Chapter 5: The Echoes of Departure
As David’s footsteps echoed down the hall, Melanie sank to the floor, her knees weak from the emotional turmoil. She watched the empty doorway, half-expecting David to come back and tell her it was all a joke. But the house remained silent. The hollowness was a reminder of the reality: David was gone.
She wrapped her arms around herself, tears welling up in her eyes. The room felt colder now; empty. It wasn’t just the physical absence of David, but the laughter, the shared secrets, the comforting presence—all gone. It was as if a piece of her had left with him.
But as the tears spilled down her cheeks, she remembered David’s words. It was true, he did deserve better. She had always known he deserved better. She just wished that their bond as brother and sister was enough for him. But, in the end, nothing she did could ever undo her mother’s constant contempt and lack of restraint with her words.
Melanie thought back on their childhood, when her mother had first adopted David. She remembered how excited she was to have an older brother, to have a friend.
Those first few weeks were so much fun. Every day, they would go to the playground and play made up games until the sun went down. They would color and play house and stay up way past their bedtime. She even remembered her mother buying them more toys and snacks, too, so they could keep playing and having fun.
But then, something happened. Melanie didn’t know it at the time, but apparently David had come from a really rich family, and her mother had thought that by adopting David, she would receive the wealth that he was supposed to inherit. Melanie wouldn’t find out until much later that the day Shiela received the bankruptcy notice was the day that everything changed.
That day, her mother’s lack of restraint wasn’t just with her words. Melanie had never been so scared in her life. All she could do was cry and scream as her mother beat David relentlessly until he lost consciousness, his body bloody and broken. If someone hadn’t overheard the screaming and called the police, David might not even be alive today.
With a deep breath, Melanie stood up. This was probably for the best. No matter how much she wanted her older brother to stay, the painful truth was that he should have left a long time ago. She had tried for years to change her mother, to convince David that things would get better, that he belonged. But, deep down, Melanie knew that he had only stayed because of his sense of duty and care for her. Now that he was gone, she’d have to take care of herself. He wouldn’t want her to be moping around all day. He’d want her to be strong.
“I’ll miss you, David,” she whispered into the empty room.
She wiped away her tears, a newfound resolve in her eyes. David’s departure was a wake-up call. She couldn’t let her mother’s bitterness define their lives. She had to stand up, not just for herself, but for David too. His brave decision had shown her that they both deserved better.
With a final glance at David’s room, Melanie stepped out and trudged back to her own room. Although David was gone, she knew he was with her in spirit. His resilience, his kindness, his resolve—they were a part of her now. And she would carry them with her.
FROM THE AUTHOR
Is Shiela Bringer based on a real person? Well…let’s just say that she’s a combination of several personalities I’ve had the misfortune of stumbling across. When I was writing the first draft of this book, several of my beta readers were concerned that her behavior (especially in the later chapters) was too exaggerated or ridiculous and that people wouldn’t find her character realistic.
Here’s the thing, though: the more people I share the book with, the more people tell me that there is a “Shiela” in their life. While I can’t help people run away or confront their Shielas, I CAN give us all a character that we love to hate.
So, in short, I truly hope that no one gets triggered by this fictional, albeit semi-realistic, character. We can all groan together at her ridiculous narcissistic tendencies and hopefully have some reprieve from the Shiela Bringers in our real lives.
- A. J. Knight
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