Chapter 3 Chapter 3

He was going to be even angrier when I arrived home looking like a drowned rat in front of his business colleagues. I pushed the few strands of my hair behind my ear that had fallen free from my messy bun and stuck to my now wet face. I hadn't realised that I was crying until I could taste salty droplets on my parted lips as I pushed myself to run even faster through the pouring rain.

My legs were burning and my chest felt tight but I didn't stop, I couldn't stop sprinting as I knew that the later I arrived home the angrier he would be.

I could feel my heart beat rapidly against my chest not only from the adrenaline pumping through my body but from fear of what was going to happen. It was inevitable that I was going to be punished from being late and embarrassing him but I didn't know what punishment I would get. My footsteps faltered their assault on the wet pavement below me paused as I briefly thought about running the other way.

I could run away and never look back. I had thought about running away many times and all those times they had only been in my head for a few seconds. It would be selfish to run away and leave my mum at the hands of him, she was only a shell of her former self and I didn't know what would happen if I left her on her own with him. I wouldn't do that to my mum and I knew that she was probably suffering now for my absence.

I could see through squinted eyes that I was that I was quickly approaching the lane that led to my house; the bus stop could be seen at the entrance. The house was too big, with three stories it was too big for three people but I knew that he likes to show off his wealth and having a big house that he invited most of his colleagues or clients to just so that they could see how rich his was, how perfect his life was and the power that he had.

I came to a stop in front of the large white front door to. My chest was heaving as my shoulders moved rapidly up and down and I gasped for air; although I had stopped running my entire body ached and burned. My mouth felt dry and fear clawed its way up my throat momentarily choking me as I walked up the three stairs and onto the porch, my legs wobbled causing my knees to knock together as I reached out and grasped the copper door handle with a shaking hand.

It took a small flick of the wrist for the front door to open as I let it swing wide displaying me to everyone in the living room where he sat on the sofa. I could see the back of his head as three of his work friends sat in front of him. He was holding a glass filled a third of the way up with what looked like whiskey. I couldn't suppress the shudder that ran up and down my spine as I realised that he had been drinking.

I forced myself to take a few steps into the entryway and I stood on the laminated floor dripping wet as the wind closed the door behind me. If he hadn't heard me arrive before he had now as I watched his work friends slowly look up, their conversation now forgotten. I stood frozen, my eyes wide as if I were an animal caught in a pair of headlights.

I saw from the corner of my eye my mum slowly make her way out of the kitchen, a look of relief crossing her soft features before they moulded into a look of horror and worry as I focused all my attention on him as he slowly stood up from where he had been sat down, the glass still in his hand.

It happened so fast that I barely had time to duck as he spun around and threw the glass at where I had been standing moments ago. The glass smashed against the wall behind me the sound filled the room followed by a soft, feminine gasp that I knew came from my mum as the glass shattered everywhere. I slowly stood from where I had been crouched down to avoid being hit by the glass. I kept my eyes on the floor as I heard the soft click of his expensive dress shoes hitting the wooden floor as he slowly advanced on me.

"You're late." His voice was deadly calm, the calm before the storm, as I stood where my feet had planted themselves to the ground as if stuck in concrete. I knew that I wasn't supposed to reply as I kept my lips shut tightly together in a thin, grim line.

"Why?" He shouted as I jumped. I looked up to see that he was a foot or two away from me, his posture calm and relaxed but the look on his face was murderous and I quickly looked back down to the wooden floor beneath my soaking wet shoes.

"A few of my maths class hadn't done their homework and so we all had to stay behind whilst they completed it," I spoke before quickly adding, "Sir."

It was humiliating to have to address him as Sir but it had been beaten into me since I was able to talk that I had to address him as Sir or I would suffer. It was now second nature for 'Sir' to slip onto the end of every sentence that I ever spoke to him, as well as cowering away and fearing his attention.