Chapter One
Lillian’s POV
Age 10
I giggle as my grandpa runs around the front yard with me on his back, making horse noises.
My grandpa was my favourite person in the whole world, followed by my grandma. She made the best chocolate chip cookies.
My brother Joshua and I have been living with them for a month now. Grandma told me Mum wasn’t fit enough to take care of us.
I don’t know my dad. He left when I was a baby and Joshua always hated me for it. Said it was my fault because Dad didn’t love me.
The front door opens and Grandma steps outside. “Dinners ready,” she calls out. I cling to Grandpa tight as he runs inside the house past Grandma. He plops me down in a chair and sits next to me.
“Where’s Josh?” Grandpa asks.
“He hasn’t gotten home yet,” Grandma answers. She puts my dinner in front of me, and I grab my cutlery and begin to dig in.
“Marsha that kid ought to show us some respect,” Grandpa says. “He’s been nothing but trouble since he got here.”
“He’s in pain,” grandma argues. “He’s hurting because of his mum leaving.”
“There’s only so much he can use that excuse for,” Grandpa grumbles. I lean into the touch as he ruffles my hair. “How’s your dinner sweetie?”
“Good,” I mumble with food in my mouth.
I help Grandma clean up in the kitchen after dinner and then she makes me get in the shower and get ready for bed.
She tucks me into bed and with a kiss to my forehead she turns the light off and leaves me in the dark.
Just before I fall asleep, I hear my door open. I squint my eyes and see Joshua stumbling towards the bed.
“Josh?” I question sleepily.
“I hate you,” he slurs. I sit up quickly when he rips the blanket off my body. “I wish you were dead.”
I whimper. “Josh, you’re scaring me.”
“You were the reason Dad left,” he says. “He couldn’t handle two of us, and now you made mum the same way.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I croak.
Joshua suddenly gets on top of me, and his hands are wrapped around my throat choking me. I scratch at his hands, gasping for air and at the last second he lets go.
He gets up off of me and glares down at me. “You tell anybody, I’ll kill you,” he threatens.
I burst into tears, and he storms out of my room.
My first mistake was believing him.
Age 16
“You bitch!” Joshua yells and backhands me. I fall to the floor and cry out in pain. “I told you I wanted an A, not a B.”
“I’m sorry, I tried,” I sob.
“I could lose my scholarship,” he snaps. “Then I won’t be able to afford to keep us here!”
His foot comes at me next and lands on my stomach. I curl into a ball, as his control snaps and he repeatedly kicks or slams his foot on me.
I tried to go to a happy place, back when my grandparents were still alive and this didn’t happen every day. They died a year ago. Both of them. In a horrible car accident, which meant I got put into the custody of Joshua.
“Get up,” I barely hear Joshua growl. I struggle to my feet, my ribs crying in pain. He pushes me into the counter, and his hands roughly come up and pull at my jeans.
“No,” I cry out. “Josh please.”
“You want to keep living under my roof, you’ll do what I want,” he says. I scream out in pain as he pushes his cock inside me. I struggled against him, but my petite frame, couldn’t compete with his athletic body. “You’re so fucking tight,” he growls. “Don’t worry, by the time I’m done with you, you won’t be.”
I hide my face in my elbow as my sobs take over my body as he uses me.
I finally hear him groan and pull out of me. “Take care of that,” he snaps. “You’re bleeding everywhere.”
He storms away and I suck in a breath.
When will this torture be over?
Age 18
I stayed late at the library, finishing up on a maths assignment. I did that most nights, wanting to delay the inevitable of Joshua. I walk home because Joshua refuses to take me for my driver’s test.
He doesn’t want me to run away and he’s smart because he’s right. That’s exactly what I would’ve done.
When I get to my street, I see cars parked outside our house. Joshua had friends over.
I unlock the front door and step inside, trying to sneak up to my bedroom.
“Lillian!” Joshua barks. “Get us some drinks.”
I do as he says and go to the fridge grabbing a case of beer. I take it out to the living room and drop it on the coffee table.
I go to leave but Joshua grabs my wrist and yanks me onto the floor. All three of his friends laugh as he gets up and pours the rest of his drink over me.
“You got a letter in the mail this morning,” Joshua says. “From Berkeley?”
No. No, no, no, no-
“I didn’t know you wanted to go to college,” he taunts. “But bad news, that’s not happening.”
“Did they not accept me?” I whisper.
Joshua smirks. “You declined their offer.”
My bottom lip trembles and I feel humiliated as his friend's smirk at me.
“You will always be my slut, Lillian,” Joshua says. I flinch as he grabs my face roughly. “You will never be able to leave me.”
