Chapter 80
By the time Mia stepped off the bus, she was beyond exhausted. Her body ached, her head throbbed, and all she wanted was to lie down and let sleep take her.
But this wasn’t home.
It wasn’t even close.
She walked up to the small, unfamiliar house and reached into her bag for keys-only to remember she didn’t have any.
Right.
She wasn’t used to this yet. At their old house, she had keys, her own little way of keeping some independence, and having access inside without bothering anyone no matter the time she came back from work.
But here, at this cramped place they’d found last-minute, she had to knock like a visitor.
Mia exhaled and knocked softly at first.
No answer.
She tried again, harder this time.
Still nothing.
A flicker of irritation burned in her chest as she pulled out her phone to call her mother. The call didn’t go through.
She groaned, rubbing her temples. Of course. The one time she actually needed to reach her, her phone was off.
Mia considered calling Lily or Anna, but they were probably asleep, and waking them up would only lead to complaints.
Just as she was about to knock again, she heard the sound of locks clicking open.
She sagged with relief.
The door creaked open, revealing an older man with deep lines carved into his face-Mr. Johnny.
Mia tensed.
She didn’t know he was staying here with them.
Great.
“Good evening,” she murmured, keeping her voice polite.
Mr. Johnny didn’t respond right away. He just stood there, looking at her.
Something about the way his gaze lingered made her stomach twist.
Still, she ignored it, slipping past him quickly and heading straight for the tiny room she was supposed to share with her
sisters.
The air inside was warm and stuffy. The room was too small for the three of them, and even in the low light, she could see Lily and Anna curled up, fast asleep.
Mia sighed.
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She was too exhausted to care about anything else right now.
She grabbed a change of clothes and went straight to the bathroom, eager to wash away the long day.
The water was cold, but it helped clear her head a little. She scrubbed away the sweat and tension, trying not to think too much-about Ethan, about Alex, about the fact that they had lost everything again.
But her mind was a restless thing.
Even when she dried off and changed into fresh clothes, she still felt unsettled.
When she returned to the bedroom, she quickly realized there was no space for her.
Lily and Anna had taken up all the room on the small mattress, their limbs sprawled in a way that made it impossible to squeeze in without waking them.
Mia hesitated.
She had already planned on sleeping in the living room, thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal.
But now, she wasn’t so sure.
Because now that man was in the house.
Mr. Johnny.
Her skin crawled at the thought of being alone in there, but what choice did she have?
She exhaled slowly.
It’s fine.
Grabbing her phone, she made her way to the living room.
The couch was stiff and smelled faintly of something old, but she didn’t care.
She lay down, adjusting herself until she found a somewhat comfortable position.
The house was silent except for the occasional ticking of a clock.
She held her phone close, staring at the screen even though her eyes burned with exhaustion.
For a brief, ridiculous moment, she thought about texting Alex..
Just to say something.
Oh my god! Mia go to fucking sleep!
She locked her phone, turned onto her side, and closed her eyes.
Her body begged for sleep.
But something in her refused to let her fully relax.
She could feel it—the unease settling in her bones…
Maybe because she is in a new place…
Still, exhaustion eventually won.
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And slowly, Mia begins to drift off.
But not for long… something felt off
Even in her dreamy state, Mia sensed it.
A heavy, creeping feeling settled over her chest, dragging her from the shallow grasp of exhaustion. Her skin prickled with unease, the kind that sent a cold shiver down her spine before she even opened her eyes.
Then she felt it-hands on her leg.
Her breath hitched.
Her eyes peeled open, still foggy with sleep, but what she saw made every nerve in her body jolt awake.
Mr. Johnny.
Sitting at the edge of the couch, wearing only his boxers.
One hand resting on her leg.
The other finger pressed to his lips in a silent command.
Mia froze.
For a second, her mind refused to catch up to reality, as if delaying the horror of what was happening.
Then it hit her..
Oh God.
She shot up, shoving his hand off her leg. Fear slammed into her chest, her pulse hammering wildly as she scrambled backward.
“What are you doing?” Her voice came out shaky, breathless.
His expression remained calm. Like nothing was wrong.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, tilting his head. “I just wanted us to talk.”
Mia’s stomach twisted.
She darted her eyes around, heart racing. The house was still dark, still quiet-no one else was awake.
She swallowed hard. “Talk about what?”
“About us.”
Mia stared. Us?
Her voice rose, panic seeping in. “What?”
Mr. Johnny leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming. “Your mother told me you want to go to school. I can help with that.” His voice rushed out, eager, coaxing. “I’ll sponsor you. I’ll give you anything you want.”
Disgust clawed at her throat.
She already knew where this was going.
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And she felt sick.
“No.”
Before she could even move, he lunged at her.
A strangled cry escaped her lips as his hands gripped her arms, pinning her back against the couch.
Mia’s world spun into sheer terror.
She struggled, pushing against him with all her strength. His breath was hot against her skin, and the scent of sweat and cheap alcohol clung to him.
“Shut up, you bitch,” he grunted, trying to hold her down.
Panic turned into something sharp and desperate.
Her hands flailed, searching, reaching-there.
Her fingers curled around the first thing they found-a wooden board leaning against the side of the couch.
With everything she had, she swung it.
The impact was instant.
Mr. Johnny let out a sharp groan, stumbling backward, clutching his head.
Mia gasped, sucking in air as she scrambled off the couch, her whole body trembling violently.
The sound of hurried footsteps filled the room.
Her mother and Anna burst in, their faces filled with confusion and shock.
The scene before them froze them in place.
Mr. Johnny, standing shirtless in his boxers, sweat dripping from his face as he clutched his bleeding forehead.
Mia, on the other side of the room, a wooden board still clenched tightly in her shaking hands.
Tears streaked down her cheeks, her breath coming in harsh, uneven gasps.
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air.
Then Mr. Johnny roared, storming towards his bedroom, his rage boiling over.
“Get this bitch out of my house!” he spat over his shoulder.
Mia flinched at the venom in his voice, but she didn’t move.
She couldn’t.
Her legs felt like they would give out at any second.
Her mother rushed after him. “Johnny, wait-where are you going?”
“To the hospital,” he snapped, already yanking his clothes from a chair. He shot a glare in Mia’s direction, pure fury darkening his features. “By the time I come back, I don’t want to see that girl here.”
Then he was gone, slamming the door behind him.
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The silence that followed was suffocating.
She felt like her soul had been sucked out of her
