Their voices blend, rising, but I can’t hear them anymore. The room tilts, sound fading to white noise. My father’s mouth moves, forming words I don’t process. Julien’s stance shifts to a defensive posture.
But all I can think is: this is it.
This is my whole life.
Shrinking. Apologizing. Making myself smaller so he won’t?—
Won’t what?
Hit me? He’s done that.
Yell at me? He did that daily.
Make me feel worthless? That’s his specialty.
What exactly am I afraid of anymore?
The world already ended. Zombies hunt in packs. I killed the dead, survived a psychopath, learned to fight…
And I’m still letting this man make me feel like I’m nothing.
The memory of my tenth birthday rises unbidden—sitting alone at the kitchen table while Dad rushed Amelia to the hospital, again. My untouched cake growing stale as hours passed. At sixteen, I turned down a scholarship because itwould have meant moving away, leaving Amelia without her daily caretaker while Mom worked. Dad called it ‘being practical’ when I enrolled in the local community college instead. Said dreams were luxuries we couldn’t afford. I was ready to marry a man I didn’t love to save our family.
I gave everything.
All to be called a whore.
When is it ever enough? When I die?
When can I have something?
“Stop.” The word comes out stronger this time.
They keep arguing.
“I said stop!” My voice cracks across the room like a whip.
Everyone freezes. Dad. Julien. The entire lodge goes silent, even the music cuts off completely.
My hands shake. My knees threaten to buckle. But I lock them, forcing myself to stand tall. “You want to know where I was?” I stare at my father. “I was living my life. For the first time ever, I was choosing something for myself instead of constantly trying to be the good daughter.”
“Dakota—” Dad’s face darkens.
“No.” I cut him off. “You don’t get to talk anymore. You’ve talked enough for my entire life. Now you’re going to listen.”
Silence. Complete, suffocating silence.
“You blame me for everything. For Amelia being sick. For not being good enough. For existing.” My voice cracks. “You hit me when you were angry. Ignored me when you weren’t. Made me feel like I had to earn the right to take up space in my own home.”
He takes a step forward. “You’re going?—”
“Don’t.” Julien moves with him, blocking his path to me.
“I spent years trying to be perfect for you. Getting good grades. Following your rules. Never complaining. Never asking for anything.” My nails dig into my palms. “I was going to marryCameron because you told me to. Because you made it clear that was my job. My purpose. To save this family from your failures.”
“I was trying to help?—”
“You were trying to control!” The words explode out of me. “You couldn’t control Amelia’s illness. Couldn’t control your business falling apart. Couldn’t control Mom. So you controlled me. Because I let you.”
