Mistakes Made & Lessons Learned (Book #1)

Chapter 4

~*Jade*~

Last night I had a lot of fun at my surprise birthday party but my mind was somewhere else. All I could think about was how my dad had me chained in the basement the weekend they were supposed to be gone. He told my mom that he needed to check up on me so he came back and locked me in the basement for the whole weekend. He didn't leave me any food or water; I was just stuck there. He claimed that I was going to have some nigga in the house and I was gon' be a little trick. How I'm gon' be a 'trick' when I'm still a virgin? Can someone please answer that for me!

Anyway, my mom doesn't know about the things he does to me because he threatened to kill me if I told her. Each and every day I dread going home because I don't know what he is going to do next. He treats me like I'm his trick and he my pimp. Now I know exactly why my older sister Jewel left home when she was 13.

"Jade, what are you thinking about?" My therapist Sheena asked snapping me from my thoughts.

Yes, I have a therapist but I only have her so she can keep me sane when I feel like giving up. I reached out to her the day my dad let me out of the basement because I felt like ending my life. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me dead like he always wanted.

"Sheena I just don't know what to do with my life. I can't win for losing and it irks my nerves. How can he possibly treat his daughter like this then turn around and say I love you? He doesn't love me if he can put his hands on me and belittle me every chance he gets." I said then laid down on the couch.

"Jade I believe that he is just trying to show you what type of man not to get with. He is trying to tell you by his actions that he wants what is best for you. He treats your mom good doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he never raised a finger or his voice at her but then again she always at work and he always at home. I just wish one of these days she leaves work early and catch him in the act of beating me." I said with tears falling out of my eyes. Sheena stood up and gave me a box of tissue.

"Sheena do you know how many times he almost killed me? I was defenseless and scared. He tried to shot me, stab me and even burn me alive! What makes matters worse is that he acts like he is the best dad in the world in public." I said then blew my nose. I never cried so much in front of a stranger before.

"I bet. Now this sister of yours you keep bringing up. Where is she?" Sheena asked while writing in her notepad. My frown turned into a big smile because I loved my older sister.

"Jewel is somewhere in Florida. When she left home at 13 to go live with my mom sister I was only about 2 or 3. The only reason I love her so much is because we always would talk on the phone whenever we had spare time. We talked on the phone for hours on end for five years. When she turned 18 she never called again. It's like she just disappeared. She would always tell me not to let him get to me. It's like she already been through all of this but she never really told me in detail. She 29 about to be 30 and I just want to see her. When I go to Florida for college I'm going to hire a private investigator to find her." I said while wiping my tears away with the tissue.

"Well that's some good news in your life. Now I know your birthday was yesterday and I wanted to surprise you." Sheena said walking behind her desk. She opened her desk draw and held some keys up.

"What are those for?" I asked walking up to her.

"For your new car! I know I'm not supposed to give you anything but I could care less about the rules. I also gave you the car because what's the point of having a license if you have no car? Then whenever you want to visit me or get away from that son of a bitch you ain't got to walk or catch the bus." She said while grabbing my hand and placing the keys there.