Page 104 of Disturbed Lucidity

He was perfect.

I don’t know what made me say it, but looking at the little doll in my arms, I whispered, “Thank you, Father. I will take such good care of it. I promise.”

“FUCK!” Father roared, turning as he slammed his fist into the wall. He was angry, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t care. I didn’t feel the need to soothe his temper or make him feel better. All I cared about was the little doll in my arms quietly looking up at me.

It was so beautiful.

The most adorable little doll I’d ever seen.

“I should have fucking known you were too damn stupid to do anything right. Cunts like you are always rebellious. Your mother was the same way.”

I wasn’t listening to him.

I didn’t care.

All I cared about was the doll in my arms.

“Give it to me,” Father sneered, standing next to me.

Looking up, I frowned, holding my little doll tighter while I slowly shook my head.

“You gave it to me.”

“Now, Ivy.”

“But—”

“NOW!” father roared, and I reluctantly handed him my doll. It was only then did I see the red silk rope in his other hand, the decorative knot at the end.

I knew that knot. What it meant. What it signified.

Father had used that knot on me many times to bring me to heel.

To teach me what I refused to learn.

Shaking my head, I forced my tired and uncooperative body to sit up. “Father, what are you going to do?”

“What I should have done in the first place. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

“Give me my doll back!”

Ignoring me, father walked to the door and stopped, turning to face me as he said, “Maybe next time you will learn your lesson.”

The next thing I knew, he walked out and shut the door behind him.

With a scream that seemed to pierce the air, I fell to my knees, pleading and begging for mercy. My worn-out body dragged itself across the icy, unforgiving surface of the tiled floor. Reaching for the door handle, it wouldn’t budge.

The door was locked.

Banging on the door, I screamed, “Please don’t do this. It’s only a little doll! It can’t fight you! I’ll do better next time. I promise! Please, Father!”

My screams echoed relentlessly when I tried to withstand the excruciating pain that seemed to encase me, leaving no room for anything else.

Jerking awake, I lay there in the darkness as fear plagued my mind.

The bed shifted behind me when Luc pulled me closer, fitting himself around me while his hand gripped my bare breast. A possessive reflex that should have soothed me, yet another trickle of terror coated my heart.

I lay there, dreading sleep while buried memories plagued me.

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