Chapter Two

Chapter two:

Flashback 

"I don't know why you have to drag me to your mother's house?" I roll my eyes, seeing the frustration grow in Dixon. I'm constantly forced to be around people, I just can't stand. And the mentally hard part is, I feel guilty. Am I a hateful person? This person didn't only destroy my reputation with people I don't know personally, but she has ruined friendships I've had for many years with lies, just negative things about me that's not even true. 

"Because we are our family Hannah and families do things together." His words buzzed my mind. What message would I send to my son if I didn't show up to a family dinner? Would I be applying, I'm not part of the family? His family?

"Fine." I like the breath escaping my lungs.

I watch as my son happily skips into the kitchen. He is so little and so underwear of feelings. He has no idea how I feel about his grandmother or doesn't understand how badly she treats me. Of course, he doesn't see her hit me or kick me things that children register as painful. He doesn't understand the many years of mental abuse I suffered. I'm not good enough as Mom or wife, hell I'm not even registered as a human being in her eyes. 

Hours later, I walk into the worst house in the world, the house where I'm not good enough and the house where everybody is better than me. 

"Grandma," my son rushes to see the person he thinks is so lovely. He doesn't see the woman tormenting his mom. And the hard part is I don't want him to. I don't want him to see what ugly looks like, stupidity and jealousy.

"Hannah." My mother-in-law snorts and walks into the kitchen. 

"Everything smells, just wonderful mom," Dixon tells her, giving the evil witch a big hug.

"Oh well, we all know you don't get a decent meal you come from." She wrinkles her nose up at me, and she says these words. 

"Mother, she's starting to be a better cook."

Even with the insults, I shut my mouth. If I say anything, I'll be the bad guy, Dixon, and I will just fight tonight. I'm supposed to have the utmost respect for his mother, and yet she treats me so poorly. 

Dixon winks at me, apparently he's proud of himself, like he stuck up for me and solved the problem. 

This time I couldn't help rolling my eyes. I almost hate him too, and I never wanted that to be the case. 

I take my place at the kitchen table, because there's nowhere else for me to be in this house. I don't fit in anywhere. I can't go talk to his father, because he feels the same way about me. He also ate a bowl full of lies. 

"So are you going to start going to the gym and try to get some of that baby weight off?" My mother-in-law, who thinks she's a super thin woman, probably weighs the exact same as me. She had a baby 30 years ago, and somehow that's a valid excuse for being chubby. I had a baby 8 years ago, and it's just an abomination that I am not as thin as I used to be.

"No, if I can't work, than I can't go to the gym, right?"

I have a partly collapsed lung due to some rare lung condition. She loves to torment me about all the things I can't do anymore. 

"I think you're using that as an excuse."

"You're exactly right, I think I asked to be sick."