in clear sight in that room. Suddenly, my mind draw a vivid picture of how my mother used to treat me, how she would always resort to abuse. I couldn't help but realize that it was because of him. He became that one common denominator that connected all these events throughout my childhood.I'd managed to have an okay life without a father figure when he suddenly showed up and claimed to be the one who had been helping me all this time, it threw me for a loop.“Hey…”He took his hat off and held it close to his chest as his eyes met mine. His smile stretched from ear to ear, radiating pure joy.While I, on the other hand, found myself unable to process my own emotions. I felt myself withdrawing from the pres
Days have passed and I am feeling better physically, now that the hospital staff has been taking such good care of me. But mentally, I'm struggling to face reality after everything my mother did to me.The thought of not knowing what the future holds is almost unbearable.It's almost as if my mother has some magical ability to make the impossible seem possible. She can take on any challenge that comes her way and find a way to make it happen, no matter what the odds may be.“What are you thinking?”I caught Adam's eye when he suddenly grabbed my hand, his grip strong but gentle. He gave me a warm smile and I felt a flutter in my stomach. We were the only ones in the room at that moment since Father had gone to the nurse station to check on my record here at the hospital. The room felt strangely peaceful, filled with an odd sense of familiarity despite it being unfamiliar territory.I let out a deep sigh, my gaze dropping to the floor beneath me. It took me a handful of seconds to try
It only took me a few days to be discharged from the hospital and it all happened because of Adam’s help.To be honest, without him, I don’t know what would have become of me. His kindness was overwhelming and filled my heart with gratitude, it was just what I needed at that trying time.Even after realizing that he was not the father of my unborn child, and understanding that he had no real involvement in my life from then on, he still chose to remain by my side throughout.I owe him an unfathomable debt of gratitude that is beyond any verbal expression. Words alone will never be enough to truly convey how much this person means to me and how he has helped and supported me.“Leilani, this would be your room.”Adam swung open the door and I was astonished by the sheer size of the room, not at all what I was expecting from a guest room. It's no secret that Adam is well-off; it's hard to forget when you're regularly surrounded by his luxurious possessions. However, this magnitude of spa
I left Adam alone in his room to ensure that everything for the arrangement was looked after.As I paced back and forth, my fingers were crossed tightly while my mind was spinning with worry. Anxiety rose within me as I continued on and on without pause. My heart beat erratically in anticipation of the outcome, and sweat began to accumulate against my forehead. Despite these worrying signs of distress, I couldn't stop myself from pacing back and forth in hopes that all would turn out alright in the end.I know I should not expend too much energy worrying about my father's case, and that Aiden is also somewhere out there. In order to try and gain some sort of peace of mind, I shut my eyes closed and take a few deep breaths. The past few days have been an immense strain on me both physically and mentally, but here I am still standing tall even if it feels like the walls are closing in around me.“Leilani…”Before I could be fully swept away by my own thoughts, the door suddenly slammed
Deciding on my own has always been a struggle for me. I grew up with a mother who treated me harshly, always telling me I was useless and too dumb to make any sound decisions. Even now, I could feel the sting of those words echoing in my head. It's something that will never fully go away. The tears streamed down my face as I told Adam to drive us to where my father was. Aiden was expecting our reunion, and it hurt me that I wasn't able to fulfill his wish. Adam’s car seemed to almost take off with the speed he was driving. I was a bundle of nerves, my eyes focused ahead of us on the road. We had driven for what felt like an eternity before we came to a stop at the scene of where my father had previously been seen. I was dreading what we might find, not knowing if he'd still be there or what state he'd be in. I almost had to force myself to make it out the door. As soon as my feet stepped out of the house, I saw a large number of officials and witnesses encircling the area. Despite