Chapter 1: Do we really have to move??

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Cass walked into her mother’s room with a reluctant look on her face.

The moment she saw the open suitcase on the bed, her expression fell even more. Clothes were neatly folded in piles, and several drawers had already been emptied. The room that had always felt warm and lived-in suddenly looked unfamiliar.

Cass sighed softly and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Mum,” she called gently.

“Yeah?” Miranda replied without looking up, her hands still busy folding clothes.

Cass hesitated before speaking again.

“Mum… do we really have to move?”

That question finally got Miranda’s attention.

She slowly placed the clothes down and turned toward her daughter, exhaustion written across her face. For a moment, she didn’t answer. Instead, she just stared at the half-packed suitcase like it carried the weight of the decision.

“Cass,” she said softly, “I know you don’t want to go. But we have to.”

Cass frowned.

“I really can’t stay here anymore,” Miranda continued quietly. “Your dad is getting more and more out of control. If things get worse, he may…”

Her voice trailed off.

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Tears slowly gathered in her eyes, and she looked away, trying to hide them.

Cass reached forward and gently held her mother’s hand.

“Mum, I know you’re scared,” she said softly. “But Dad would never do that on purpose. He’s not that kind of person. And you know it.”

Miranda’s expression tightened.

“I believed that, Cass,” she said quietly. “For the past six months, I’ve believed that.”

She looked at her daughter again, pain visible in her eyes.

“But your dad doesn’t seem like he’s changing back. I could tolerate it when it was only me, but now he has started beating your brother too. I can’t just sit here and wait until it’s your turn. I—”

“Dad won’t!” Cass shouted suddenly, jumping to her feet.

“He won’t! He won’t lay a finger on me! I know that—and you do too!”

“Cass!!!”

The cold, angry voice cut sharply through the room.

Both Cass and Miranda turned toward the doorway.

Raymond stood there, his tall frame blocking the entrance. His expression was dark, his eyes fixed on Cassandra with pure anger.

Cass bit her lip hard as tears threatened to fall, but she refused to look away.

“I know my dad,” she said stubbornly. “He wouldn’t do something like that on purpose. You both just want to leave him. You’re not even trying to understand him!”

“Understand?” Raymond repeated incredulously.

He stepped into the room, his voice rising.

“Cass, are you blind or something? What exactly do you expect me to understand about a man who beats up and bullies his wife every time he comes home drunk?”

Miranda lowered her head silently.

Raymond continued, anger spilling out of him.

“How can you even bear to call him Dad? Don’t you care about Mum at all?”

“Of course I do!” Cass shouted back immediately.

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t even consider leaving with you both!”

She pulled her arm free when Raymond grabbed her wrist.

“But Mum has us!” she continued desperately. “Who does Dad have? Have you even thought about that at all?”

Raymond stared at her for a long moment.

His expression slowly hardened.

Then he released her arm and stepped back.

“He doesn’t deserve it,” he said quietly.

His voice was calm now.