Broken Promises / / A Falice Story

Chapter 4

Alice spent the entire time FP was there in the kitchen. She heard every bit of conversation her husband and the man she so deeply loved had and everything was about sports. When FP left Alice expected Hal to enter the kitchen. She knew he didn't like him being there and he was going to blame it on her.

Hal didn't go into the kitchen, instead about half an hour after FP left he asked her to bring him a glass of water. When she walked to put it on the coffee table Hal stood up and grabbed Alice's arm. "Why the hell was he here?" Hal growled.

"The kids-"

"Don't lie to me!" Hal shook Alice and half of the water in the glass spilled everywhere. "Why was he here?"

"To see if the kids-" Alice didn't get to finish her sentence because she was thrown on the table with such force that the glass table broke under her. She could feel bits of glass on her side and her palms. Her eyes filled with tears without her permission and Alice started getting the glass out of her palms as Hal just sat down on the couch.

"This isn't finished." Hal warned Alice. She wanted to yell at him, hurt him too, she just wished she was free, but she didn't do anything. She would've stood up immediately if she felt like she could, but it hurt her too much to do it on her own for the moment.

However, she didn't have much time because the front door opened. The moment Hal heard it he stood up and helped Alice up too, much faster then she would've wished and it only hurt her.

Betty walked into the living room just in time to see Hal try to get off Alice the pieces of glass. "Mom, oh my god, are you ok? What happened?" Betty rushed to Alice and the mother forced a smile.

"I tripped on the carpet and fell. My mind was somewhere else." Alice lied and Betty looked at her father.

"I'll help Mom, Dad. I wanna talk to her anyway." Betty said and Hal just let go of Alice.

It took much longer than it would've normally have for Alice to get upstairs. They walked directly into the bedroom and Alice sat down on the bed. "Mom, if I ask you something can you promise me you'll be honest?"

"Always." Alice smiled. She was in so much pain because of the fall and the glass pieces stuck in her skin. Her palms were bloody and she could've sworn she had glass pieces in the right side of her body.

"Polly and I, well we, we kind of always thought Dad was, is, violent with you." Betty didn't want to say those words, but she knew better. She didn't want her mother to have to go through it if it were real.

Alice was going to say something, but Betty wanted to tell her everything she had to say before she let her mother talk. "I never actually saw it until Polly left because he started getting sloppy. He pushed you didn't you? On the table?" Betty asked. "The truth Mom please, I'm old enough to know."

"I'm fine Betty-"

"He pushed you Mom." Betty cut Alice off. "Look, when Polly was here we never saw it. After she left it started happening more often. What will happen when I leave? What if one day he hits you so bad you just-"

"Oh Betty." Alice sighed. "Come here." She patted the bed right next to her. She would've stood up herself, but she didn't feel strong enough for it. Her heart was aching knowing her daughters knew about it. "Yes. Hal pushed me."

"Why?" Betty asked. There wasn't a reason good enough for him to do that, but Betty wanted to know what set him off.

"It doesn't matter. Betty you can't tell him you know-"

"We can't stay here Mom. I don't want him hurting you anymore." Betty said and Alice told her that they couldn't leave. Alice didn't have any money saved, she didn't tell Betty the reason why, but it was because she had given everything to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. She hated the place and her memories there, but it was her way of making it up for what she did do Charles. "We'll stay with Jug and Mr. Jones for a while."

"Betty no-"

"Mom, please. I can't let you stay here, I can't stay here knowing what Dad does. Please Mom, I'm begging you." Betty had tears in her eyes and it broke Alice's heart. She should've known the girls would find out. "I'll call Jug ok? Ask him and his dad to pick us up in half an hour."

"All right." Alice nodded and Betty pulled out her phone. Fear and sadness filled Alice, she didn't know what to say or do so after Betty spoke to her boyfriend they both packed some things and Alice changed her clothes and cleaned her cuts. She also had a long cut on her cheek, pretty deep and visible, but she didn't feel it, she just saw it when she took her toothbrush from the bathroom. She stared in the mirror at herself, she looked defeated. "Stay strong Alice, for the girls."