Ever since Frank's wife died, it had just been him and Grace.
Little by little, the girl stepped into the role her mother left behind—doing the laundry, cooking meals, and enduring Frank’s daily violence.
He yanked her hair, kicked her, and often beat her with a belt. Every day felt like it might crush her.
As time passed, Grace grew into a striking young girl. In the rural town they lived in, her beauty became a curse.
Frank’s gaze turned darker. He started making her sit on his lap, kissing her face with breath that reeked of sweat and alcohol. Every night when she showered, Grace made sure to lock the bathroom door tight. Still, sometimes she’d catch a glimpse—wild eyes peeking through the crack, full of lust and sick laughter.
It was the nightmare that haunted her childhood.
One
