Treasure Box

Chapter 20

So this is the beginning of the end. The chapter after this will be the last chapter of the first part of the story. Then Part 2, Michael's story, will begin. I've been excited about it for weeks so I hope you are too. Also, please go in with an open mind because I sort of took everything about this story and threw it into disarray but I kind of love how it turned out. Anyway, on to the story:

Ohmigosh, almost forgot. WARNING: may be some trigger in this chapter as well as the f word. It's not the most pleasant chapter I've ever written. I try to keep it vague because writing it is painful for me.

When Kate left the courthouse, she knew that she wasn't going to visit. Even with all the self-righteous determination that she conjured up after learning that her mother had died, she could still see how little she actually cared about being a mother. Of course, she still loved her son but it was more like a love for a distant relative. If she had gotten full custody, it would have taken barely hours for her to look at her son like he was a burden.

Upon leaving, she admitted to herself that this was best.

"So that's it?" Her boyfriend, Jonny, said during the drive to airport, "We came all the way here for the brat and now we're leaving without him?"

Something irked her about the way he insulted her son. She snapped, "Don't call him that."

"What should I call him then?" His voice was flat and deadly, "Your little fuck-up?"

It stung but he was right. "Just drive," she muttered somberly.

"So I'm just the chauffeur now?" he challenged deliberately, "We fly all the way out here to get the son you never mentioned, now we're leaving without him because your own son doesn't like you? Listen, I don't ever want to hear about this 'son' of yours again. It's not my fault you were too much a whore to keep your legs closed." He continued ranting. She couldn't remember when he stopped. If he stopped. His anger made her feel so small, she couldn't even tell him to stop.

The rants were just the beginning. It was like Michael's existence set him off like a detonator. The insults became more frequent and bitter. Instead of 'K,' she became 'whore' and 'bitch.' She was constantly cheating on him in his mind. It became a thing to mockingly ask her if she had any other kids he should know about. Then, when she retorted, he hit her. Their carefree Hawaii life was gone.

And replaced with hell.

No one saw the bruises but it was hard not to notice how subdued she became. She flinched when he entered the room. They did get married but it wasn't consensual. Nothing was consensual anymore.

When she found out she was pregnant, she didn't think twice before running out the door and praying to a God she didn't believe in that he didn't find her. It was a breezy summer night. The stars were beautiful and bright but she couldn't enjoy them. Her feet kept on moving, carrying her as far away from the man that ruined her life as possible. For the first time in her life, she wanted to protect her child.

She had been running for miles when a Jeep came rumbling down the track beside her. For one, horrified second, she thought that her husband had woken up but noticed how run down the jeep was compared to their latest addition, spotless car. A boy stuck his unruly head out the window, his stare wide eyes and somewhat terrified.

"Hey, um, lady, my gran told me to come get you."

Shocked, she slowed to a walk, then bent over gasping for breath. The jeep stopped to a tan, shirtless boy hopped out, his eyes wide and worried. He was scrawny enough to seem harmless with large doe eyes. He couldn't have been older than sixteen. "Are you okay? No offense but you look horrible."