Chapter 2

I grabbed Mom by the arm and tried to pull her toward the door, but she didn't move.

"Melissa, what's gotten into you today?" She frowned at me. "You wouldn't let me leave, and now you're trying to lock the door so Keith can't come in. What are you so afraid of?"

Mom's voice started to crack. "Melissa, it's been hard raising you all these years on my own. Now that I've finally met a man who's good to both of us, why are you so against him? Do you want me to spend the rest of my life alone?"

The clock in the living room kept ticking. I frantically dragged over a little stool and climbed onto it, reaching for the lock. "Mom, lock the door! We can talk after it's locked!"

"Enough!" Mom grabbed me and pulled me back. "Melissa, can't you put yourself in my shoes for once?"

I couldn't move, and time was running out, so I lowered my head and bit down hard between her thumb and index finger.

When Mom cried out in pain and let go, I used that split second to rush for the lock. I had just touched the door as I pushed it shut when a hand suddenly shoved through the gap.

The knuckles were thick, the veins standing out. It was the same hand that had beaten Mom until her face was bruised and swollen in my last life.

The hand wedged itself between the door and the frame, stopping me from closing it. Then the door was pushed open.

Keith stood outside, dressed in a neatly pressed suit, a box of strawberry mousse in his hand. He said, "Melissa, I got some strawberry mousse just for you."

He was smiling from ear to ear, looking every bit the gentleman, just like he had in my last life, when his eyes were red as he swore his love to Mom.

I took a few steps back. "Get out!"

"What's wrong, Melissa?" Keith stepped inside, bent down, and brought the cake over to me before opening the box. "Didn't you used to love the cakes I bought you?"

I grabbed the box and slammed it onto the floor, sending the strawberry mousse spilling out into a mess of pink mush. "I don't want it! Get out of my house!"

The living room went quiet for a moment. Mom looked embarrassed and quickly crouched down with some tissues to wipe up the cream from the floor.

"Keith, don't take it personally. She dreamed you were hitting her, so she got scared. That's why she's acting like this."

Keith paused for a moment before that same gentle smile returned to his face. "Oh, a nightmare? Kids are like that. She's got quite the imagination. Just comfort her a little, and she'll be fine."

He bent down and reached out to pat my head. But I turned away, and Keith awkwardly pulled his hand back.

"Scarlett, why don't you change into another dress?" he suggested. "I'll stay here and talk to Melissa about it. Let's go get the marriage license later."

Mom looked down at the hem of her dress. Sure enough, there was a spot of cream on her white dress.

"Melissa, I'm going to change. You be good, okay?"

"Mom, don't go…"

Keith crouched down and blocked my view. "I'll stay with you here. Let your mom change her dress, okay?"

Mom's footsteps slowly faded away, and soon it was just Keith and me in the living room.

The smile slowly faded from his face. Keith lowered his voice as a malicious glint flashed across his eyes. "You little brat, you just couldn't stop making a fuss. Are you doing this on purpose just to piss me off?"

He moved half a step closer, trapping me between him and the shoe cabinet. "Go ahead. Try to stop me again."

Keith reached over with his right hand and pinched a small patch of soft flesh on the inside of my arm. He twisted it hard, making my whole arm go numb with pain.

I tried to scream, but he clamped a hand over my mouth. "Your mom has to marry me today, no matter what. If you dare say another word, I'll deal with you first, then her. You hear me?"

Then Keith let go and pretended to feed me the cake. "Melissa, is it good?"

I would've been too scared to say another word in the past, but now, things were different.

I screamed, "Mom, Keith hit me!"