Worse for Better- Book #1 in the WF Series

Chapter 44: Nightmare

***Warning: This chapter goes into detail about sexual assault and rape. Please don't read if you feel uncomfortable with the discussion of these topics.

✩ Roman's POV ✩

My mom walks into my bedroom completely zoned out. Her eyes are redder than blood and her body looks completely bent abnormally. Her black hair is a mess, as is the dress she's wearing that seems to be a little ripped at the bottom. Her under eyes are filled with black marker, and her nose even seems to be a light shade of red.

My dad just left.

Oh no.

"Roman." She walks over to me in my race car bed as I'm playing with the new car that dad bought me. He came back this morning but said he had to go to another meeting because mom said it would be good for his company.

I had purposely gotten ready for bed early today because mom had said she was going out tonight and I already knew that meant. She got home earlier which I didn't expect, and now I'm yelling at myself for not shutting my eyes sooner to avoid this.

"I'm going to bed." I quickly turn off the lamp behind me.

"I'm tired too," she agrees as she lays in bed next to me.

I can't tell dad because mom said he'll send her to jail. I don't want her to go to jail. I've seen her take some powder into her nose, and I think that's why she does this since she always acts weird after taking it. I don't know what it's called, but I know it's probably something that doesn't make someone feel that good.

"I need some light," she requests after laying next to me for only a second.

My mom reaches over and turns the lamp back on which makes my heart quicken and my fear grow more. Her hand goes again to my thigh, and still, I'm in shock because it's something I can never get used to no matter how many times it's happened. She told me she would stop yesterday. I turned eight and she promised that the minute it was my birthday, she would never do it again. I believed her.

Instead, she did something else yesterday that I never want to talk about or have happen again, though I'm terribly frightened it might.

"Mom, please don't," I hiccup, pleading because it makes me feel sick.

Her hand comes more upwards. "Roman, I need this," she begs desperately.

"Can't you ask dad to?" I try and make her stop, but she's too determined to not leave.

"Your dad doesn't do it for me." She shrugs disgustedly.

She doesn't love him? I thought they were married? They live together, doesn't that mean they love each other?

She pulls my pajamas down and gets on top of me like she did yesterday. I suck in a breath before turning my head so that I won't have to look at her. Tears are freely falling down my eyes and I'm biting my tongue to hide the sobs. My breaths feel like they're shivering as I feel afraid for the hundredth time in a row now.

I wish my dad was here.

As I'm looking to the left of me so I don't have to look at my mom, two shadows are seen in the distance. I squint my eyes to see what's happening, but when I look back, my mom is gone all of a sudden from on top of me. The weight of her is gone, although, my fear still isn't. All I can see is someone else sounding like they're screaming for help.