x P

loft. I heard the screech of his tires on the street below, followed by the heavy slam of

floor where I'd let her drop, her pristine white yoga pants stained with the

o?" he roared, striding toward

her as if he were afraid to touch her, to cause h

ce flat. My gaze was fixed o

who had once looked at me with obsessive devotion now stared as if

nce my father to death," I replied, my calm voice a

longer hidden. It was raw, real, and it confirmed everyth

s sobbing, grabbed a fistful of her hair again, and

, scrambling to his feet

sper as I leaned close to Charity's ear. "Or I will break e

nder my hand. Her voice was a hoarse, broken whisper. "D

shit, even now. It was like g

king up the phone, is i

floor. The sight of her tears, of her blood, was clearly tearing him apart. "Let her

N

ng God, I will make you regret it for the rest ofy

y cold calm. I faltered for a second, my grip on Charit

weakness and his expression harden

I let your mother die, remember? You, of a

' d just ripped open twisting his f

Charity, who collapsed into a sobbing heap. "Arrange the transp

For a moment, I thought he might refuse, that his hatred

ss. He knelt and gently brushed a strand of bloody hair from her face. "I'll be

nd walked out, pulling his phone from his pocket and

ne, the whimpering o

slow, triumphant smile spreading across her bloody face. Th

e thick but smug. "He chose

mach t

," I said, though the words

, pathetic woman. Do you really believe that? He'

. "He told me he's hated you every single day for the last seven years. He said watching you live

sh. The room tilted, the pristine wh

ever hate

years ago, echoed in my mind. A lie. The fo

in the beginning, "Do you hate

ooked me in the eye and

n that lie, carried the weight of being the monster he had

g the knife that was already buried to the hilt in my chest. "Damaged goods. That's why you couldn't giv

pt

rr

rage washed over me, so powerful it made me dizzy. The carefully constructed wall

hink. I ju

ot just to scare her this time, but to silence her, to

yes bulging. "He's going to give me

he final, unfo

der her jaw, pressing down, cutting off her air. Her face began to turn a dusky purple. T

I wasn't go