Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
I stayed quiet.
She looked betrayed as Joseph walked her away.
I stayed frozen in place while Joseph dealt with the system out front. The cops were called. They came to speak with me. I told them everything I knew without thought. My mind was a jumbled mess. I had a stalker. My client was a stalker. My client was my daughter’s mother.
This was all too much.
Life was becoming all too much.
When the cops left, Joseph reentered my office. The look of heartbreak in his eyes was heavy. He walked over to me and slid his hands into his slacks pockets. “Are you okay, Kierra?”
I shook my head.
He nodded in understanding.
“Is she really Ava’s mother?” he questioned.
“Yes. I think so.”
“Fuck,” he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I hate to ask this, because I know it’s a lot, but I’m now very concerned. Claire told me to look at your wrists. She said Henry is hurting you the way he hurt her. So…I need to ask because I love you, Kierra. Is your husband hurting you?”
My eyes filled with tears, and I burst into uncontrollable sobs as I nodded my head. Within seconds, Joseph’s arms were wrapped around me, and as I crumbled in his embrace, he held me tighter.
Everything in my world was falling apart.
I wasn’t certain how much more my heart could take before it gave out, too.
***
I wished Henry had a work trip to fly off to. It would’ve given me a breather to gather my thoughts for a few weeks, but it appeared that he was home more than ever before. The tension of the home was indescribable. It felt as if I were walking on eggshells, not knowing what might set Henry off. Not knowing what to say or do or even think.
Ava wasn’t herself, either. I couldn’t blame her. Henry took away the one thing that made her happy, and she didn’t even get a reason why, other than “because I said so.” It was one thing when my own happiness was being stolen; watching it happen to my daughter brought about a whole other realm of sorrow.
“Why can’t I keep going to Gabriel’s?” Ava asked at dinner. “I don’t get it.”
“Well, it’s not for you to get. Besides, with you back in school, you should be focusing on your studies. Not some silly mentorship.”
“It’s not silly. And I could go after school. I can bike over there.”
“You’ll do no such thing. Stay away from that place,” Henry scolded.
“But—”
“Ava,” I cut in. “Let it go.”
“No,” she said, looking at me as if I were insane. “I’m not letting it go. Why would you side with him? You know what that mentorship means to me, Mom!”
Watching her eyes fill with tears broke my heart. I hated that I had any involvement in it. I hated that I was a big cause of her heartache. “Listen, sweetheart,” I started, but Henry cut me off.
“Stop babying her. I already said no, so that’s the end of the conversation,” he ordered.
“You’re being a jerk. You can’t stop me from going,” Ava said.
“Shut the hell up,” Henry shouted, slamming his hand against the table. “I don’t want to hear another word about that man in my house, do you fucking understand?”
I saw it happen—the moment my daughter began to shrink from her father’s tone. It was as if a bright light was being forced to dim.
At least he never yells in front of Ava.
Her tears fell down her cheeks, but she sat tall. “You’re just mad because everyone likes Gabriel more than you.”
Oh no. This wasn’t going to be good.
He cleared his throat. “Ava—”
“You are! You’re mad that I like him more than you, and Mom likes him more than you! And did you know they were in love?” My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. Oh no, Ava. Please stop… “They were in love when they were kids, and he treated her better than you ever treated her! Because he’s not a monster. She’s actually happy with him because he’s not mean to her and doesn’t hurt her feelings and doesn’t—”
“Enough!” he hollered, slamming his hands against the table again. “Shut your mouth before I shut it for you, Ava Melanie.” The whole table shook, glasses falling over. My stomach caught in my throat. The rage shooting through him sent a panic through me that I wasn’t ready to face. That I wasn’t ready for Ava to witness. His breathing was erratic.
Ava had tears rolling down her cheeks as the room filled with silence. She pushed herself away from the table, looked Henry straight in the eyes, and said, “I hate you.”
She stormed off to her bedroom, and I was right behind her.
“Ava—”
“Why wouldn’t you stand up for me?” Ava cried as I entered her room. “Why do you let him talk to you like that? Why do you let him hurt you so much?”