“That’s right! We’re good citizens! Who wouldn’t be scared of having their home stolen from them? She’s the one who twisted the
truth!”
One of them, feeling particularly wronged, spat in Sharon’s direction. “The damn thief crying thief! She’s the mistress, and she had
the nerve to accuse someone else!”
Then, that same person turned on my father. “And you! You scumbag! You deadbeat! Throwing away the wife who stood by you
when you had nothing! I hope you rot in hell!”
My father’s face went from black to purple. He slammed his hand on the table. “Sharon! Look what you’ve done!”
The police officer was even louder. “What are you yelling about? Sit down!”
The
My father sat. In the end, everyone is afraid of the police. And everyone is afraid of having their reputation ruined.
I came from the hospital, where I’d made sure my mom understood she couldn’t back down. When we arrived at the station, my
father was, predictably, trying to get Sharon off the hook.
“Just sign the settlement agreement,” he told my mom. He was used to her being obedient, to him being in charge.
He had miscalculated.
My mother looked at my bruised face, and her voice was steel. “Absolutely not.”
My father looked at her with profound disappointment. He even threatened to cut off my child support, trying to force her to sign.
But my mother stood firm. For the first time, she fought back.
“My daughter looks like this because of Sharon!” she cried, her voice breaking. “When she was being slandered and bullied, where
were you? When she was being beaten, where were you?”
“You didn’t ask a single question. You didn’t defend your own daughter for a second. All because Sharon gave you a son, you kicked
us out with nothing, to make way for him, to make him legitimate!”
“Why?” she sobbed. “Why is it always my Jessica who has to suffer?”
“I want Sharon to pay for what she did!”
I always thought my mother was soft, that anyone could push her around. But today, I saw the brilliant, dazzling light that shone within her. I finally understood the old saying: a woman may be weak, but as a mother, she is strong. My own mother would transfo-
rm from a lamb into a lioness to fight the world for her child. I wasn’t sad when I was beaten, or when I was cursed. But seeing my
mother stand up for me like this, I wanted to cry and cry.
In the end, my father threw one last line at me. “Our relationship as father and daughter ends here.”
“Good riddance,” I shot back.
Because we refused to settle, Sharon was jailed for two weeks, lectured by the police, forced to make a public apology, and had to
pay a hefty compensation. As I took the check, she glared at me.
“Don’t get too smug,” she hissed. “I’m not done with you.”
“Your father doesn’t want you anymore,” she said. “You’re nothing but a bastard now.”
But Sharon didn’t know that she was already famous. The story of her affair was now common knowledge, and her precious son
2018
Chapter 2
2018
was being targeted at school because of it.
When she finally got home, she wasn’t greeted by a loving husband and son. She was met with a cold husband and a furious son.
That was thanks to my resourceful best friend, who had friends at his high school and knew exactly what was going on.
