Chapter 14
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the gravel driveway as I rounded the corner of the house. My heart leaped into my throat. My stepfather, Lucas, and my biological father, Gregory were rolling in the dirt, trading blows like a pair of enraged animals. Dust and gravel flew as they grappled, their faces contorted with fury. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Stop!” I screamed, my voice cracking with a mixture of shock and terror. The sound cut through the air, silencing the brutal exchange. They froze, both men panting, their bodies bruised and bleeding, their gazes locking on me. The sight of them-my two fathers-locked in such a vicious fight, was horrifying.
My breath hitched. “What… what are you doing?” I stammered, my voice trembling. I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, the image seared into my memory.
Gregory scrambled to his feet, his face a mask of embarrassment and guilt. He tried to smooth down his rumpled suit, but the blood on his cheek and the dirt caked on his clothes betrayed his attempts at composure. Lucas slowly rose as well, his lip bleeding, his expression a mixture o anger and exhaustion.
‘Isabella,” Gregory began, his voice strained. “I… I came to apologize. I’ve learned the truth abou everything. About Jasmine. About Kevin. I was wrong.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and unconvincing. I stared at him, my heart cold. “Too late,” whispered, the words barely audible. The years of neglect, the abuse, the constant belittling-i all came flooding back. The pain was raw, a deep wound that wouldn’t easily heal.
I didn’t know,” he insisted, taking a step closer. “I didn’t know the extent of what Jasmine did.
elieved her lies. I was blind.”
shook my head, backing away. “I don’t want to see you,” I said, my voice firm despite the tremc n my hands. “I don’t want your apologies. If Kevin and Jasmine ruined my life, then you’re a par of that ruin. And I don’t want you in my life anymore.”
The words hung in the air, sharp and final. Gregory flinched, his shoulders slumping. He opene
is mouth to speak, but I cut him off.
Just go,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Leave. Don’t ever contact me again.”
He hesitated, his gaze pleading. Then, with a defeated sigh, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the gathering dusk. I watched him go, a strange mix of relief and emptiness illing me.
Lucas approached cautiously, his eyes filled with concern. He reached out, his hand hovering hear my arm before gently resting on my shoulder. “Isabella…” he began, his voice soft.
‘I’m sorry,” he whispered, his gaze dropping to the ground. “I should have protected you better. I should have seen it sooner.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I leaned into his touch, the warmth of his presence a comfort in the aftermath of the chaos. “It’s okay,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. “Sooner or later, they’re going to know. They’re going to know I was here. They’re going to know what they did. And I need to be ready for that.”
Later that evening, I sat with Troy on the porch, the sky above us streaked with hues of lavender
and gold. The air smelled of summer grass and the faintest scent of paint from my earlier work in the studio. I clutched a cup of chamomile tea between my palms, needing its calm more than
ever.
Troy was beside me, quiet but watchful. I could feel him waiting-patient, steady-as he always
was.
He finally broke the silence, his voice gentle. “You’ve been quiet since this afternoon. Do you want to talk about it?”
I stared ahead, watching the last rays of the sun dip behind the hills. For a moment, I didn’t say anything. Then I exhaled.
“My father came,” I said.
Troy looked over, brows drawn slightly. “Gregory?”
nodded. “He and my stepfather got into a fight. Literally. Like two teenagers in a gravel pit.”
‘What?” His eyes widened.
gave a short, humorless laugh. “Yeah. I stopped them before they could break each other’
aws.”
He waited, letting me take my time.
He said he was sorry,” I continued quietly. “That he finally knows the truth about Jasmine, Kevi everything. That he was wrong.”
And?” Troy prompted softly.
shrugged. “And nothing. It doesn’t change anything. I told him I didn’t want to see him again.”
Troy didn’t answer. He simply reached over and laced his fingers through mine. I held on tightl Irateful for the grounding touch.
I don’t want to think about it,” I added, my voice lower now. “Not anymore. That part of my life. t’s over. I’ve made peace with that.”
He nodded, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. “Okay.”
But the past didn’t seem to want to let go.
The next morning, there was a package at the gate. A wrapped box with no return address, but new the handwriting instantly. My heart sank. Inside was a letter and a locket-one I hadn’ seen in years. A photo of me as a baby tucked beside a picture of my mother. The letter was ong, full of apologies and desperate hopes.
want to make things right, Gregory had written. I’ve cast Jasmine out. She’s no longer part o his family. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Please, give me a chance to prove it.
There were more after that-letters, flowers, even a driver waiting at the end of the street one morning. As if he thought I would be swayed by persistence.
But I wasn’t the girl who used to beg for scraps of his attention. Not anymore.
I finally picked up my phone and called the number he’d been texting me from.
When he answered, breathless and hopeful, I didn’t waste a second.
“It’s too late,” I said simply.
Wowing cilant
He was silent.
“If you really want forgiveness, then never see me again. That’s the only way.”
I didn’t wait for a reply. I hung up.
