right now!" my father ro

and grabbing my car keys from the hook. The time

rabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. "Where do you think y

I said, my voi

he insisted, her grip tightening. "Think about your brother! T

their selfish desires. They preached about family unity but had no

with them to understand my financial situation, trying to reason wi

h stood in

free from my mother's grasp. She stumble

st my stunned father and brother, and stopped in front of Ashley,

, I grabbed he

with genuine shock and a flicker of fear. "What are

aid, my voice calm and dangerou

Mark yelled, lu

'm not going to hurt her, Mark. I'm taking her to the ho

ather sputtered. "Wh

distressed. As her loving future family, we should make sure everything is alright. We need a doctor to confirm

announcement, a flood of cash, that was the plan. A hospital visit

she stammered, pulling against my grip.

ght, false smile. "We can't b

lling her to

trying to block my path. "You're scari

room. "A blood test, a sonogram, the works. I want proof. If she is pregna

ts. I was done being bound by a twisted definition of famil

arents and brother. "I earned it. And I won't have it ex

air. Ashley flinched. Mark

call her a lia

me wrong," I challenged, pulling a panick

nd felt a profound and final sense of release. In my previous life, I had craved their approval,

r, who saw Mark's happiness as the ultimate goal and my own as an afterthought. And Mark, a weak m

ey were my wardens. And I

o low only Ashley could hea

he first time, she looked at me a