The following days drag on like a wound that refuses to close.I wake up every morning with my body aching, but my mind sharper than ever. The ritual repeats: a hot shower to scrub his smell from my skin, careful application of the lotion to the areas he usually touches — neck, hands, face, shoulders. Then I go downstairs to the kitchen and prepare breakfast like a good, obedient daughter. Margaret watches me in silence, her eyes sinking deeper, her hands trembling as she washes the dishes.She knows something is wrong. But she still doesn’t understand that the monster is me now.My father comes down at seven-thirty, as always. Crisp dress shirt, perfect tie, the cologne that has made me nauseous since I was eight. He kisses my forehead, squeezes my waist, slides his hand down my back as if I were an object he can use whenever he wants.“Good morning, little bird,” he murmurs, his voice thick with satisfaction. “You get more beautiful every day.”I smile. The smile is perfect. Trained
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