Chapter 3 The One Who Got Away
723 Words
I ran out and saw it wasn't Daddy.
It was the woman from yesterday — the one trying to steal my daddy. Genevieve.
She walked into the foyer like she already owned the place.
I blocked her way, wouldn't let her into Mommy's room.
Seeing me standing there, she called out from the doorway, "Vivienne, Edward was mine to begin with. Haven't you hogged him for six years long enough?"
I didn't understand. Hogged? Daddy was always the one bullying Mommy.
I'd seen it before. Daddy would climb on top of Mommy in bed and bite her.
Mommy would make sounds like she was hurt, but she never pushed him away.
"You're lying! Daddy was always Mommy's!" I yelled back at her.
Mommy had told me — Daddy proposed to her, bought this estate as their wedding home.
Everything in the house, Mommy had designed and arranged herself.
Even Daddy's clothes — Mommy picked them out, one piece at a time, custom-made.
Back then, Daddy would hold Mommy's hand and say, "'Til death do us part."
But now Daddy didn't want us.
He only held Genevieve's hand, every day, with her.
I didn't know why Daddy broke his promise. But I wasn't going to let anyone steal my daddy.
Genevieve didn't get an answer from Mommy for a long time. She issued her ultimatum.
"Not just Edward. This house is mine too. You've played house in my place long enough — time to give it back. You have one week to vacate the premises."
I was so mad.
This was my and Mommy's house. Why did we have to give it back to her?
I screwed up my face into the meanest look I could manage. "This is my mommy's house. We can stay as long as we want."
Genevieve looked at me cold. "Emma Hale, I'm about to marry your father. You should start calling me Mom."
Her eyes were scary, like she wanted to swallow me alive.
I wanted Mommy to wake up right now and chase this bad woman away.
But Mommy was still sleeping.
I clenched my little fists to make myself brave. "I only have one mommy, forever."
Genevieve's eyes went sharp. Her hand came up like she was going to slap me.
I jumped, my whole body shaking.
But then she seemed to think of something. She put her hand back down.
"Every day you don't move out, I won't let Mrs. Hennessey bring you any food. Let's see how long you two can hold out."
She shot me a vicious glare, turned, and walked out.
The front door slammed so hard the whole house shook.
I ran back to Mommy, my whole body trembling.
"Mommy, that bad woman tried to hit me..."
I told Mommy what happened, big tears dropping one by one.
But Mommy just lay there, eyes closed, not answering.
The light outside got dim.
A whole day passed, and no one brought food for me and Mommy.
I couldn't find anything else to eat in the house, and Daddy didn't come see me.
Me and Mommy, in this house, no one checking on us.
I was so hungry I couldn't take it. I remembered there was a tree near the second-floor veranda.
Mommy had said Daddy planted it the year I was born. An old oak tree.
Acorns. Acorns meant our family of three would be safe and sound, the three of us together.
I ran to the veranda to look. The old oak's lowest branch was still too far. Even on my tiptoes, I couldn't reach the half-green, half-brown acorns.
When I used to play and try to grab the acorns, Daddy would always snap at me, say I didn't act like a proper little girl.
But Mommy would scoop me up, lift me high, and we'd pick the perfect acorns together.
If I went out to pick them now, would Mommy come out and help me?
I dragged the step stool out, climbed up, and leaned half my body over the veranda railing.
Just as I reached my hand out to grab a branch, I saw some kids playing on the road below.
One of them saw me and started shouting.
"Look! Emma Hale, the little orphan freak, came out! She's the one who made her mommy and daddy get divorced!"
- Writer
