A Night With My Brother-In-Law

e early. He loved to party with his women,

so carelessly. That's why I always used protection-to

.. Tonight w

f whiskey and unfamiliar perfume filled the room, suffocating me. His footsteps were uneven, hi

ew. I knew wh

to remember. I felt the sharp, familiar pang in my chest as I

flinched but remained still, pretending to be asleep. Maybe if I didn't

sn't tha

nsed as I slowly reached toward the nightstand where I always kept m

th

oat. The empty space where my protection should have been sent a w

o time

on to

erent in the air tonight-an unsettling chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. His breath slowe

wasn'

e was nothing between us

t h

tensed, but I didn't fight. Fighting only made it worse. I shut my ey

still. Silen

t his snores filled the room. I just lay there, frozen, s

ashing away the evidence, but the filth clung to me. I slipped back i

city stirred. But inside me,

-feet pounding against wet pavement, hands reaching for me, pullin

--

up with

m was s

but something else felt... off. A cold breeze brushe

ned m

asn't

around me like a second skin. The scent of whiskey still linger

embling as I tapped the screen. 6:17 AM. The city outsi

before me, especially not after nights like this. He a

sheets w

ame home l

h twisted

dn't ma

beside me. I smelled the alcohol on

n't

gain, dialing his number. It rang once,

of his usual drunken rants. My eyes scan the room, expecting to see him stumble back through the door at an

I'm looking outside. Maybe for some clue, some reason to believe this isn't happening

er cam

th me last night,

the door ma

long moment, I just stood there, sta

fingers fumbling with the lo

ing a tray. The scent of fresh coffee an

'am," she said wi

"What...?" My voice came ou

ble by the window. "Sir asked me to bring you breakfast i

art s

barely register

u. He said you'd be happy to eat your breakfast in bed. I was surprised too," she a

dn't b

er sent me breakfast. Never show

I turned to Maria,

anded, my voice shar

w, ma'am. I haven't seen hi

oded my

come home

sn't

the one in my b

who