24
Susan couldn’t reach Ashley.
She called, but nothing.
Г
She didn’t know why Ashley didn’t call.
She asked Kevin.
It was a holiday.
Kevin was home.
Susan thought he wouldn’t see her.
Harry’s wife would stop her.
But Kevin opened the door.
He was tired.
“Come in.”
Susan walked in.
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Harry looked like Kevin: tired.
Susan was confused.
But she needed help.
“I need you to see why I can’t reach Ashley.”
Susan said, “She hasn’t called.”
Susan was sad.
Kevin said, “If I was her, I wouldn’t want to
talk to you.”
Kevin took the phone.
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He clicked, “She blocked you.”
لمحصنصصصير
“What did
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He was surprised, “What did you do?”
Even when he was being a jerk, Ashley was
calm.
He was nice to Brittany, and she didn’t say
anything.
Mary was awful, and she didn’t complain.
They kicked her out, and she didn’t beg.
“I was awful to her.”
She cried.
“I was a bad mom. You left, and I blamed her.
I beat her, made fun of her.”
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“After you left, she wouldn’t talk. I forced her,
and she stuttered. I thought she was.
embarrassing me, and I left her.
“I wanted to be nice. But I couldn’t.”
“Grandma said she felt bad for Ashley. Me
too. I almost killed her.”
She looked at Kevin, “Now I’m sorry, can you
help me?”
Susan cried, and couldn’t talk.
Harry saw the girl, beat, standing alone,
crying.
Kevin said, “I see.”
Harry coughed
Г
“Why were you awful?”
He yelled, but he couldn’t.
He was the one who hurt Ashley.
He gave her money, to go away.
They were bad parents.
Harry was silent.
Ashley asked for help.
He wanted to treat them the same.
But did he?
He knew Sarah didn’t like Ashley.
୮
He saw Brittany was angry.
Yes.
He saw that.
Dinner was food they liked.
Sarah never asked what Ashley wanted.
Kevin had the most money, then him, and
Ashley had the least.
He knew.
He stayed quiet.
He messed up.
