𝑅𝑒𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 - 𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑒

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛

I widen my eyes, hearing him calling me, I look at Patrick whose eyes are in tears. Looking straight at me, "You think that we don't know? Your own brother and sister? I saw you, with him. In the kitchen..."

My ears are ringing from what I was hearing from my brother, my eyes have tears of fear, and I couldn't speak to my brother. "Patrick?"

"8 years... sister. For your information, Mum, not only our father abuse you. He abused your daughter, in sexual performances! I know how much he hurt you, Dahlia. It traumatizes me as your brother, for not protecting you. Not only for me, Della as well."

My eyes are on Della, she's looking down, holding back to her tears. "Della...?"

"I saw him too... in your room. I thought it was my imagination, it wasn't. Speaking of that night,..."

Della stands up from her seat, but Patrick puts her down. "No, we're having this conversation. Of course, she remembers, we were there together."

"NO!" Della looks up at Patrick, sobbing, "You went to get Mom... Left me on my own with, with him, I didn't- I didn't help him... Especially you, Dahlia, I just watched him raping you. I didn't know what to do..."

I sob along with my sister and look at my Mom, her eyes are bloodshot red with tears, hearing about this. "It's true, Mom... They're telling the truth. I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." Mom's hand grabs my left hand as we look at each other's eyes, hazel and brown. All that was broken has been fixed.

My family in the room are sobbing, receiving all the information, secrets, and emotions. Become united as one. "Conversation had now, can I please be allowed to stand the fuck up?" Della stands up beside me as I am sitting by Mom, "You shouldn't be sorry, Dahlia. You didn't know..."

Patrick stands across from me, "You have no idea how much we love you, sis. As a family... We wanted to protect you, so it won't happen again..."

I sob my tears away, looking at my family, "I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping the secret... as well as Mom did. To keep you safe."

My mom puts her arms around me as well Della puts her arm around me. They both hug me so tight that I can feel their love while Patrick is drying his tears away and looking straight at me crying. "I didn't tell you all this so the two of you can feel bad. I told you so that it can be different for Leo."

Mom look at her son, still holding me in tears, "I can't, we can't do that to him. His father is his whole world."

"He's not a child anymore, none of us are, including our sister. Della and I will go and speak to him, but if we could tell him." Mom and I are drying our tears, looking down, "Then Dad wins again."

The women in the room look at Patrick with determination with our eyes, saying to each other as a family. We're not losing... to him.

While my family left, trying to talk to Leo, I went to my library to get my book, Confine in Secrecy. I'm searching for a page that's been bugging me for two years since I agreed by obedience to keeping a secret. Page 221. The scene between the Master and Mia vowed to each other in secret. If I can remember correctly, and I do. In my heart. In my fears. I close my eyes and remember.

Blaring music. Alcoholic drinks. 8:22 at night. In a car. Raining. My tears have gone to shed, and looking down on the floor mat with beer bottles. Arms crossed, breathing heavily...

Edward looks at me, cleaning himself. More like cleaning the evidence. "Well, Dahlia, you sure did pleasure me. Bloody 16. Your sweet 16...'

I gulp my salvia in fear, eyes watering as they count the bottles. Edward notices my silence, "It's been a long while for this passion. Now... it will be forever." I flinch at his touch, petting my head, "If you really love your family, Dahlia...  A secret. Keeping this a secret for both of us. In your heart, in your fears.'