Broken

Prologue

I'd had a wonderful childhood; I loved my parents, especially my father. Don't get me wrong I loved my mother too, just not in the same way I idolised my dad. He was real, when he came home from work he was no longer Mr Thomas, the merchant banker, he was just my dad. He spent his weekends with my mum and me, we were his hobbies, not golf or squash, no he was a real family man.

My mum lived for her family, but she was a little too self-obsessed to ever truly let herself go. As a girl she'd been quite a looker but with little going on upstairs, her career plan had been to marry well, and to her credit she certainly had. I knew she always thought herself lucky to land a catch like my dad. When they met 20 years ago, he'd been a rising star in his field and unlike his peers he was young and attractive.

Although 8 years her senior her parents had practically jumped for joy when he'd asked for their 19 year old daughter's hand in marriage. Now with the millstone of 40 weighing down on her, my mum spent more time conversing with the local beautician and hairdresser than she did with her family. My mother's circle of friends comprised solely of the wives of my father's colleagues. As most had traded in their original wives and were now sporting 20 something's models, my mother was feeling the pressure.

But my dad hadn't noticed, to him she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Yes, he'd always enjoyed the banter he'd shared with friends over the years. But Sylvie had seemed to get better looking with each passing year, and even now with their young brides he knew his colleagues envied him. She wasn't just attractive; she was kind, generous and loving.

Our little family was perfect; my dad was highly respected within our community. My mum didn't need to work so had made sure she was on all the important committees and an active member of all notable clubs and societies. Then there was me, I was eternally grateful for my parents' good looks, as I'd inherited my mum's delicate features and frame and my father's fair colouring.

At school I'd been one of those kids who it was generally accepted was part of the 'in-crowd'. I felt like a bit of a fraud, unlike the rest of my peers I didn't excel at anything, I wasn't a jock or a cheerleader, I wasn't a brainiac and I wasn't musically talented. No I was average, quite good at most things, but not exceptional in any, I was popular due to my parent's genes and local standing. My entire life had been spent living inside my happy, cosseted bubble, protected by the love of my family and friends. Yeah my life was perfect.

Friday had been a great day. I'd gotten my first ever 'A' in biology, the newly single, super hot, Rhys Johnson had smiled at me twice today and my parents and I were off to the coast for the weekend to visit my grandparents, yeah life was good... Obviously too good.

If I'd known what was on the other side of the door as I hurried to answer the sharp, brisk knocking I would have bolted it shut, held on to the shiny perfection that was my life and fought with my all to heart to avoid the devastating blow about to rip my world apart.