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「 Maevie 」
The punch lands squarely on my jaw, sending me flying to the carpet. I was expecting it, so it doesn't hurt as much as the first. "You live under my roof you ungrateful bitch, I could kick you out and then what? Hmm? Think twice before you act that way again you piece of shit."
Aww Daddy's upset with me? What will I ever do?
The old man sneers at me one more time and kicks me in the ribs for good measure before he walks off, my weekly pay in hand. Fuck you dad.
Henry creeps into the room and helps me up, concern littering his features. "I'm fine," I reassure him. "Just a few punches nothing I can't handle." Thank god Ava and Scarlett are asleep right now.
"How much did he take this time?"
"The same as usual," I sigh, wincing a little from the sting in my face. "But it doesn't matter, I've got it covered."
Henry is silent for a moment before he huffs indignantly, grabs me by the wrist and pulls me out of the hallway, up the stairs and into my bedroom. He checks the lock on the door twice before he spins around and hisses at me, "you got another job didn't you?"
"It doesn't matter Hen."
"Yes it fucking does Mae. That's three jobs on top of that fancy ass school and looking after us? You're going to overwork yourself to the brink of death!"
"Language," I warn, trying to steer this conversation away from me.
"No who cares about that? Right now I care about you not sending yourself to an early grave because you're overdoing it." His eyes are ablaze with anger.
"That pig down there only wins if we let him win, Henry. I'm not letting him do that. I'm not letting him take away the precious money I earnt to get us out of this shithole. I'm not letting him have more power over me than he already does."
"He'll find out about the job; he'll want more Mae. Why can't you see that?"
"Why can't you see I'm trying to get us out of here Henry!" I exclaim. "Why can't you see that I'm working my ass off to get us out of this place, out of this town? Somewhere that that prick downstairs won't be able to find us. Because I sure as hell cannot keep living like this. I'll take on as many jobs as I have to, to make sure that those girls have a better shot at a normal childhood. I refuse to let Haylee grow up with this, to let Ava and Scarlett continue to cower in fear, to have you come home every afternoon all bruised because you've been getting in fights to win money."
Henry winces at that, he opens his mouth to say something but a soft knock on the door has our heads jerking towards it.
The only person who would actually knock on my door – and is awake – right now is Lila so I quickly unlock it and open it to her worried face.
