Page 18 of The Billionaire's Destiny

I laughed and pointed at the screen. “Twinsies.”

She pointed right back, grinning. “Yeah, great minds and all that. How are you, gorgeous?” Her eyes sparkled with empathy.Cass never pressed me to reveal more than I was ready for, and I cherished that. But today, I was done hiding.

My mouth trembled at the corners, but I got the words out. “I-I’m devastated.”

She nodded and frowned. “I know you are, and I know Eric Colby’s your father, but I want to kill him.”

“You’d have to get in line behind Rocco,” I croaked.

“Good man.” Her shoulders hunched. “I feel like the worst friend in the world that I hadn’t seen what was going on. I thought you were just too shy when I pushed you to date—”

“No.” I held up my hand. “Stop. I kept secrets because I wanted a new life, and that’s what I thought I could have in boarding school and college. I wanted…to forget.”

She nodded her head. “I get that, but I feel like I missed so much of what was going on with you. I want to know more so I can be a better friend—”

“You can’t be better. You’re the best,” I interrupted, my voice emphatic.

She looked directly at me through the screen. “I need to know the truth. Not to be nosy, but to support you. I love you, Adelina; you know that, and you can trust me.”

I bobbed my head and fidgeted with the bottom of my shirt. “It’s hard to know where to start.”

“How about when you came to boarding school? I remember you had bruises on your face and a busted lip. I thought maybe you fought, but I always suspected something more. I didn’t want to force you to tell me.” She sniffled.

“Please don’t cry,” I said, my voice cracking.

“I’ll try not to, but please…” Her voice trailed off, and she sat there quietly and waited for me. I never thought about how to share my secrets, but I trusted Cass, and I took a deep breath and let the words come.

“My earliest memories are filled with violence, my father beating my mother. He’d spank me, too, for looking at him. When she did something he didn’t like, he’d punish her by not allowing her to take care of us. For me, she’d leave me dirty and hungry, but it was worse for Jacob. Like when he’d get sick or have a seizure, she’d have to leave him. When I was old enough to understand what was happening to Jacob, she taught me to pray for God to heal him. And I would pray. I’d have all the kindergarten kids go on their knees, praying for us. My teacher sent home a note to Mama, and we moved. We moved so many times that I lost count…” Bile rose in my throat, and I covered my mouth.

“Do you want to take a break?” Cassidy asked, gentling her voice. But if I stopped, I’d never speak again.

“No. I need this.” She nodded.

“As I grew older, he’d hurt me as much as he hurt Mama. Mostly when I tried to stop him. But…but when I was eight, he came into my bedroom…” I glanced at her, and tears were pouring down her face.

“I’m sorry,” I rasped, my face burning.

She hiccupped. “No, please; you never have to be sorry. I’m sorry. Please forgive me for not being able to listen without effect. You’re my sister.” She spoke with a conviction that touched me deeply. I swallowed hard and continued.

“That—that first time…I-I froze and waited until…until he finished ‘checking,’ that’s what he called it. He made me take off my clothes and looked at and touched my skin, and in my head, I screamed no, but I couldn’t speak. I just lay there in shock, and I was scared at the time, but after, I was so angry. I ripped off my wall posters, destroyed my textbooks. I just… For a long time, I hated myself for freezing, like it was permission—”

“It wasn’t, Adelina.”

I bobbed my head and ran my hand down my arms. “I know…I know now. After that, every time he tried to…touch me, it always started with violence, slamming my head or twisting my arm. Kicking me…” Memories rose in my mind, and my pulse sped. My body tensed as if bracing for the next blow. “He…he seemed so much bigger, like a giant when I was little. But then I grew, and I hated the way he…looked at me. He was supposed to be my f-father.” I choked back tears and wiped my eyes, then held my arms.

“He’s a disgusting piece of shit, but he’s not here. He can’t hurt you ever again; we all would never allow it. I don’t want you to struggle. If you want to stop—”

“No. I need this right now, or I’ll never say it again,” I rasped and closed my eyes. Hiding ruined my ability to make friends, build lasting relationships. If I hadn’t been arranged to marry, I could easily see myself isolated for the rest of my life.No. Judge Colby doesn’t get to make me keep secrets.

I swallowed down the nausea and took a few deep breaths, then continued. “I’d fight back, sometimes hurting him. But later, he’d act like it never happened. But I knew…I knew I couldn’t say it happened or he’d hurt me. So, I bought a pocketknife just in case he came into my bedroom again. But when he became a drug addict, he had other things he’d do. We all became someone to take out his pain when he couldn’t get his next fix. He’d steal and sell everything we had. We’d get away. But every time, Mama would go back. We lost Jacob to social services, but he would always promise we’d get him back if we returned. Mama always went back.”

“I hate her,” she hissed. “I’m sorry. I’m just furious.”

“No. You know, I hated her, too, but I knew she was in a cycle of love bombing and cruelty.” Judge Colby had worked for years on her self-esteem, making her believe she couldn’t do things without him.”

I looked at the screen, and Cassidy had tears flowing down her cheeks, her face flushed pink. However, there was her iron will to be here for me. “I’m here, Lina, and I always will be.”

I bobbed my head. “I know.” I took a cleansing breath. “There was something that happened before I came to the boarding school that I haven’t told you.” I’d feared Cass would look down on me and my family if she knew what had happened. However, now I wouldn’t stop.