All Chapters of The Mother I Left Behind: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I went to my father’s home, which was a glorified junkyard where empty bottles and moldy takeout containers piled as high as a mountain.He kicked a beer can out of his path and shoved me inside the house before locking the door behind him.“Where’s the money?”Robb held out his hand toward me expectantly.I set my bag down but did not respond.He snatched my bag from me and dumped all of its contents on the floor.My bag contained a few books, some pens, and a family photo.He took the photo and tore it to shreds.“Did that bitch Cassandra not give you money?” he bellowed, his eyes wide with rage.When I did not respond, he brutally slapped me across the face.“I’m asking you a question! Are you deaf?”He grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall.“Who do you think you are to play these little games with me?“Are you working with that bitch to sabotage me?”When my forehead slammed against the wall, I could feel something hot trickling down my face.My vision

When I came to, I was in the hospital.I caught a faint hint of the familiar scent of my mother’s perfume.She was lying on the bed next to me. The gauze wrapped around her chest had turned a faint red from the blood seeping through her wound.Her complexion was pale, and her lips were chapped.When she noticed I was awake, she tried to get up.“Isabel, you're awake! How are you feeling?“The doctor says you’re just lightly concussed, don’t worry…”I sat up and looked at her expressionlessly.Then, I yanked the IV needle out of the back of my hand.I pressed the tip of the needle against my neck.“Get me out of here.”Everyone inside the ward was stunned.My uncle was incensed. “Isabel! Have you lost it?!“Put that down!”My grandmother cried out exasperatedly, “Isabel, you’re going to be the death of us all!”Then, several reporters barged into the room. I was nearly blinded by a barrage of camera flashes.“My god! She’s threatening her mother with her life!”“What an

She sounded so helpless, as if she were on the verge of collapse.I turned to her and smiled stiffly before stating, “I want to go home. Back to Robb’s.”“What?”Both of them cried out exasperatedly in unison.“Isabel, do you have any idea what you’re talking about?”My mother became agitated and took my hand.“That’s not a place fit for anyone to live! He’s going to kill you!“I’d rather die than let you go back to him!”She was beginning to spiral again.“Everything I do is all for you! Why won’t you understand?!“What is it that you see in him? He’ll only hurt you!“I'm the only one who truly loves you! I'm your mother!”My uncle was also beside himself with rage.“Isabel! You must have lost it! What will it take for you to stop? You’re going to be the death of your mother!“She took a knife to the chest for you and almost died! She was willing to give up everything for you. All just for you to choose that poor excuse of a man over your mother!“Why? Tell us why you a

When the police showed up, my mother’s initial reaction was that of shock. Then, she began to howl with laughter as if she had lost her mind.“Cole, my dear brother.“How could you call the police on me for the sake of an outsider?”She pulled away from me and slowly got up while straightening her clothes.In an instant, the madness that possessed her had vanished.It was replaced with a stoic and commanding expression.“Officer, I think there must be some misunderstanding.“I was only playing with my daughter.”Cole rushed to shield me with his body.He jabbed a finger at my mother, and when he spoke, his voice was shaking.“Playing a game? You were choking her. What kind of game is that?“Cassandra, what do you think you’re doing to Isabel?”Her expression twitched.She tried her best to compose herself before launching into an explanation.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Isabel has been very unstable lately. You can’t just take what she says at face value.

The police sirens stopped blaring when it drew closer to the house.We stopped hearing Robb’s cunning laughter. It was followed by the sounds of him running downstairs and shouting at the top of his voice.“Here! Thieves! Officer, quick! They snuck into my ex-wife’s secret room!”Soon, we heard more footsteps rushing up the stairs and into the bedroom.“Whoever is inside, listen up! This is the police! Open the door and surrender yourselves immediately!”Cole took a deep breath before speaking."Officer! I am Cole Williams from the Williams Corporation! The person who called you is Robb Payton. He's a known criminal with a prior history! He's the one who locked us in!"Then, Robb began to protest."Officers, don't believe him! He's making false accusations. It was him and his sister who conspired against me, and now he's the one trying to steal from his sister!"The officer spoke up again. His voice was authoritative and not to be defied."I don't care who you are! Open the d