NancyI had already gotten used to Bruce's accusations. To him, everything that was wrong in our lives—everything that didn't follow the Mortons' perfect plan—was my fault. And at that moment, as he launched into the issue once again, blaming me for what Amber had become, I felt the weariness and anger building up inside me like poison."You raised Amber badly, Nancy. She turned into this angry girl because you never disciplined her properly!" Bruce's voice echoed through the room angrily, and his eyes fixed on me as if I were to blame for everything bad in his life.I looked down at the coffee he was pouring, my hands shaking slightly as I poured the hot liquid into the cups placed in front of him and Charles. We were in the living room, both of us sitting in leather armchairs in front of the fireplace, while I moved like a servant, obedient and silent."Amber has no respect for men. She doesn't have an ounce of submissiveness or modesty. Of course that's coming from you," Bruce cont
AmberI was there, smoking in the cold, hiding, trying to find some kind of relief in the smoke that rose and disappeared in the freezing Denver air. Everything has felt so out of control lately. The Morton family was falling apart before my eyes, and I, in the midst of this chaos, felt more lost than ever. Cigarettes had become a crutch, an escape. I knew it wasn't the best solution, but it was what I had at the moment.When I saw my mother approaching, my heart skipped a beat. Shit! She had seen it. I threw the cigarette on the floor, stepping on it, as if that would erase the evidence of my addiction. But there was no hiding it, not from her. I knew she noticed.I tensed, expecting some kind of scolding, or maybe even worse. Nancy was never a woman with sweet words, especially when she was hurt. And I knew I had hurt her deeply. What I did in the past—selling my own mother, betraying her trust—was unforgivable. But I had no choice – or at least that's what I told myself every night
AmberI followed my mother into the kitchen, where she had returned to her chores. Nancy, as she always was, seemed to find some kind of solace in mundane tasks like washing dishes. The water was running in the sink, and the sound of the plate scraping the metal sounded muffled, distant, as I felt the weight of what I had just heard in the garden.I couldn't contain myself any longer. Something inside me was screaming to come out, like I needed answers or, maybe, relief. Anything to relieve the pressure that had been building since our family began to fall apart.“Mom, why did you say those things like that outside?” My voice was more hesitant than I expected, but it was charged with the desperate need to understand.She continued to focus on the dishes, scrubbing hard, without looking at me immediately. For a moment, I thought she was going to ignore my question. Her silence reminded me of how, as a child, I feared her for this same behavior. She always knew how to use silence as a p
GloryAfter dinner, I stood in front of the mirror in my room, staring at my own reflection with my mind spinning with thoughts. Everything was happening so fast. Harald was finally creating his own business, something he had always wanted to do. Maybe that would be to my advantage. If he could achieve success and become the rich man I always knew he could be, his divorce from Candace would only be a matter of time. And when that happened, he would be free to marry me. After all, despite everything, I still believed that Harald loved me.I ran my fingers through my hair, watching the brunette waves fall to my shoulders. I was beautiful—even more beautiful than Candace. And smarter too. I knew how to play the power game, and so far, I was doing well. Even though my morals were long forgotten, there was no turning back. I wouldn't be like my parents, living a miserable life on the sidelines of everything. I would be rich and powerful, and I would do anything to ensure that.While I was
NancyI went back to my tasks feeling bad after the serious conversation I had with Amber. The words I said were still ringing in my head, and although I knew she needed to hear them, it didn't lessen the weight in my chest. I couldn't forgive her, not after everything she did. However, she was still my daughter, and that left me torn. The conflict between love and disappointment was suffocating.When I got to the kitchen, I prepared a new pot of coffee. My thoughts were scattered, and my hands shook a little as I filled the cups. Charles and Bruce were in the living room facing the fireplace as they talked; Peter and Ivor would be upstairs playing with his expensive toys, Amber would be in her room, reflecting, Glory would be sleeping right now in the room she shared with Charles, it seemed like a normal night for a normal family, but this was far from normal. The two men seemed so absorbed in their own problems that they barely noticed my absence.I placed the tray on the table and
GloryI was sitting in front of my dressing table, calmly brushing my hair, trying to shake off the thoughts that haunted me. Everything around me was falling apart, but that wasn't why I was going to stop taking care of myself. I was already in my bed dress, ready to go to bed, when I heard the bedroom door open with force. Charles entered with heavy steps, his presence filling the space in a way that made me shudder."It's going to be one of those nights..." I thought about it and resigned. He had been drinking, that much was obvious. His uncoordinated walk, the strong smell of alcohol that filled the air, and that predatory look... everything indicated that Charles wanted to satisfy himself, like so many other times. I mentally prepared myself for what was to come. It wasn't the first time he'd forced himself on me, and I doubted it would be the last.He approached quickly, without saying a word, just staring at me with those empty eyes. Suddenly, his hands were on me, his lips wer
HaraldI drove through the dark, deserted streets, the silence only interrupted by the low purr of the car engine. The city seemed asleep, as if the world had taken a brief rest after the chaotic events of that night at the Morton mansion. Streetlights intermittently illuminated the road in front of me, creating shadows that danced across the asphalt, but my mind was far away, lost in the events of the Christmas dinner I had just witnessed. It had been a night I would never forget, and the emotional impact of it reverberated inside me like a bomb ready to explode.I had finally done the unthinkable: rebelled against my father. For the first time in years, I found myself breaking the invisible chain that bound me to Charles Morton's tyranny. I still couldn't believe what I had done. I felt a visceral fear coursing through my veins—the kind of fear that paralyzed me and made me question every decision. But at the same time, a wave of relief washed over me. It was a strange relief, like
HaraldI was still processing what I had just heard. Glory's words echoed in my mind, over and over again, like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. "I killed Charles." I couldn't understand what that really meant. Every time I tried to rationalize what had been said, it seemed like the surrounding reality crumbled a little more. I knew that my father and I had a complicated relationship, filled with abuse, manipulation, and resentment. Maybe, at some point, I wanted him to disappear, for him to leave the scene. But imagining that this had actually happened — and at the hands of Glory, the woman with whom I was emotionally involved, the person I thought I knew — was an idea that tore me apart inside.The cold of the night seemed to envelop my body, but it didn't bring the relief I expected. Leaning against the porch wall, I tried to organize my thoughts, but everything was chaotic. My head was spinning, and I felt a growing pressure in my chest. What should I do? What would anyone do