The Price of being Pretentious

Chapter Twenty-six: Monster

I crawled into the darkroom as I felt the stinging pain on my left cheek. I held on to one of the bookshelves in the study room to support me in my attempt to stand. I could hear my mother's sobs in the other corner, holding dad's arms trying to stop him. I know what she was doing was pointless because right now he's a beast on a rampage. I held my breath, enduring the pain. He wouldn't stop even if I begged, that's why I didn't try to beg for mercy again. I tried to fight back, but it was no use. I tried to ask for help, but the one who extended their help suffered. Even my mother couldn't protect me from the beast. What a dreadful life I had!

'Please, Henry! Stop!' Mother cried and begged.

'Stop?' He huffed after giving another blow. 'This brat had done nothing good for this family! You're a shame as a Mojan. You are not worthy to bear that name.' He spat as he tugged my hair.

Huh, what is so great about that bloody name?! Bearing it was like bearing shit my whole life. Family? He always says that like we are. What a bluff! I want to puke just to show him how disgusted I was every time he said that word. I stared at him like I could kill him with my own glaring eyes.

He snorted. 'What? You think you're that great now. You look like you have the intent to kill.' He punched me straight to my stomach.

I groaned in pain. I felt like my insides were being forced out of my body. I know I had to do something for this to stop. I couldn't tolerate this anymore. He threw me on the ground as he pulled my hair. I breathed heavily as I could. That would only mean I was still alive which was an important thing. He huffed some air with a shout. I want to stand, but I lost my strength after that hard blow. Tears were just at the corner of my eyes. I fought the urge to let them fall. I can't see anymore. I heard some steps towards the door and the sound as it shuts. I want to run, but I rebuked myself to do so. I rushed to my mom's side who was now sobbing uncontrollably. I embraced her and she hugged me back.

'Mom, let's leave this place together. I can't stay here any longer. I can't take it anymore.' I sniffed.

She was trembling as she cried. 'I know. I'm sorry, dear. I'm useless. I- I can't do anything for you.'

I shook my head as a disagreement. 'Mom. I will leave here when I reach eighteen. Please come with me. Please, mom.'

I never begged that monster for mercy, as I've said. But when I'm with my mom, I always beg her to leave with me. The sad thing was she never listened.

'You know well more than anyone that your dad wouldn't let me. But he would let you go if I stayed.' She said between the sobs.

The monster had some weird obsession over mom, I know. She was only staying with this monster to keep me safe. But the monster was not true to his words. A big fat liar. He lied that he would never hurt me if my mom stayed with him.

'Mom, no. I would never leave you. I can't let that happen. I can't live with me thinking that you were here and-,' I stopped when I felt that my tears dropped on the skin of my cheeks. Just by thinking the next words that I was about to say pained me so much.

'London, listen to me.' She said in her soft voice cupped my cheeks, leveling her eyes on mine. 'You have to live the life that you wanted for yourself. Don't ever think of coming back. I regretted every day that I brought you here with me in this house. Just run and don't look back.' She said firmly like it was an order.

We both cried as we sat on the floor on the study. Then it occurred to me the thought that I had no time to waste. I took out my phone and placed them on my mother's shivering hands.

'Mom.' I sniffed, then wiped a tear. 'I need you to do something that could help us. Put this under a shelf it could capture everything in this room and record everything. Don't tell dad about this or even let him see this, mom. If something happens to me or I can't use my phone, give the recording to Doctor Oscar Basil. The handsome doctor who nagged at dad last time. Mom, can you do it?'

She nodded repeatedly and cried again before embracing me.

'I love you, mom.' I whispered and held her tight like it was the last.

'I love you too, my little angel. And I'm sorry. Please forgive mom for everything.'

I nodded as my head rested on her shoulders. If only my mind was a recorder, I would play my mom's voice over and over. Because it felt like it would be the last time I would hear it. It felt like it was the last "I love you" that I would hear from my mother.

She surveyed the room, touched the record button before placing the phone under a bookshelf. She was sobbing as she carried it out, but still done accordingly. Mom rushed towards the door and locked it. Unsatisfied, she pushed a shelf to bolt it. I heard footsteps rushing towards the door. She ran to my side embracing me with her arms as it would protect me. But I know she was too weak to do so. There was silence for a while. The quietness broke when I heard the clattering sound of the keys. The door bumped into the shelf, but it didn't stop him. He pushed the door and the shelves fell hard on the wooden floor that made the books scattered. I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart due to fear. I jerked on every thud as he forcefully bumped the golf club on the wooden floor. I heard mom gasp, covering her mouth.

'No, please. Henry, n- not our daughter.'

He turned to me and darted his dark eyes. 'She's not our daughter, Olivia. Not my daughter. No.' He said coldly, shaking his head.

'No, you won't hurt London.' Mom said firmly.

The monster held her face pressing on his cheek with his hand. 'What did I tell you before? Huh? Your daughter won't bear my name unless she will prove herself worthy. But right now, she just made herself a shame on this family. No Mojan had ever been this disgraceful.' He seethed as his jaw clenched.

I saw tears fall from my mother's cheeks and it made me look at him darkly. I want to turn into a monster and rip his flesh to pieces. The way he treats my mom like she had no value makes my blood boil.

He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he looked at my mom. He turned to me, then cast mother on the side which made her tumble on the ground. He took a step closer, hoisted the golf club in the air, and swung it. I heard mom screamed and her sobs drowned my ears.

The pain I felt was too much to bear than what I imagined. It felt like I was about to die. I wish I would. I groaned in pain and coughed blood. Mom rushed to my side and holding up his hand to stop him from hitting me. But she didn't succeed there were times that she was hit as well.

I was already sitting, my body shook as he struck a few more times. I held my breath at the oozing pain. I think I broke a rib. My eyes were wide open as mom embraced me to shield me from more beats. But the monster threw her aside like she was nothing.

As the strike of the golf club continued, my every nerve went numb in pain. It seems that my senses were resisting the pain. My body might have understood that it was too much to bear. I closed my eyes covering my head to prevent it from being damaged. But he purposely aimed at my head and with one blow I felt the cold floor hit my face.

The monster hovered over me, looking at my pained face. He tugged my head to face him by pulling my hair. I could see the red blood dripping across my eyes.

'Oh, look at you. Pathetic! Now just you made the biggest mistake of your life.' He let go of my head with a push, then I bumped my forehead on the hardwood.

He lifted the golf club once more. The moment it hit me everything went black.

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Hello TPOBP Reader/s!

Thank you so much for supporting my book, EVERY being!

Honestly, I feel sorry for London that she had to go through this awful situation.

Any thoughts about London's stepdad?

I placed a stepdad as the villain of the story because step-mom as villains were very much common.

How about her mom? What do you want to say about her?

If you like this chapter, then stars would be very much appreciated!

Comment your reactions too, guys! I would be very glad to hear from you.

I hope you will continue supporting my book!

-JuMBA