ValerieAs I stumbled out of his office, each truth he uttered shattered more than just my composure; it shattered the fragile remnants of hope I had held onto. The weight of his words pressed down on me, leaving me in a daze as I navigated the world outside. All I wanted was to escape, to flee from the pain that gnawed at my insides like a relentless beast.I was no stranger to heartbreak. It had been a constant companion throughout my life, weaving its way into the fabric of my existence from a young age. I had felt its sting when my father betrayed my mother, tearing apart the very foundation of our family. I had tasted its bitterness when I discovered my mother's lifeless body, robbed of her warmth and love. And I had endured its cruelty when my father drowned his sorrows in alcohol, bringing a parade of strangers and chaos into our home.But there were other heartbreaks, too. Smaller ones, perhaps, but no less painful. Like the time Drew walked away, leaving me to pick up the piec

Valerie As I lay in bed, the echoes of my father's anguished cries still echoed in my mind, replaying like a broken record. The weight of his words, filled with frustration and helplessness, pressed heavily upon my chest, suffocating me in a relentless grip of guilt and sorrow. Shay's attempts to soothe the storm raging within my father seemed nothing against the storm of his emotions, each word a sharp reminder of the fragile state I found myself in. "I think you should cool down, Mr. Caulfield. I know she is hurt, but-" Shay's voice, calm yet tinged with apprehension, attempted to diffuse the tension thickening the air. "I can't fucking calm down, Shay. Do you even have any idea of her condition when she came home?" My father's voice cracked with raw emotion, the strain evident in every syllable "She looked like she was dead inside. She didn't react to me yelling, and shouting her name. I had to fucking slap her to get her attention." His words pierced through the veil of my u

Valerie Four days later, On Sunday..... Sitting near the window, it was early, and I sipped my cup of coffee. Looking outside at the city, I saw everyone running and having fun. Dad had gone out for a run. It keeps him healthy, and a gives him some extra days to live on. I was glad about the new lifestyle he had chosen. It was free of alcohol and filled with healthy fruits and vegetables. And, maybe, treats himself to a donut. I was enjoying life in the simplest form, and I was content and happy. The constant ringing of the doorbell, however, brought a break to my enjoyment. Dad had his own key, so it wasn't him. Before my mind could think more about it, the ringing increased. I felt like killing whoever was at the door. One ring was enough to let anyone inside the house know someone was outside. Ringing the bell for an excessive period of time doesn't just give me the power of super speed. Why didn't people understood that? It was out of my m

Valerie "Get moving, fat ass," Shay yelled, as she got to work. As she got to work, I walked towards the closet. I wanted to scream like hell, from what all I saw. He had a fucking closet that could be big enough for a wealthy woman. Shay dove headfirst into her work, barking orders with her characteristic assertiveness, I wandered towards the closet. It was a fortress of opulence, a shrine to excess that made my head spin. The sheer extravagance of it all threatened to overwhelm me. Suits of the finest fabrics lined one side of the closet, meticulously organized by color and style. White shirts and pants adorned the opposite wall, a testament to the owner's impeccable taste and attention to detail. But it was the accessories that truly caught my eye. Shoes, countless pairs of them, lined the shelves with military precision. Each one more luxurious than the last, they spoke volumes about the man who owned them. As I ventured deeper into the closet, the scenery shifted from formal

Valerie"Did you really say that?" Shay's question had me smiling like crazy.As Shay's astonishment lingered in the air, I found myself grappling with the weight of my own revelation. "Yeah," I confirmed, my voice carrying a mixture of resignation and determination."Well, I'm proud of my girl!" Shay's exclamation pierced through the phone, causing me to instinctively pull it away from my ear."Hey, don't make me go deaf," I drawled, half-jokingly, but with a genuine concern for my eardrums."Yeah, yeah. Well, I can't tell you how happy that makes me.""So, did you go through the packet you told me about?" Shay's voice took on a more serious tone, shifting the conversation to the ominous contents of the packet I had recently encountered.I sighed heavily, the weight of the information still fresh in my mind. IIt made me want to puke my guts out. The things in it didn't made me feel any comfortable. "They were some business contracts, made to please Drew and his sick obsession with wo