After Caleb's parents divorced, his father hired my mom to look after him, worried he would have no one without a mother.
But what started as care evolved into something deeper between them, and eventually, my mom and his dad got together.
Caleb hated my mother for it, convinced she'd schemed her way into their family.
So, all his resentment and anger were directed at me. Tormenting me became his favorite hobby. Caleb never understood that my mother loved him more than his biological mother ever did.
Right then, the party started. As I walked into the room, I realized that the men inside were just like Caleb.
Their eyes raked over me like I was some kind of trophy, their grins lecherous as they shoved drinks into my hand, toasting me over and over again.
For the sake of my mother's ashes, I forced myself to keep drinking. The alcohol burned all the way down in my stomach.
Each glass only made the pain worse, and soon, I was battling with nausea.
A woman getting drunk at a party like this? I didn't need to think too hard to know what would happen next.
A sharp pain twisted in my abdomen. I walked out and stumbled towards the bathroom, hoping to slip away unnoticed.