Buried Truth

A sharp sound dragged her out of sleep.

Her mind was disoriented; she opened her eyes, staring into the darkness of the room.

Beside her, the bed was empty.

She sat up slowly, sensing something was wrong.

Pulling the blanket off her legs, she slid out of bed, her bare feet meeting the cold floor. The silence in the room felt unnatural compared to the tension rising from downstairs. She hesitated at the door, her hand hovering over the knob.

You think you can act like nothing happened?!”

Jayden.

Her stomach rumbled.

She opened the door.

The voices became clearer as she stepped into the hallway, each word cutting through the quiet like glass.

“You don’t get to act like a father now!” Jayden’s voice was rough, filled with anger.

Her pulse quickened as she moved toward the stairs, each step heavier than the last.

“Watch your tone when you speak to me,” Richard’s voice came, low.

She reached the top of the stairs and froze.

The scene was chaotic.

Jayden stood near the center of the living room, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His eyes burned with a fury she had never seen so openly before.

Richard stood opposite him, his posture rigid, his jaw tight, his expression carved from stone.

The tension between them was suffocating.

“If you had really cared about me,” Jayden’s voice broke slightly, but he didn’t stop, “you wouldn’t have left me and Mom to suffer just so you could go around sleeping with other women.”

The words landed heavily.

And then Richard's hand moved with the speed of light.

The sound echoed through the house.

Jayden’s head snapped to the side from the impact.

Her breath caught in her throat.

“Stop!” she gasped, already running down the stairs.

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst as she rushed toward them.

“Babe, calm down,” she said quickly, grabbing Richard’s arm.

But he wasn’t listening.

His eyes were locked on Jayden, dark and unreadable; she had never seen him this angry.

Jayden straightened slowly, his hand brushing his cheek, his chest heaving as he glared back at his father.

“Go ahead,” he spat. “Hit me again. That’s all you’re good at anyway.”

And that was it.

Richard lunged forward.

“No!” she cried, trying to hold him back.

But in the struggle, his elbow jerked backward and hit her hard.

She stumbled, her balance gone, and before she could catch herself, she hit the floor.

Pain shot through her side as she shot her eyes.

Then Jayden rushed to her side.

“Are you okay?” Jayden’s voice cut with panic.

He was beside her in an instant, his hands hovering over her like he didn’t know where to touch without hurting her more.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, though her voice was shaking. She winced as she pushed herself up, accepting his hand when he offered it.

The room was silent.

Across from them, Richard stood frozen.

The anger that had consumed his face moments ago was replaced with regrets.

His eyes lingered on her for a second.

But he didn’t say a word; instead, he turned.

And walked to the door, then slammed it behind him.

She swallowed hard.

Jayden was still watching her, his gaze scanning her face.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, his voice low.

She pulled her hand away from him.

“You don’t talk to your father like that,” she said, her tone sharper than she intended.

He blinked at her, caught off guard.

Then he scoffed.

“Really,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair as he turned away. “Not today.”

And just like that, he walked out.

Leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room.

The silence returned, and she let out a shaky breath, pressing her fingers to her temple.

“What is going on in this house…” she whispered.

By evening, the house was quiet.

She sat on the bed, staring at nothing, her thoughts a tangled mess she couldn’t begin to unravel. The events of the morning replayed over and over in her mind.

A quiet sound pulled her from her thoughts.

The door opened.

Richard walked in.

He didn’t look at her.

He moved straight to the wardrobe, pulling it open and grabbing a suitcase. The sound of the zipper filled the room as he began packing.

Her eyes widened in confusion.

She stood.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

No response.

He kept packing.

Her frustration flared.

“Don’t do that,” she said, her voice rising slightly. “Don’t just ignore me.”

He paused.

Then slowly turned to face her.

“Look,” he said, his tone flat, “I’m not in the mood for this.”

She let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Unbelievable. You’re just going to leave? Because you argued with your son?”

No reaction.

“You’re his father,” she continued, stepping closer. “You don’t walk away from things like this. You fix them".

He zipped the suitcase shut.

And walked past her.

As if she wasn’t even there.

Her hands flew to her hair, gripping it in frustration as the door closed behind him.

“This house is going to make me go crazy,” she muttered.

The night air was cool.

She spotted him outside from the window.

Jayden sat outside, near the edge of the compound, a bottle in his hand. His posture was relaxed, but he was lost in thought.

She hesitated for a moment before walking over.

Then she sat beside him.

Neither of them spoke for some time.

The silence stretched.

Then he spoke first.

“I’m sorry.”

She turned slightly, surprised.

“For what?” she asked.

He didn’t look at her.

“You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”

She let out a small, humorless chuckle.

“I told you, I’m fine.”

He nodded, though he didn’t seem convinced.

Another silence.

“He’s never been like that before,” she said quietly.

Jayden scoffed.

“Yeah. That’s because he’s good at hiding it.”

She frowned slightly.

“What are you trying to say?”

He took a sip from the bottle.

“Can we not talk about him?”

She exhaled slowly.

“Fine.”

A pause.

“Can I ask you something?”

He shrugged. “Shoot.”

She hesitated.

“Why do you hate your dad so much?”

He let out a dry laugh.

“Hate?” he repeated. “That’s putting it lightly.”

“Jayden,” she said, more firmly. “I’m not joking.”

He leaned back slightly, staring up at the sky.

For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer.

Then he spoke.

“When I was a kid,” he began slowly, “I saw things I wasn’t supposed to understand.”

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came.

“I used to watch my mom,” he continued. “And all I saw was a broken woman trying to survive.”

She frowned.

“Survive? From what?”

He let out a bitter laugh.

“From him.”

The words hung in the air.

“He didn’t tell you, did he?” Jayden said, glancing at her briefly. 

Her stomach dropped.

“Tell me what?”

He sat up slightly, his expression hardening.

“I have a sister.”

Her eyes widened.

“What?”

“We don’t know where she is,” he said flatly. “And that’s because of him.”

“Jayden…” she started.

“Yeah, I know,” he cut in. “He’s still my father. Unfortunately.”

She swallowed hard.

“What happened?”

He was quiet for a moment.

Before shaking his head.

“she was raped .”

The words hit like a blow.

“She got pregnant,” he continued, his voice eerily calm. “And when we found out… he threw her out.”

Her hand flew to her mouth.

“I remember her begging him,” Jayden said, his voice tightening. 

His jaw clenched.

“He called her a liar.”

Tears burned behind her eyes.

“What about your mom?” she asked softly.

He let out a laugh.

“She had no say in anything.”

“My mom…” he continued, his voice lower, “she became a shadow. I tried to help her. I begged him to get her help. Therapy, anything to make her sane. He had the money.”

He shook his head.

“But he didn’t care.”

“And then…” he exhaled, his voice breaking just slightly, “she killed herself.”

Her breath hitched.

The weight of his words settled heavily between them.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

He nodded once.

“It’s in the past now.”

They sat there in silence, the night wrapping around them.

After a while, he stood.

“Come on,” he said quietly.

“Let’s go inside.”

She didn’t argue.

She stood up and held his hand as they walked inside.

Then she realized that everyone has a broken side but doesn't show it.