CHAPTER THIRTEEN

TAMARA

It was around 8:00pm when I got back, which was later than I usually get home and it was far too quiet. As soon as I knocked on the door, Delia's worried face was the first thing that greeted me which made me know something was really wrong, she only made that face when my father wasn’t in a good mood, what could have happened this time.
"Delia what's wrong" I asked, whispering under my breath but before she could give me an answer, my father appeared at the end of the hall, his face contorted in anger and it was directed at me. What am I saying? His anger is always directed at me, so I'm not surprised.
"You useless cunt, why did Mr Kingston call and tell me you embarrassed him because of a friend of yours" my father yelled as I walked into the house, Delia closing the door behind me, then she held onto my coat away from my father's line of sight, it gave me some comfort that she was on my side but,I didn't want her to get hurt because of me.
"I'm okay Delia, you can go,'' I whispered under my breath, even if I knew it wasn't okay, but she had to go or else, she was going to get hurt, my father is no lesser than an animal when he got angry. Delia gave me a quick nod before letting go of my coat, as she walked away, I could see the fear and worry in her eyes but nobody could help me when my father got like this.
So Mr Kingston decided to call my father to tell him what I did even if he deserved everything he got. That arrogant, egotistical bastard might as well have signed my death sentence tonight. I calmed my rage before I answered my father.
"I didn’t embarrass him, he was disrespecting a friend of mine and I had to defend him from Mr Kingston, that's all that happened sir, I didn't embarrass him in any form or way" I said hoping my explanation would calm him a bit, but it did nothing,actually it did the opposite, it made him angrier. My father took quick strides towards me and before I could react, he hit me across the face. The unexpected hit made me stumble but I held my ground staring at him head on.
"Shut up and stop lying, he said you were acting like a slut with that friend of yours, do you want to disgrace this family, is that what you are planning to do?, you fucking idiot, can't you do anything right?" my father continued to yell out a string of curses at me but I stayed quiet, nothing I said now would change anything, I was still going to get a beating.
I was always doing something wrong in his eyes, everytime something went wrong in this house, it was my fault, even when my dear sister overdosed In high-school my father still found a way to blame me, I never did anything right.
"She has always been a slut, different men come to visit her when you or mother aren’t around," Katherine snickered as she came out of the sitting room to stand in the hallway where my father was scolding me,
"What" my father growled, grabbing me by the hair, tugging on it roughly as I struggled with him.
"That isn't true and we both know it, Katherine, if anyone is meant to be called a slut, it should be you and not me" I spat at her ignoring the pain caused by my father's manhandling.
"What did you call your sister?" my father yelled, using his other hand to slap me again, and this time I would have fallen to the ground if not for the fact that my father was holding onto my hair.
"So, she can call me a slut but I can't do the same when she is actually one, stop being a hypocrite father" I scoffed
"Shut up, you stupid whore, I'm going to teach you a lesson, If you want to behave like a slut then, I will treat you like one" my father said as he let go of my hair roughly causing me to fall to the ground.
He pulled out his belt immediately and used it to hit me over and over again on my back, not stopping to even catch his breath as usual Katherine stood there watching him hit me with a large grin, but what did I except that she would come to my aid, pig would fly before she stopped my father from hitting or insulting me.
Due to his constant abuse, I grew a tolerance to pain so I just laid there crumpled up into a ball taking the beating, struggling would only make it worse, I learnt that from experience. His breath reeked of alcohol as usual. He has always been an aggressive drunk and the funny thing is that he is only aggressive towards me, I have never seen him hurt my step-mother or Katherine, not once, but me on the other hand, I was his punching bag.
“You want everyone to think I raised you to go around with men like a slut, Is that what you want?” my father sneered, unsatisfied with my lack of reaction he continued speaking. “You want everyone who looks at you to think you’re a goddamn cock-sucker?” my father added, causing me to wince at his use of language.
“No sir, and you made an error, you didn't raise me, I raised myself with no help from any of you” I muttered. I could feel the hateful gaze of my father’s eyes boring into my back.
“Ha!,you ungrateful, brat” my father spat. “I should have left you at a damn foster home when your mother died like your step mother suggested, your mother was so fucking stupid, thinking I actually loved her all those years, I hated every minute i spent with her, I was so fucking glad she died".
“Say something you fucking slut" he yelled into my face as he took the final swing of the belt against my back.
"You want me to say something, then I will, I wish you died and not her, because you don't deserve to live, you are nothing but a fucking coward" I yelled back
"You bitch" my father yelled as he climbed over me, his hands going around my neck like he wanted to strangle me but a familiar voice called out to him, "honey get off her, you are going to kill her" my dear step mother said as she walked into the hallway going to stand beside her daughter, their gaze were both on me as they grinned.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief as he got off me listening to my stepmother, he took a step back before he spoke again, "you are going to stay in your room, until I think your punishment is enough"
"Fuck you," I muttered under my breath as I got to my feet, I waited until he told me it was okay to leave before he attacked me again "Get out of my sight" my father yelled, I scurried away going up to my room, holding on to my side, it hurt alot.
I laid down on my bed as tears began to fall down my eyes. I hated my father, I hated this family, I hated everything about my miserable life. I just wished my mother was still alive, she was the only one who cared about me and made everything bare-able, I cried my eyes out falling asleep due to exhaustion and pain.
Two days had passed before my father allowed me out of my room, no one was allowed to see me for those two days, the pain from the beating my father gave me made me forget about hunger.
Delia was the first to visit me with a tray of food in her hands, "Hello my love" Delia said as she walked into the room, she put the tray on the bedside table and wrapped her hands around me.
"I'm so sorry my dear child, that bastard needs to pay for what he's doing to you" Delia cried while in my arms, "it's okay, Delia, I'm used to it" I said as Delia glared at me softly, "no one should ever get used to this type of treatment, it's inhumane" Delia said.
"I'm sorry, Delia, I didn’t mean to make you angry, I just didn't want you to blame yourself".
"Why was he so angry"
"Mr Kingston told him I embarrassed him because of Tony, and father got mad because it almost ruined the deal between them".
"I knew, I would never like him" Delia muttered as she guided me towards my bed, "come on dear, let's get something into your stomach" Delia smiled as she took the bowl of soup and started feeding her. Delia didn't leave until I had eaten everything she brought and she had treated my scars.
Later that day I saw a car pull up to their driveway, then a few minutes later the devil himself came out of the car, he brushed off something off his suit and walked towards their door.