Amber BrownThe night passed like a breath, I'd barely managed to close my eyes, I'd spent the whole night just leaning with my back against the headboard, as much as I wanted to sleep and felt my tired body needing rest, I couldn't fall asleep. The terrifying fear of how drastically my life would change from today onwards, not that it hadn't already, but his work and routin
Amber Brown"Hi, Dad!" I said, feeling the world collapse before my feet once again, he came towards me with faltering steps, he looked at me for a few seconds, apparently undecided about what to do, there was a subtle surprise in his expression, he certainly wasn't expecting me here. As soon as he understood that I was real, he gave me a tight hug, perhaps in a way that the two of us had never hugged before, or perhaps it was just that he was feeling as lonely as I was. Seeing a familiar face in his current condition made him feel more comfortable, just as I felt at that moment."Daughter!" His voice came out genuinely happy for me, I never imagined that I would come to visit him one day, the truth was that I felt afraid of what I would see, as well as very angry about the situation I found myself in, but due to recent events, loneliness has cut me like a sharp dagger. Being so shamefully humiliated by Dylan had diminished me far more than I would have been able to admit out loud. I
Amber BrownI thought about Dylan insistently throughout the journey home, it was very strange the way things were going, I don't know how far his madness goes, or maybe I underestimated his desire for revenge. I never expected this from him, not from the Dylan I had a relationship with years ago.Dylan hates me, and I know it, I know the reasons for it, and after everything, I know he'll go to any lengths to see me down, but I also know how to defend myself, my situation right now isn't the best, but I can turn it around. I've been beaten up a lot, I have, but that too can change, I know he still cares about me, if he didn't, he wouldn't be so dedicated to trying to humiliate me, hate and love go hand in hand. And if you hate too much, you've loved too much.I arrived home with my mind boiling with thoughts of solutions to my situation and Dad's, but nothing seemed quite right, it was as if a very important piece was missing from this puzzle, but I was unable to see it, even though I
Amber Brown The day dawned gray, matching my mood perfectly, though that no longer mattered. What I felt, or failed to feel, made no difference to my reality, which was far bleaker than I ever wished to endure or believed I deserved. My life had been flawless; I had no cause for complaint. Yet, in the blink of an eye, everything changed dramatically. In the span of what? Days? Hours? I struggled to rise from my bed, knowing it would be the final time I lay upon its comforting embrace. Slowly, I made my way through the room, savoring its familiarity while it remained mine, until I reached the window to gaze upon the garden outside. Perhaps, I thought, I might glimpse it again in days to come, but the likelihood was slim. Descending the stairs, I found my mother seated on the couch, her eyes vacant, lost in contemplation. She, no doubt, was far more bewildered by the events that had transpired than I. "Good morning, Mom!" I called her attention, trying to sound upbeat. "Have you pack
Amber Brown"DROP THAT! IT'S NOT YOURS!" His scream was shrill and terrified. I immediately twisted my body to see what was happening, and the scene was utterly terrifying.Three huge men were rummaging through our suitcases, and my mother was futilely trying to pull her vanity case where I knew her most expensive jewelry was kept. On impulse, I tried to help her, only to feel a powerful slap on my face that made me completely lose my balance. I felt dizzy, couldn't hear anything anymore, my head was spinning. I couldn't see much after that, just felt my head spinning forcefully. I kept hearing my mother's screams, the men's shouts; it was all a blur, impossible to understand what they were saying. After a few minutes, which I wouldn't know how to estimate, I felt my consciousness slowly returning. Then, I finally managed to get up from the ground, and what I saw after that left me completely devastated. Mom was lying on the ground, in tears, holding tightly onto something I couldn't s
Amber BrownIt had been about a fortnight since Mom and I had moved into our new house in the Bronx. I was slowly beginning to feel familiar with the place, there wasn't much to see here, it was a very small house, one day was more than enough to see everything in it, I also took the opportunity to get to know part of the neighborhood.I got to know the location of the markets closest to the house, Crotona Park which was relatively close by, I didn't go too far because if I did I'd get to the zoo, and it was a place I didn't want to return to, probably never again in my life, I mapped out all the bus stops and metro stations so that when I needed to get around cheaply I'd know exactly where to go, I got to know some of the bars and other stores that were around here, even if I didn't enjoy the services offered by them for the sake of the forced economy.I tried to find a job in absolutely every shop in the vicinity since I needed to work, so I hoped to work somewhere close to home, bu
Amber Brown"He asked you to come in, the meeting's over" I smiled in satisfaction, I just needed to apply a bit of pressure, I wasn't going to leave, I just wanted to know if he was testing me, I'd heard about these tests they do with new employees, to find out how much they want the job, so they keep them waiting unnecessarily, to find out how much they can take, if he called me instead of letting me go, I had a chance as Bob had told me earlier, this Clara was certainly well regarded in this company.I thanked her for the information and headed for the door, opening it and entering the formal, masculine office behind it. The man was standing, looking at the glass wall behind his desk."Good afternoon Mr...""Cooper" His voice was deep, and for some reason that I couldn't explain at the time, I felt fear when I heard it, a strange familiarity running through my body, he was standing with his back to me, admiring the beautiful view of Central Park from that glass wall.I looked close
Amber Brown"Dylan ..." My eyes couldn't believe my eyes, this wasn't possible, why the hell, of all the fucking men in the world, did he have to be the one in that position in front of me? how many guys have I dated? Ten? Twenty? I can't even count, and just the relationship (it never became a relationship because we never made it official) that was the most troubled, with the most consequences and completely adverse situations, the one that had the most tragic ending is the one that's here, his evil smile making me suspicious of the conditions under which I got here.No! It wasn't possible, Bob asked his daughter to help me, Dylan certainly knows everything I've been through, there were newspaper stories about my father, when Clara appointed me he must have been delighted at the opportunity to put me in this position."I'm afraid this isn't the right position, well, I think I'd better go, I'll withdraw my application, in any case, thank you very much for the opportunity" I opted fo