Reunion

Molly:

*Beginning of flashback*

"I'm hungry, and my tummy hurts," I said to Andrew who had just gotten back from work. He signed and made his way up the stairs, brushing shoulders with me.

"Foolish child," he said, and I muttered a "God bless you,"

I didn't think he would hear me, but before I could tell, he yanked me by my hair and flung me on the wall.

"If your mother won't teach you how to behave then I'll do that. It's my duty as your stepfather to teach you how to respect your elders," he said, and I scoffed.

He slapped my cheek, and then pushed me down on the ground. After which he kicked me on my stomach. Then he crouched down close to me, and pressed hard on my jaw.

"Remember, you can't say a word to your mother if you want her to live," he said to me, and left while I stayed on the cold floor in pain, sobbing silently.

My mother usually returned late because she ran her business from morning until late at night. She did all this because Andrew couldn't provide adequately for