I was terrified all the time.

I couldn't go on like this. I was even afraid of my own shadow.

I heard a noise downstairs and I knew Allan was home. He was probably searching the cabinets for his stash of alcohol. He was more violent when he was drunk.

I heard my stomach grumbled again. I was really hungry, but I couldn't go downstairs, because he would see me and find a reason to hit me.

I really don't know why my mother had married him. What had she seen in him? I don't know why I ask that question, because I already knew the answer. He was rich and my mother needed the money.

Dad died when I was ten and we started to have money issues. My mother had to do something in order for us to get by, so a year later she married Allan. She didn't love him and I knew he didn't love her either.

Her Saving Grace

Here we go again. I sighed in frustration and rubbed my temples. "I'm tired, Dad. Can we not talk about this right now?"


"The hell we will!" He shouted. "We are going to talk about it now!"


I wish I was fully drunk, so that I didn't have to bear having this conversation. I was just a little tipsy and he knew that.


Dad took a breath to calm himself, then continued quietly. "Carson, we have to talk about this. You can't keep avoiding this discussion."


"We have talked about it already, but you don't want to listen to what I have to say." I said. He just doesn't get it.


"You think you know what's best, but you don't. You're young and unwise. Take it from me," Dad said. "I'm just trying to prevent you from making a bad decision."


Chapter 20