Until Forever Fades

ad the air in the house

e heavy, suffocating kind that made the wall

red voices from the living room. Her stepfather, Richard, sat in his usual chair, swirling a ha

now she was afraid. It was always the s

harp crack rang through the house, follo

n't think-

gh the tense air as she st

nto the living room, she found her mother clutching the side of her face, Richard standing over her, his hand still raise

look, silently begging her not to make things worse. But Thalia had spent years not making th

a slow, cruel chuckle, shaking his he

fied eyes pleaded with her to stay quiet, t

she refused to move. "You're not even my kid,"

omething insi

belittle her mother, enduring his disgust toward her like she

n he wasn't her biological father, but hearing him say it-hea

"Then why don't you

across Richard's f

e first time, she saw it-t

ad wanted her gone. He might have wa

e was finally going

oft creak of a drawer sliding open. T

ing as she pulled out an envelope. "Thalia..." Her v

from amusement to fury. "Wh

gripping it tightly. "You're n

d with tears, but her voice didn't waver. "You never have been. You only happened to be in

ant to do this Rosalind." Her mother met his gl

bout Richard's hate. It was about a secret big enough to destroy everythi

came out. "If Daniel was gone, then what

ass, the weight of Richard's glare-but all she could focus on was the envelope in her mother's hands. Her mother

clenched. "Don

she whispered. "She was never yours, and you know. But you staye

tomach twi

a life," he hissed. "Both of you. I picked y

. Her voice shook, but there was fire be

ng with unspoken pain. "Sweethear

hesit

mind, but the weight of her mother'

darkened. "You think

king the envelope from her mother's hands. "NO!" Her mother gasped, reaching for it, but he shoved her back so hard she st

ocument slid across the hardwood-bol