The sound echoed in the room, loud enough to make my ears ring.
My head snapped to the side.
For a second, everything went quiet. I didn't move. Didn't breathe.
Then the sting hit.
I slowly raised my hand to my cheek, my fingers trembled as they touched the spot.
My defenses broke, and tears finally slipped out.
"You are not my son!" he shouted. "You're just as disgusting as I remember," he continued, his voice filled with anger. "Sleeping with men, stealing from them, lying…"
Every accusation tore through me.
"I'm ashamed of what you've become." He finished with a look of pure disdain.
I couldn't speak. Couldn't defend myself anymore. My voice was gone. All that came out were quiet, broken breaths.
I turned slowly. And walked away.
My room felt smaller than ever.
I wiped my face thoroughly, but the tears wouldn't stop.
I grabbed my bag with shaky hands, stuffing in what little I had.
Then I turned to the corner. "Poppy.." My cat looked up at me. I picked her up gently, placing her into a box.
"It's okay," I whispered, even though my voice kept breaking. "We're leaving."
I didn't look around the room again. There was nothing here for me.
I walked back out.
My dad's voice was still loud in the living room. "I can't believe he turned out like this!"
I paused near the door.
"He was spoiled too much when he was younger," stepmother added softly. "It's not entirely his fault."
Then, she decided to say…."Or maybe he got the filthy attitude from his mother."
My chest tightened so hard it hurt to breathe.
"I never want to see him again," my dad yelled.
That was it. That was the last thing I heard.
I opened the door. And stepped out.
——-
The rain swallowed me instantly. Soaking through my clothes within seconds.
But I didn't stop. I kept walking.
Tears mixed with the rain, blurring everything. No one could tell. No one would know just how much it hurt. That was the only good thing.
I walked until my legs felt numb. Until I didn't recognize where I was anymore, and I reached the bus station.
I sat down on the cold metal bench slowly.
People moved around me. Life kept going on like nothing happened.
I didn't move. I just… sat there, staring at the moving buses.
After a while, my hand slipped into my pocket.
My fingers brushed against something. A card.
I pulled it out slowly.
The name stared back at me. Donovan Industries.
I stared at it for a long time. Then tightened my grip.
Maybe…this was it. The sign I needed.
With shaking fingers, I pulled out my phone.
My thumb hovered over the call button for a second. Then I pressed it.
It rang.
Then…
"Hello?"
My grip tightened.
"Sir. It's Eli." My voice was quieter now. "I would like to take the job."
The rain softened slightly.
"Please… can you come pick me up at the bus station?" I closed my eyes as tears slipped out again. "I'm ready to move in."
I blinked, looking down to find Poppy rubbing against my leg.
"Just you and me, huh?" I murmured, running my hand over her head, feeling her purr vibrate against my palm..
Hope is a cruel thing; I was still waiting for a call from Dad that I knew wasn't coming.
Instead, I pulled up Mom's picture on my phone. She was smiling…the version of her I keep fighting to keep in my head. Not the version lost in hospital sheets, or the version whose hand went cold while I was still holding it.
"Mom…" my voice cracked. "I'm sorry." The words came out broken. "I tried, okay? I really did."
My throat tightened. "But… Dad hates me now."
A tear slipped down my face. The words felt heavier saying them out loud. Like admitting it made it more real. There was no pretending anymore.
Everything was silent, except the faint sound of rain hitting the pavement.
"I don't know what to do," I choked out.
My head dropped. And just like that….everything I'd been holding in all night cracked. I pressed my hand against my mouth, trying to muffle the sob, but it didn't help. It never did.
Because no matter how quiet I cried…it still hurt the same.
Suddenly, the rain stopped hitting my face. A shadow fell over me, and I looked up, squinting through the blur.
A dark umbrella was tilted over my head. Standing there, looking down at me with a look that was far too kind, was him. Phil.
"It's going to drown you, you know." The familiar deep voice said gently.
I didn't know if he meant the rain, or something else. I quickly wiped my face with the back of my hand.
He gave a small nod. "Remember me?"
I couldn't talk for a minute. So I nodded, caught between embarrassment, and something close to relief.
Phil didn't look away. It felt like he was studying me. "You okay?" he asked softly.
"Yeah. Fine." It came out way too fast.
He didn't push. He just shifted the umbrella and gestured toward the street. "The car's here. We should get moving."
I hesitated, then reached down for Poppy. I tucked her against my chest, feeling her heartbeat against mine, and stood up on shaky legs.
I paused for a second before reaching for the door. My hand hovered there.
If I got in…there was no going back to how things were. Not that there was much to go back to.
I exhaled quietly. Then I opened the door.
Maybe this is the turning point. Or maybe it's just the next thing that's going to break me.