Opposites At First Sight

Chapter 1 〰The Good Girl〰

Taylor

You're my good girl.

That's what my father used to tell me.
I was his good girl. And he was my dearest daddy.

It was 7 years ago, the last time I heard him say those words to me.
But, it wasn't the last time anyone said them to me.

It was 5 years ago, when my mother remarried. She said that it was for my sake. For my education. For our survival.
So then, that man became my step-father. A substitute for my real one.

He was a professor. A professor at my school. He was the one who proposed the marriage. Telling her, it would be the best for me. I wondered, whether he really had the best intentions in mind when he married her. Whether the intention for his abuse came before or after the marriage.

Regardless, it began a year after he became my step-father.
He had been abusing me ever since.

I didn't know whether he somehow knew what my father used to tell me. But he says those same exact words to me as if I were his own daughter.

"You're my good girl".

I never really cared what he said to me. Especially his compliments. But I really didn't like him saying those words to me. Especially those words. Why those words? I would never know...

He'd say those words to me right before abusing me.

Those words were once my pride and joy. But now, I would never take it in the same way... because the person who said it, was totally different.

My mom would be at work and if I didn't keep it a secret, he'd tell me, things would start getting very bad for me and my mother. And I really didn't want that. I didn't want to bring my mom any more misfortune. Not again.

He only pays for our needs, though. Even he doesn't get that much. Everything I have to buy comes from my mom's money, so I don't have much to use. We barely scrape by.

I do have suicidal thoughts... always right after the abuse. But I could never do it. I couldn't leave my mother alone. And my father would want me to be strong...

...

And strong I will be.

I've started looking at the words, "You're my good girl" for the way my real father said it. To be a good girl. A good and strong girl.

***

It was Monday.
The last two days I mostly spent it studying day and night. The semesters were close by so I had to spend my time studying.

So I went through my usual daily routine and went to school.

When I got down from the bus, I saw my friend waiting for me.
I smiled and walked towards her, my bag hanging on my right shoulder.

"Yo, Charity", I said, waving at her.

"Taylor," She smiled and waved back, and then we walked together to school," Is it just me or did you do an all-nighter this weekend, too?"

I looked at her, surprised and said," You did an all-nighter? You?"

"Hey," She looked at me, offended,"I study, too! And I do all-nighters, too!"

"Okay, okay," I said,"I believe you... I do!"

She scowled at me," You better!" She said and stuck her tongue out at me.

I smiled and stuck my tongue out at her too.

Then we made our way through the garden and into the school halls and then into the corridors.