Chapter 2 ''Family in Crisis''

MITCHELL POV

"Denise!" The line went off. My heart raced, it was like an emergency alarm was blaring in my head. My eyes flit around, the instinct to leave the office and head to my mother's house tempted me strongly.

"Cassandra! Cassandra!" She turned to me quickly from her workbench and pulled down the head seat to her neck.

"Mitchell! What's the matter? Are you okay?"

I rushed out of my seat towards her workbench. "Please cover up for me, I have to leave now."

Cassandra held my shaking hands, and spoke in a low voice, "Calm down. What's the problem? You can't just leave now, we have few minutes left."

"I just received a call from Denise, father is back at the house. I heard my parent's voices in the background. All doesn't seem well, I have to go and check it out."

"Wait a minute. I know you, you have to prepare yourself now and know what to do so that you won't go there and join in the chaos. You have to call the police while going there."

"Call the police? No, no. I don't have to do that. That's my father, I know he is doing bad to us, but I can't call the police on my Dad."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Cassandra discovered her voice was loud. She glanced around, some of the staff were staring at her and she faked a smile and turned back to me. "After all he did to you?" She whispered.

"I know, I know. But, I..."

"Mitchell. You have to stand up to him and face with all you can. He is doing this because he knows no one can withstand him. I don't know why you and your mom are allowing him to treat you guys that way."

"I will go home and see what is going on. If he tries to cause trouble, I will call the police."

"Wait. This is our closing time already, let's go together."

"Cassandra, you don't have to..."

"Ah ah!" Cassandra shunned me shaking her raised index finger. "No objection. We are going together from here. Wait a minute, I have to submit my report for the day."

She turned to her computer and started sending the report to the company emails. After everything she shut down the system and picked up her bag.

A staff who was still struggling to complete his task for the day said aloud to us. "Are you guys leaving already?!"

"No my dear, we want to go say Hi to the CEO.." Cassandra faked a smile. "What's is the time saying? Dummy! Gosh! I'm sick and tired of the silly questions you guys ask in this company." She headed towards the door, "Come on, Mitchell. Let's go."

We boarded a taxi and drove straight to my mother's house, which was about a five-minute drive from the Mart company building. The car stopped and we alighted, the house was a residential six-floor building single building located along an alley. We climbed up the stairs to the third floor and looked for Room 258.

I got close to the door and heard my parent's voice aloud. Cassandra widened her eyes at me and jerked her head, whispering, "Get in. Don't worry, I'll be here waiting, just in case."

I knocked at the door and the room was silent for some seconds. I knocked again and my Dad's loud voice barked from inside the room, "Who is that?!"

"It's me, Dad. Open up!"

"Mitchell? I'm coming."

"Get back here you woman! I'm not done talking to you."

"Take your hands off me!"

"Mom!!!" I shouted from the door. I heard them struggling inside the house, I and Cassandra banged loudly at the door. Cassandra withdrew and picked up her phone dialing a number.

"Am I speaking with the New York Police Department? This is Cassandra Miles, there is a case of physical assault here, a man abusing a woman and a teenage daughter."

I wasn't expecting her to place a call quickly. She ignored my look and continued on the phone call. "457 Marquis Street, Room 258... Thank you, sir. Please be quick." She hung up the call and turned to me staring at her with a hint of amazement. She spread her arms and bulged her eyes at me, "What?! I have to do that because you don't have the guts to do it."

"Get back here!" My father shouted, immediately the door opened, Denise was standing at the door as my father rushed at her.

"Take your hands off her!" In a quick response, I found myself grabbing my father's shirt we both landed on the ground. I paused, shocked at my reactions, I had never attacked or tried to be defensive against anyone before.

Father also was shocked at first. Suddenly his shocked expression changed into anger and he pushed me away from his body. I rose slowly from the ground and heard a shout around me.

"No!"

I lifted my face and a hard substance slammed my head and everything went black. I felt movement around me, my head felt light, but my body was heavy. My head hurt, the excruciating pain I felt was like a hammer slamming my skull incessantly. I opened my eyes, everything seemed hazy, and the light slowly penetrated my pupils.

"Where am I?" I said drowsily.

"She's awake! Mitchell."

My sight became clear, my eyes gazed at my lying body in the hospital bed. I groaned as I felt pain in every single move I tried to make. Cassandra drew closer and sat by my right. I turned to my left and saw a doctor, I looked around and saw my mother and my sister a bit away from the bed I laid.

The doctor came closer and touched my forehead. He held a small torchlight and pointed it directly to my eyes.

"Can you please sit up, Miss?"

I raised my head and gave a low moan, Cassandra placed her hand on my back and helped me sit up. The pain wasn't as intense as it was when I woke up. The doctor touched my head, massaging my skull. Some areas he touched made me hissed and cringed.

He wrote down some things on paper. "You are fine and free to go now..." He pulled out a paper and gave it to Cassandra. "Take that to the pharmacist and get the necessary medicines for her."

He turned to me, "Next time be careful of the men you keep around you. I lost my mom in a situation like this. You are lucky to be alive, my advice to you is to place a restraining order on him. Men like that will come back. Have a nice day."

He left and I sighed, slowly lying down on the bed. My mother and my sister came close and sat around me.

"I'm sorry Mitchell. This is all my fault," my mother said trying to avoid seeing my face.

I held her hand, "It's okay, Mom. It was never your fault, you are a nice mom who was married to him."

Mother drew closer and hugged me. "I promise, I won't let him do that to you again."

"He definitely won't," Denise said.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"His behind bars right now. The police came on time to pick him up," Cassandra added.

My phone rang, and I turned to find it in Denise's arm. "Who is it, Denise?"

"Now is not the right time, Mitchell. You have to rest."

"General Manager Costa."

"Give me phone..." Cassandra reached out to Denise and snatched the phone from her. She picked up the call immediately and gazed at the roof her lips pressed forward and her other arm rested on her hip. "Good day, Sir."

After some seconds, Cassandra's eyes bulged and her mouth was wide. "Yes Sir..." She nodded vigorously. She slowly brought down her hand from her ears, our eyes were fixed on her with anticipation.

"The CEO changed his mind." Cassandra smiled broadly, "Congratulations! You are now the secretary to the CEO of Mart Groups!"