Little stump

CHAPTER 7

My heart dropped, he was here, he was really here. I had already known, since the day that I ran away from Scotland, that I'd be scared to confront dad again, but knowing about that fear completely paled in comparison to feeling it. I was completely frozen on the spot as he pounded the door, my eyes wide, my thoughts jumbled. I was pretty sure my nervous system had shut down. That was the only explanation for why I was suddenly so numb, right?

Diana looked panicked as she faced me, I was not the only one that was afraid of my father. She'd met him only twice, and the impression that he'd given her had permanently traumatised her. "Isn't that your dad's voice?" She asked, I looked towards her and nodded. "What's he doing here, I thought he was in Scotland" she asked, I'd told her about how he forced me to go there, and how I'd run away yesterday. She knew everything, except the fact that he was coming here, today.

"Madeline, I know you can hear me!". He did not sound pleased, his tone was filled with wrath, and I could only imagine what he'd do if he got into the house right now.

Mom stood at the door, pacing around the room and whispering to herself. She looked like she'd gone crazy, her bright expression this morning had also been completely wiped from her face. She looked mad, mad with fear.

I walked passed Diana and Damien, who gave a confused look as if he didn't understand what was happening, and went straight for my mother.

"Mom, mom, look at me" I said as I walked towards her. She immediately stopped in her tracks and gazed directly into my eyes. I held her cheeks tightly, I needed her to get it together. She couldn't go crazy on me, not right now. "It's gonna be okay" I told her, her eyes widened. I cupped her cheeks tighter and repeated the words. Her eyes suddenly snapped, like she was abruptly possessed.

"No" she said, walking back to the door, where dad was still screaming his head off. "He's not going to do this again" she said, determination in her voice.

"What do you want, Gerald?" She screamed through the door.

"Lara? Lara, is that you? How dare you ask me that question, I've come back for my daughter, the daughter that you abandoned, open this door right now!!!" The aggressiveness in his voice was seriously terrifying me.

I looked towards Diana and Damien to see them both staring at each other, Diana seemed to be telling him something, perhaps explaining the situation.

Damien listened intently, a serious expression on his face. Dad and mom continued to argue through the door, I couldn't take anymore, my ears were starting to hurt, my breathing was becoming unbalanced and my heartbeat was beating even faster now. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Madeline?" My eyes flew open, it was dad's voice, he was talking directly to me now, and his voice was softer than ever.

"Madeline, honey, it's me. It's your father, please, darling, please, open the door" the softness in his voice caught my attention, and I'm immediately tempted to open the door. Maybe I was overreacting, he was still my father afterall.

"No!" This time, it was mom's voice. I looked towards her to see her shaking her head at me, she walked towards me and clasped my hands in hers. "No, honey, don't listen to him, you know him, you know this is what he does, he's lying to you Maddy. The moment you open that door, he will turn on you". Mom's eyes were pleading, begging me not fall for his trick. His trick, my mind suddenly freed itself from dad's trance. This was his trick, it was what he always did, and it always worked.

He was a master at doing it, emotional manipulation. It was a talent of his. Anytime he did something wrong, all those times he'd hit me, all those times he'd call me horrible names and knew I was upset. It was a full proof strategy, he'd talk gently, cry and begged me until I forgave him. He would never stop, UNTIL I FORGAVE HIM. No, I wasn't going to fall this time.

"Go away, dad, no one wants you here". Even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice, I still felt incredibly guilty, he was that good at his trick.

I knew what would come next, the crying, then he'd offer me an expensive gift so I could forget everything he'd done, an elaborate strategy.

"Please, Madeline. Don't do this to your father. Please!!!!" I could hear the tears now, and they tugged at everyone of my heart strings, could I keep resisting him. I could feel my own tears coming, and mom trying to drag me in the background, but I was too far gone. The influence he had on me was too great.

No, I had to resist. "St....,sto.....stop I.....stop it, dad. Go away" I was still trying my best to hold back, but how long would I be able to do it.

"Please, honey. I know I'm strict, I know I act cruelly but it's all to ensure that you have a bright future. Why don't you come out and daddy can get you a new car as an apology, huh. You wanted a McLaren, didn't you?" There it was, phase three. A McLaren, he was literally buying his own daughter, and it was working. It wasn't the car, but the pain in his tone, the amount of anguish in his voice, that made me start moving towards the door. Mom was trying to pull me back, begging, pleading, but I couldn't hear her, all I could hear was my father, hurting and begging for me to come back to him. I had to go back to him.

"I know I act like I don't care, I know I'm meaner than most parents but, I only do that because I LOVE YOU!!!!" And just like that, the bombshell dropped. He had me in his clutches, I ran towards the door before I knew what I was doing, turning the latch and pulling it open.

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Soooooooo.............. Maddy's father is a bitch. Seriously though. Emotional manipulation is not okay 😤😤😤😤. Anyways, subscribe to my Patreon for faster updates and uncensored chapters. Link is in my..........,.wait, this isn't necessary anymore. You all already knew where it is. 😂😂😂

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