Page 126 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

The video was paused. “He went up the stairs,” Karly said, “then returned fifteen minutes later.”

They watched Elise take the bottle out of her hiding spot and then drink it straight before she put more in her coffee.

Her father came in changed into jeans and a T-shirt and gathered plates to get down.

“Why are you keeping money from me?” Elise asked.

“I’m not,” her father said.

“I tried to use my credit card and it was declined,” Elise argued and slapped her hand on the counter.

“Because you hit your credit limit,” her father said calmly. “I got notification of that today.”

Elise shoved her father. “I’m trying to buy gifts for Christmas. Do you know how embarrassing it is for me to have that happen?”

Her father moved a few steps back. “You have a five thousand dollar limit and I pay it off every month. That’s on you to be at your limit. No one needs that much spent on them at the holidays.”

Elise shoved her father again.

“It was a gift for you.”

Her father turned. “I don’t need or want anything other than my wife to get some help. You’re going to drink yourself to death. Do you think I don’t know you’re drunk right now? What is it? Wine? Vodka? I’ve stopped looking for your stash because it’s never going to end.”

Elise threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her father picked up the coffee cup, took a sip, and then dumped it. “Don’t lie to me. You think I’m a fool and I’m not.”

Elise punched her father in the chest, but he didn’t flinch. Then she went to scratch him and her father caught her wrists. “Leave me alone,” Elise said.

“I should,” her father said. “Just leave in general. I only want to help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” Elise said, swinging her arms and hitting her father haphazardly.

Her father wrapped Elise up in his arms. “Cut it out,” her father said. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Justine felt as if she was going to throw up watching this. She never had any idea how bad it was and wished she had.

“You’re the one that is going to get hurt,” Elise shouted. “I hate you. I hate the control you’ve got on my life. I hate you think you own me.”

Her father let go and moved several feet away. “No one is keeping you here,” her father said calmly. “But you won’t go because you like the life you’ve got.”

Elise snarled and moved toward the pot that had hot water and vegetables in it, she picked it up and threw it at her father across the kitchen.

Justine gasped and jumped back in the chair.

It was as if her father saw that coming and moved away, then left the kitchen.

Karly paused the video. “Do you want me to continue? He’s going to his office.”

“Yes,” Jordan said. “I need to see the rest.”

Justine could only nod her head yes. She was dreading the rest, but Jordan was right and she needed to know what was there.

The camera switched over to see her father walk into his office, then out of sight, Elise going after him, the same thing, out of sight.

They could hear arguing and yelling, her father saying, “What are you doing? Put that down.”

Then her father backed out of the office and into the living room. Almost right in front of the camera as if he knew this would be caught on film.

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