It was mid summer by the time Clover had healed completely. She wanted to help around the neighborhood like Reggie and Becca, but Levi still insisted she stayed at home. If she was being honest, the abortion process had been painful especially in the beginning and all that time Levi had still made time for her. Since she was better now and was no longer in pain, he went back to work. Now, she barely saw him as he was very occupied with work due to the times he skipped because of her.
Becca and Reggie had run off somewhere, either helping someone out or playing with some of the kids in the neighborhood.
She was tired of being indoors like she was on house arrest, so she came outside and sat on the front porch.
Her mind wandered to the past... Thinking about everything she had passed through before getting to this point in her life where she had someone like Levi.
If not for all those circumstances, she wouldn't have been here.
She subconsciously scanned her body with her eyes, raising her hands up in the air to look at her skin.
Most of the marks, the bruises and wounds had either turn to faded scars or disappeared completely.
She looked at her belly, which had returned to it's previous state as evidence that there was no longer a child growing inside her.
.
.
"Clover!" Her father's raggedy old voice reverberated from the living room.
The moment she heard his voice, her muscle tensed up and immediately she got up from her chair, rushing to the living room.
"Yes??" She answered as she got to the living room, stopping a few metres from the couch that he was sitting on.
"Why did you take so long to answer?" He said, not turning to look at her; his attention was at the game he was watching on TV.
"W..ell..." She started stuttering. He finally turned to look at her.
"Cat got your tongue?" He asked with a blank expression. Clover knew this was the calm before the storm.
"I thought it would be better if I answered when I got to where you were." Her voice was meek and low, sounding like she was a mouse.
"How would I know you've heard me if you don't answer right away?"
"I'm sorry. I'll answer next time." He got up and walked towards her, the closer he came to her, the farther she went from him, until her back touched the hard surface of the wall.
"One of your teachers, Ms. Penny called me this afternoon." The moment he said that, she shivered violently.
"What did you tell her?" He asked. His face was blank but his eyes narrowed at her.
"No.. no..thing." Her voice quivered as she spoke.
The next moment, the sound of his palm hitting her echoed across the living room.
"If it was nothing, then she wouldn't have been brave enough to call me." He placed his hand on her shoulder, pressing hard on it. She grimaced as the pain from her shoulder started becoming almost unbearable.
"I swear I didn't tell her anything." Tears welled up in her eyes and her voice desperately pleaded for him to stop.
"Are you lying to daddy?" What made her question if this man had a heart, was his expressionless face when he hurt her.
It didn't show any form of anger, but an unusual calmness which insinuated that he believed what he was doing wasn't wrong.
She wasn't lying to him;She hadn't told Ms. Penny anything. It seemed like Ms. Penny had taken notice of some things and decided to call his attention. She didn't know the conversation they had, but it was a fact that her and Ms. Penny didn't have any discussion.
"No, I'm not. I swear, I swear on my life." Her pleas bore no fruit, rather he scoffed and looked at her with a face that said she was worthless.
"Your life has no meaning, swearing on it won't make any difference." His cold words came like dagger through her heart. "Before you make any foolish mistakes, remember... You don't have anyone in this world other than me. Nobody wants you, you're nothing." He let go of her shoulder. The sudden weight that had been pulled off her shoulder made her lose her footing and she fell to the ground.
Her actions made him frown even more. She acted like a scaredy little cat and didn't even put up a fight even a little bit. It was boring somehow, it would be nicer if she tried to retaliate once in a while.
"Stand up." His voice deepened as he commanded her.
She wanted to stand up but she didn't have the will to move her legs. She sat on the floor, bending her head and cowering in fear.
She braced herself for any impact that would be made by him hitting her but even after waiting a while there was no movement from him.
He just put his hands in his pockets and sighed.
"I'm going to my bedroom. You have one minute to meet me there." After saying that he walked away.
.
.
Clover believed that, it was during that time she had gotten pregnant for him because it was from that day he had stopped being careful. Other times he had taken precautions as to not get her pregnant.
Starting from that day he didn't hit her as much, he had started getting bored with her, and when she got pregnant he didn't hesitate to throw her out without a second thought.
He didn't care where she would go, that was none of his concern.
She was happy that he sent her away himself, because she didn't have that courage to run away on her own.
Him sending her out led to her meeting Levi, the person who changed her life forever.
In his eyes, she wasn't worthless or meaningless rather she was someone who deserves happiness and love.
He had brought light into her life and she would forever be in his debt.