Chapter 2
My grandpa was overseas. The earliest he could get to the city was tomorrow.
Susan wanted to take me to her place, but Jacob stopped her.
He called my father himself and explained what had happened. My father just laughed.
"I checked it myself. That beanbag is just a piece of fabric. Caitlin Hunt's nails are sharp enough to tear through it."
I tugged on Jacob's sleeve. "It's not normal fabric," I whispered.
A policeman had told him that the material was specially treated and almost impossible to cut, even with a knife.
And the zipper had been deliberately broken. They never intended for my mother to get out.
But my father heard me. Recognition dawned in his eyes, quickly followed by pure contempt. He snorted.
"Mia Carter," he spat, "your mother has taught you to lie. You're just like her."
Jacob started to argue, but my father cut him off impatiently.
"This is the last time. I'll be home after Lily's awards ceremony.
"And if you keep helping Caitlin with her lies, I'll have you fired."
He hung up. Jacob cursed under his breath, but he had no choice but to let Susan take me with her.
Susan lived in the apartment building behind ours. As soon as she was asleep, I snuck out and went back to my house.
It still smelled like my mother. I curled up on the floor and fell asleep.
The next morning, I woke up to see my father sitting on the small sofa with a grim expression on his face.
"I broke up with Lily. I guess that means your mom can finally rest easy, huh?" he spat, tossing a ragged doll at me. "Here. Your birthday present.
"Jesus, your mother turned this place into a complete pigsty. Where is your mom?"
I just shook my head and pointed to the sofa he was sitting on.
"Mommy bled a lot."
He jumped up. Sure enough, there were dark streaks of dried blood on the floor beneath the sofa.
He relaxed, a look of disgust on his face.
"Stop trying to fool me with animal blood. Your mother is fine.
"Lily told me it was the cheapest beanbag on the market. No one could suffocate in it."
He knew it was just a regular beanbag. But he had still locked my mother inside.
I stared at the dried blood, and the officer's words from yesterday, "a tragic death," echoed in my mind.
It all clicked. I flew at my father, my small fists beating against him.
"Bad daddy! Give me my mommy back!"
He had little patience for me to begin with. Now, he shoved me away, annoyed.
"What's with all the drama?"
He hit me, sending me flying into a woman who had just walked in.
She cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground, clutching her stomach.
It was his girlfriend, Lily Brooks. "Peter," she cried, tears streaming down her face, "I'm pregnant. Are you really going to leave me?"
My father's expression shifted from hesitation to pure joy. He shoved me aside and rushed to her side.
He complained, "Why didn't you tell me? I was worried sick all night for nothing."
Lily smiled shyly, but then her face contorted in pain as she clutched her stomach.
"The doctor said it's a high-risk pregnancy," she whimpered. "When Mia bumped into me, it really hurt."
Without a second thought, my father slapped me. Stars exploded behind my eyes.
Lily made a show of trying to stop him, but a smug smile played on her lips.
It was the same smile she had worn the day my mother was sewn into the beanbag. "Your mom can't win against me," she had whispered in my ear. "And neither can you. Not against the baby in my belly."
I forced myself to my feet, glaring at her. She cried out again, squeezing out a few tears.
"Peter, maybe we should just end this. The way she's looking at me is terrifying. I'm afraid she'll do something to our baby."
My father's face contorted with rage. He ripped off his belt and started whipping me.
My arms and legs were soon covered in bleeding welts. I screamed, begging him to stop.
But he only hit me harder, shouting up the stairs, "Caitlin, if you don't come out, I'll beat this little brat to death!"
But my mother would never answer him again.
Just as he was about to strike me again, a furious roar came from the doorway.
"Stop it! Stop it right now!"