Forgiveness and Punishment

16

"My father died six months before I left this hell hole. That was the night many secrets were revealed and my world shattered. The night I left that is. Although, it didn't take much to make me shatter. I did shatter when my father was killed.

"My father was the only one to ever show me any affection. Well, that's not entirely true. My youngest sibling, Tad, he was thrust into my care when he was born. I loved that boy so much. But once he grew up enough he realized that he shouldn't love me, he should hate me. After all his beloved older brother did.

"I was twelve the day Tad rejected me for the first time and started showing me the same kind of hate my other brother and sister showed me. Hate they learned from their whore of a mother.

"I was eighteen when everything came to a head.

"My grandmother on my father's side had died a few years previously. I had been left the jewels you found in my apartment. They had been held in trust for me until I reached eighteen years of age.

"Six months to the day of my father's death I received my inheritance from my grandmother. I was unable to get a secure location for them that night it was too late to open a security box at the bank. I had tests at school, finals to graduate early, that I couldn't miss. I did the best I could to hide the packages at home.

"It wasn't good enough. 

"My sister and mother found them, unwrapped them in my room then stole them. They were stupid enough to post photos of them wearing the stolen jewels on their social media accounts. I had voice recordings of my mother telling me that she and my sister were going to steal them from me. So when I called the police to report them stolen I had my proof. Between the will, the photos that came with the will of the jewels, and the recording they were arrested for grand theft.

"My brothers were sent to foster care and as I was about to go to the police station to regain my jewels, that's when my father's lawyer, Mr. Lister, called and asked to see me that night.

"He was more than a little amused when I told him where I was heading and why. He assured me that he didn't need to see my mother, but did need to see me.

"What he told me blew me away. My father left me every thing. Then I found out that, that bitch wasn't even my mother and my youngest brother, Tad wasn't even my brother by blood.

"The bitch had drugged my father and basically raped him repeatedly when he was engaged to my biological mother. The bitch either lied and told him that she was pregnant with his child or she miscarried. I'm willing to bet that she lied.

"My father was a good man and wanted to do right, so although he loved my biological mother, he married the bitch. It was only after he broke my mother's heart that he found out that she was pregnant with me.

"She died during childbirth, I nearly did. Her death was suspicious, but there was no leads or evidence so it was closed.

"A little over a year after my birth, the twins, Sarah and TJ or Terence James was born. Honestly I don't know why my father stayed with that bitch. He had to hire nannies to take care of us because the bitch couldn't be bothered.

"I saw a parade of men go with my mother to her bedroom while growing up. One of the most frequent visitors was my father's best friend. Turn's out he's Tad's father.

"My father never said anything about him knowing what was going on, but he had cameras placed throughout the house and knew. He knew all the secrets, but he still didn't divorce the bitch. Never did understand why. 

"What hurts the most is knowing that because of the cameras he knew what I was going through when he wasn't home. The only love I ever felt was from him and my grandmother.

"So, once they were dead, there was no reason for me to stick around. I finished my studies early, had been accepted into college and was just waiting to find out how much my trust was, to leave.

"That's what I thought the lawyer was going to tell me.

"Instead he told me that everything was mine. That my father had put my name on all the accounts and properties. He hadn't done that with my mother. Even the joint account they had, had my name on it. I emptied that account before I left.

"I had Mr. Lister be retained to help me. I had him sell that house and a couple of other properties. Then I had him add to Tad's trust to be equal to his siblings. I didn't think it fair that he not get as much even though my father didn't have to leave him anything. 

"Besides Tad looking just like his married best friend, my father had a DNA test proving that Tad wasn't his.

"I took my things to this hotel, for the first and last time I stayed in my father's penthouse. Turns out that my father would stay away from home, here, to avoid the bitch." Melissa stops to get control. She still has a hard time understanding if her father really loved her since he left her in that toxic environment. She thinks that he left her everything more as an effort to piss off her bitch step mother.

"At the police station I talked to the detective that had my family arrested and brothers taken to foster care. I dropped the charges so that I could retrieve my property, but when Marissa, the bitch, came out she started verbally and physically assaulting me. The detective was still with me and arrested her and helped me fill out the paperwork for a restraining order.

"I have never seen either of them since. Nor have I seen my brothers since they cussed me out for having their mother and sister arrested."

"I see. I am sorry you went through that, Melissa." Timothy says softly his heart hurting for the girl Pimpernel.

"Let's get out of the water for my story." Timothy suggests, he doesn't want to talk about his maker while only partially dressed or be around Melissa while she's partially dressed.

"Okay," Melissa is amenable and goes over to the side and pulls herself out of the pool. Timothy is unable to tear his eyes away from her. Damn he hurts again.