GloryI continued to notice Candace and Harald, who seemed closer than ever, and this closeness did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room, especially me. I felt a slight nausea at the way they leaned into each other, almost as if the rest of the room had disappeared. It was painful to watch. But what bothered me most was my inability to react. All I wanted to do was scream, get up from that table, and confront them. However, I knew it wouldn't change anything. What would I do? Would I reveal our secret to everyone? The consequences would be catastrophic for all of us, including me.As the food was served, I tried to focus on what was on my plate, but my appetite was nil. Candace's perfume reached me, mixed with the aroma of roast turkey, and her shrill laughter echoed in my ears like sonic torture. With each laugh, it seemed like she was reinforcing her victory—the fact that Harald now belonged to her, not me. How did I let this happen? When did I lose control of the situation?Haral
HaraldAs we all sat at the dinner table, I couldn't help the feeling of discomfort that washed over me. It was as if the pressure was increasing with each passing second. The atmosphere was tense, almost suffocating, and I knew that, at any moment, something could collapse. The truth is, I've always felt this way around Charles and Bruce. No matter what I did, it never seemed to be enough.And it was at that moment, as I looked around, that something inside me began to boil. I don't know if it was the arrogant way my father looked at me, as if I were inferior to him, or Bruce's sarcastic laugh, always waiting for me to fail. Something broke, and before I could control myself, the words were out of my mouth."Dad," I began, my voice firmer than I expected. "Why did you always look down on me? Why did you always treat me like I was nothing, while you glorified Bruce? What did I do to deserve this?"Charles stopped cutting the meat on his plate and looked up at me, as if surprised by my
GloryI sat there at the table as chaos began to unfold before me. I knew that discussion was inevitable. Ever since Harald decided to go his own way, away from Charles's oppressive shadow, I knew everything would blow up. Still, I wasn't prepared for the whirlwind of emotions that hit me at that moment.The sharp, cutting words that Charles spoke to Harald always bothered me. Although I never had enough courage to face my husband, as Harald did now, my heart sank whenever Charles belittled his own son. Even with all the resentment I felt towards Harald for ignoring me and being completely enchanted by that slut Candace, I couldn't deny that he deserved, at the very least, respect that was never given to him. And there, at that moment, she was defending him, not me. Candace was standing up to Charles, something I had never had the courage to do.I looked at Harald. His eyes were fixed on Candace, shining with admiration. I couldn't help but feel a lump in my throat. He never looked at
NancyAs I watched the Morton family disintegrate before my eyes, I remained silent, appearing to be the submissive, irrelevant wife everyone expected me to be. But inside, my mind was buzzing with satisfaction. Finally, those masks were coming off. Seeing those dogs fighting each other as if they were beasts trapped in a cage was what I always wanted. Every hateful word and every look of contempt between them was a gift to me. My wish, always hidden, was that they would all fall and that they would destroy themselves with their own hands.Sitting there, with my face impassive, I watched the pathetic spectacle unfold. When Harald stood up and left with Candace, I felt a twinge of something that could almost be described as admiration. Not for Candace, of course. But Harald... there was something about him that set him apart from the others. He wasn't a real Morton, not like Bruce or Charles. And that always put him in a different position, one that Charles would never accept.Charles,
NancyI had already gotten used to Bruce's accusations. To him, everything that was wrong in our lives—everything that didn't follow the Mortons' perfect plan—was my fault. And at that moment, as he launched into the issue once again, blaming me for what Amber had become, I felt the weariness and anger building up inside me like poison."You raised Amber badly, Nancy. She turned into this angry girl because you never disciplined her properly!" Bruce's voice echoed through the room angrily, and his eyes fixed on me as if I were to blame for everything bad in his life.I looked down at the coffee he was pouring, my hands shaking slightly as I poured the hot liquid into the cups placed in front of him and Charles. We were in the living room, both of us sitting in leather armchairs in front of the fireplace, while I moved like a servant, obedient and silent."Amber has no respect for men. She doesn't have an ounce of submissiveness or modesty. Of course that's coming from you," Bruce cont
AmberI was there, smoking in the cold, hiding, trying to find some kind of relief in the smoke that rose and disappeared in the freezing Denver air. Everything has felt so out of control lately. The Morton family was falling apart before my eyes, and I, in the midst of this chaos, felt more lost than ever. Cigarettes had become a crutch, an escape. I knew it wasn't the best solution, but it was what I had at the moment.When I saw my mother approaching, my heart skipped a beat. Shit! She had seen it. I threw the cigarette on the floor, stepping on it, as if that would erase the evidence of my addiction. But there was no hiding it, not from her. I knew she noticed.I tensed, expecting some kind of scolding, or maybe even worse. Nancy was never a woman with sweet words, especially when she was hurt. And I knew I had hurt her deeply. What I did in the past—selling my own mother, betraying her trust—was unforgivable. But I had no choice – or at least that's what I told myself every night
AmberI followed my mother into the kitchen, where she had returned to her chores. Nancy, as she always was, seemed to find some kind of solace in mundane tasks like washing dishes. The water was running in the sink, and the sound of the plate scraping the metal sounded muffled, distant, as I felt the weight of what I had just heard in the garden.I couldn't contain myself any longer. Something inside me was screaming to come out, like I needed answers or, maybe, relief. Anything to relieve the pressure that had been building since our family began to fall apart.“Mom, why did you say those things like that outside?” My voice was more hesitant than I expected, but it was charged with the desperate need to understand.She continued to focus on the dishes, scrubbing hard, without looking at me immediately. For a moment, I thought she was going to ignore my question. Her silence reminded me of how, as a child, I feared her for this same behavior. She always knew how to use silence as a p
GloryAfter dinner, I stood in front of the mirror in my room, staring at my own reflection with my mind spinning with thoughts. Everything was happening so fast. Harald was finally creating his own business, something he had always wanted to do. Maybe that would be to my advantage. If he could achieve success and become the rich man I always knew he could be, his divorce from Candace would only be a matter of time. And when that happened, he would be free to marry me. After all, despite everything, I still believed that Harald loved me.I ran my fingers through my hair, watching the brunette waves fall to my shoulders. I was beautiful—even more beautiful than Candace. And smarter too. I knew how to play the power game, and so far, I was doing well. Even though my morals were long forgotten, there was no turning back. I wouldn't be like my parents, living a miserable life on the sidelines of everything. I would be rich and powerful, and I would do anything to ensure that.While I was