Chapter 44 Grounded

Bernice

Ten Years Ago

The silence in the dining room was suffocating. I could feel the weight of my parents' stares, the disappointment and anger radiating off them in waves. My heart pounded in my chest, a sickening rhythm that made it hard to breathe.

"Bernice, we need to talk about this," Dad said, his voice low and controlled. "What Melissa said... is it true?"

I shook my head vehemently, tears stinging my eyes. "No, Dad, it's not. I'm not pregnant. I swear."

"But you have been spending time with this... Charlie?" Mom asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "Yes, but it's not what you think. We're just friends."

Dad scoffed, his face reddening with anger. "Friends? Bernice, you're 16 years old. You have no business hanging around with grown men, especially ones we don't know."

"But Dad, you don't understand," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "Charlie's not like that. He's kind and gentle and..."

"And what?" Melissa interjected, her tone sickly sweet.