he next morning, Tim woke up in Lucy's bed, the events of the previous night flooding back to him. He felt a sense of dread, but also a strange kind of relief. He wasn't alone anymore. Lucy was beside him, and together, they would figure out a way to escape the nightmare that was his home life.
After breakfast, Lucy called Angela and asked her to come over. Angela arrived within the hour, her expression grim as she listened to Tim's story. She had known things were bad, but hearing the full extent of the abuse made her blood boil.
"We have to go to the authorities, Tim," Angela said firmly. "Your dad can't keep getting away with this. We need to get you out of there."
Tim hesitated, the thought of confronting his father terrifying him. "What if he finds out? What if it makes things worse?"
Angela reached out and took his hand, her grip strong and reassuring. "We won't let that happen. We'll make sure you're safe, okay? You don't have to do this alone."
Lucy nodded, her eyes full of determination. "We'll be with you every step of the way, Tim. We'll go to the police, and we'll get you somewhere safe."
With Angela and Lucy by his side, Tim found the strength to do what he never thought he could. They went to the police station that afternoon, where Tim told an officer everything—about the beatings, the threats, the fear that had ruled his life for as long as he could remember.
The officer was kind and understanding, taking Tim's statement and assuring him that they would take immediate action. Within hours, social services were involved, and arrangements were made for Tim to stay with Angela's family temporarily until a more permanent solution could be found.
