Page 15 of Ruin

“Here, show me what you would like.”

He hands me his phone, and I have to hold back the tears.

Because for the first time in years, he’s acting like my dad.

Like the dad I had before he re-married.

Following him into the kitchen, I look up the sewing machine I’ve been saving for.

The one I have still works. But it’s breaking down on me, and I don’t want it to completely stop working on me before I can replace it.

It was Mom’s. I want to keep it safe.

I want to box it up, to keep a piece of my mom.

But I can’t afford a new one.

Maybe Dad’s in a good mood today.

Handing the phone back to dad, he smiles.

“You sure this is the one you want?”

He looks up at me, his finger inches closer to the buy now button, and I nod with a small smile.

“Okay.”

And then—just like that—it’s all ripped away.

She snatches the phone from him.

“What is this?”

She looks at the phone, then between me and dad.

“I thought we agreed to give her pocket money, so she can buy what she wants and we don’t have to.” She taps on the phone, most likely deleting the page.

I know dad won’t be able to find it again.

“I haven’t brought her anything in a long time, and-”

“And nothing. She’s barely passing school at the moment. Let’s wait and see before we spend so much money.” She walks away, and I don’t even bother looking at my dad because I know he won’t say sorry to me. He’s following her, to make sure she’s not upset about what he almost did.

“I can buy it for you.” I tense up when Robert places his hand on my ass and starts rubbing it. Asshole.

“I’m sure there is a way you can repay me.”

He moves my hair out of the way and kisses my neck.

I hate it.

He smells disgusting.

His touch is like nails piercing my skin, and every time he’s close to me I want to throw up.

“Let me have fun, and it will be a quarter of the payment.”

I have to hold the tears back, because he takes everything from me.

---