Revenge

Chapter 9 Tiffany's Secret

The news played the story of the fires repeatedly drilling it in people's heads. Tiffany couldn't mute the TV. She couldn't turn it off. Her heart wouldn't let her. She had spent the past few months drowning herself in alcohol. Trying to rid the pain she had so deep in her gut. She no longer felt the need to get up and play the perfect housewife because she never was. She never will be.

He had beat her many times for silly things she had done. Once he slapped her for accidently burning his food when trying to stop the kids from destroying the kitchen. The sting hurt and had hurt for weeks. It was the first time he had hit her and it got worse every time, but she loved him. No matter how many times he knocked her to the floor or told her she was nothing, she loved him. He took care of her and the kids. He spoiled them with things they wanted. For Christmas, he had bought her a diamond ring that cost more then their home. She had been proud of that ring. But she had pawned it after his funeral just to get by. He didn't leave them any money. He locked the money away so she would never get it. And for that she hated him.

Something else had her upset. Something that she always felt she knew but denied it. Emma had told the police what had happened to her and her sister, but she never had once told her. When she had that small argument with Emma after finding out, she had gone home to question her kids. Growing up, her mother taught her that most people don't believe it, but kids tell the truth. They tell you what you need to know that is harmful to them or anyone else and so she had asked the questions she dreaded.

She had noticed small things in the past with John that had made her think he was doing it, but she shoved those thoughts aside not wanting to think ill of her husband. She noticed how he seemed friendlier to the girls then a father should be and how he always wanted them to be close by when he went to bed at night. At the time, it was just a unique relationship Tiffany believed he had with the girls, but now it all became so clear. She was seeing it all through a new pair of eyes.

John never let the girls stay in his room with him while she was in the room and he always demanded the girls sleep with them because he claimed they were too scared to sleep alone. The girls were never afraid to sleep alone. On nights when he worked late, she would tuck them in and they would sleep peacefully. But when he was home early, it changed. A part of her had seen the signs while the other part of her pushed those thoughts away. She didn't want to believe that a man could be that evil. That he could do such horrid things to his own children. Because of this information, she forced herself to get rid of the memories. She drank like she never drank before. She smoked several packs in less than a week. She tried to stay busy doing the dishes or vacuuming the floors just so she wouldn't think about the man she had loved so much.

Her children told her the truth, but refused to go into details about it. They were Emily and Emma's age and smart enough to know that mom didn't need to know everything. But Macy was suffering the most and Tiffany could see it in her eyes. She could see the pain every time her dad was mentioned. Was it because she trusted a man who hurt her?

Alcohol was not strong enough to fight the regret that clouded Tiffany's mind. She felt bad for yelling at Emma who only told the truth. She should have trusted that Emma was a good person, but her love for John was stronger and she had pushed away any cruel things said about him. She cried to her mother who she hadn't spoken to in several years. Her mother just listened and when her crying session was over, her mother finally spoke.

"You have closed your eyes to what's in front of you and thought you knew better. Now the ones you love the most have been hurt. Don't you regret not listening to me when I told you he was bad news?"

Tiffany remembered very well. It was a party she attended every year with her parents hosting some of the wealthiest families in the city. She met some fascinating people, but none like John Newson. He had caught her eye during the party and nothing could pull her away. He spent the whole night flirting with her and making her fall in love. When her mother found out they were dating weeks later, she insisted her daughter leave him because he was bad. Tiffany ignored her mother and now she has returned to her mother devastated. Instead of consoling her, her mother was telling her she was warned.

Remembering all this made her drink more and cry less. She hated herself for this. She wished she could take it all back, but she couldn't. Nothing could change what was already done.

Pictures of John were piled into the fire pit in the back yard along with his clothes and a few of his trinkets. She no longer wanted to be reminded of him. She wanted to get rid of his memory. As she lit the match and watched it all burn, she felt the freedom she never felt before. It didn't take the pain away, but it helped let loose the anger she had boiling inside. He would no longer hurt her or her children. She would no longer let him have power over her. From this day on, she planned on taking charge of her own life.

"Mom?"

She turned to see Tracy standing on the porch watching her mother stare at the flames with satisfaction. Tracy was the oldest. She had her father's eyes and her mother's beautiful long dark auburn hair. She was the one who passed every class with straight A's and still played sports without ever missing an assignment. She led others with determination and compassion. She was the one at home studying while others went out to party.

She watched her mother with surprise. Seeing her father's things burning to a crisp was even more shocking.

Tiffany looked away from daughter feeling ashamed. She was supposed to protect them, but she didn't. She had failed as a mother.

"This will be a fresh start for all of us. We can move on and live better lives."

Tracy stepped beside her mother and watched her father's treasures burn.

"You knew."

Those words froze Tiffany. She looked at her daughter hurt she would say that though there was truth to it.

"I'm so sorry. I should have stopped this before it got this far. Forgive me?"

Tracy hugged her mother and that was forgiveness enough. It made Tiffany feel much better.