Chapter 1661
Skyler: âSo what are you asking?â
Zavier: âDidnât the Blue family teach you to fight back when bullied? Havenât they told you that if youâre kind, youâll be taken advantage of?â
Skyler bit her lip, her blue eyes welling with unshed tears, as she shook her head, âNo, they didnât.â
All her life, sheâd been taught to bite her tongue and take it on the chin. If she ever fought back, she was met with solitary confinement in the attic and the
strap.
Skyler vividly remembered a time when she was little, and her uncleâs kid, Tommy, had broken her favorite pencil case.
She was so mad that she pushed him. She wasnât strong enough to even make Tommy, who was older, flinch, but he dramatically plopped himself on the ground and started wailing, âShe hit me!â
Tommyâs cries quickly drew the attention of the adults. His mother swept him up in her arms, âOh my baby, who hurt you?âe2
Triumphantly, he pointed at Skyler, âHer!â
Upon hearing this, Tommyâs father gave Skyler a kick so fierce it sent her flying, âWhat the hell do you think youâre doing?â
She was too small to withstand the blow and crashed to the ground hard. She tried to get up but couldnât move, looking up at her parents with difficulty, âDad, Mom, he broke my pencil case.â
Her uncle was livid, âSo you hit him because he broke your damn pencil case? Bernard, is this what you teach? Canât have a son of your own, so you set your sights on mine?â
With that accusation, the matter blew up.
Knowing he couldnât compete with his brotherâs side of the family, Skylerâs father hoisted her up, âIâll take her home and straighten her out.â
But her uncle was relentless, âIs that all? Should we settle this ourselves, or should we take it to Father to decide?â
Tommy kept up his moaning and groaning.
Skylerâs grandfather, hearing that his grandson had been âassaultedâ, rushed over. They called in doctor after doctor to examine Tommy, but no one checked on Skyler, the one who was truly hurt.
After a parade of doctors confirmed Tommy was fine, just a bruised ego really, they still punished her. It wasnât just a slap on the wrist. They made her kneel in the room all night long.
She was just a little girl, not understanding why she was being punished when Tommy started it all by breaking her beloved pencil case. She later understood it was all because of her family favoring boys more than girls.
Just because she was a girl, she had to endure such unfair treatment.
The room didnât turn on lights at night. After the candles were burned out, and it became so dark that one couldnât even see their own hand in front of their face. The emptiness added a chilling sensation.
In the darkness, she thought she heard a womanâs ghostly sobs. Terrified, she cried out for her parents to save her. But her cries were met with silence. There was no help coming.
Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed over her, its claws outstretched, and she fainted from fear.
When she awoke, dawn had broken. She was lying on the cold, hard floor, her thin dress offering no warmth, her body almost numb. She tried to stand, but her legs were stiff and uncooperative.
Her uncle appeared with Tommy, with a smirk on his face.
Tommy took off his pants and urinated over Skylerâs head.
Her uncle didnât stop him, instead, he asked his son, âFeeling better now, champ?â