Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 29

Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart

Chapter 29

Trigger Warning: Child Abuse. Mild though

RILEY

“Do you see what you did?” she hissed, turning around to face me, advancing further as her voice got louder. ‘Do you see how you

embarrassed me?”

I pressed myself back against the door, trying to make myself as small as possible, while she let her anger loose.

This was what I was familiar with.

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“I work so hard to make a good impression every single day, to make people like us, to give us a chance at a better life. So that when we get to be the real family of Xenois, nobody will think that we didn’t earn it. And you sit there like a mute little freak, making everyone

think something’s wrong with you.”

The words hit me like physical blows. Freak. That’s what I was to her when no one else was around. Not her precious boy, or sweet

Riley.

“And then you flinch away from me in front of him!” She was pacing now, her voice getting higher and more desperate as she seemed

to be thinking on what to do with me.

“Do you know how that looked? Do you know what he must think of me now?” She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the kitchen as

I started struggling knowing what she wanted to do.

She switched on the electric cooker waiting for it to heat up as she subdued me. Tears were rolling down my eyes but I knew better

than to shout.

I wanted to tell her that I flinched because she hurt me and she keeps hurting me when people are not watching.

I wanted to tell her that I was scared because she gave me reasons to be scared.

But the words were locked up tight inside my chest, as I was whimpering, shaking my head.

“You ruined everything,” she continued, and now there were tears rolling down her face like she felt guilty for hurting me.

Like she wanted me to know that she didn’t mean to hurt me.

She pressed my palm down the red cooler, as I cried, struggling but she held on. I could feel my skin peeling, burning off as it got hotter and hotter but she kept it on.

Not even my fist pounding on her stomach made her to release me.

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Chapter 29

“We could have had everything, Riley. A real family, a real home, someone to take care of us. And you ruined it with your weird,

broken behavior.”

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She let go of me as I collapsed to the ground holding my hand as it was burned. And I knew what came next.

“You’re going to your room,” she said, her voice suddenly quiet and cold. “And you’re going to stay there until I decide you’ve learned

your lesson about how to behave in public.”

I ran before she could grab me again, my feet barely making any sound on the carpet as I raced down the hallway to my bedroom.

Behind me, I heard her following, and heard the familiar sound of the lock clicking into place after I was inside.

The room was dark and small and smelled like fear. I curled up on my bed and pulled my pillow over my head, trying to block out the

sound of Mama crying and cursing in the living room.

This was my life. This was my normal.

And now the one person who might have seen the truth, who might have been able to help me, was gone forever because Mama was

able to convince Alpha Xenois that she was the bad woman.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember what it had felt like when Xenois held me, when his scent had made me feel safe for just a few precious minutes. Maybe if I concentrated hard enough, I could pretend I was still there, still protected, still worth saving.

But deep down, I knew the truth that all scared children know: no one was coming to save me.

I was alone with the monster, and she was just getting started.

LUMINA

The sterile smell of antiseptic and fear flooded my nostrils the moment I rushed through the hospital’s automatic doors that slid

shut behind me.

My heels were loud against the polished floor as I ran toward the information desk, my heart beating so hard I could barely form

coherent words.

“My son,” I said, as I saw the receptionist,

Ollie…..Olivero Blackwood. He was brought in by ambulance from Riverside Elementary.”

The woman’s fingers were fast as she typed on her keyboard, her expression calm despite my obvious panic.

“Room 314, pediatric wing. Take the elevator to the third floor and turn right.”

I didn’t wait for her to finish the directions. I was already moving, jabbing the elevator button repeatedly as if that would make it

arrive faster.

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Chapter 29

The ride up felt like an eternity, each floor seeming to take longer than the last.

When the doors finally opened, I saw Mrs. Henderson, Ollie’s teacher, immediately.

She was sitting in one of those uncomfortable chairs with her face filled with worry.

“Mrs. Blackwood!” She stood up quickly as I approached, looking relieved to see me here. “Thank goodness you’re here.”

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“How is he? What happened? Where is he?” The questions came out of me in a rush, my composure cracking under the terror of

losing my child again.

“He’s awake now, and the doctors say he’s stable,” Mrs. Henderson said quickly, probably recognizing the fact that I was so close to

breaking down.

She held a hand to stop me from running to his room as she continued speaking

“He’s in the room just down the hall. But Mrs. Blackwood, what happened today… it was very concerning.”

I forced myself to stay put for the moment instead of heading for Ollie’s room and really look at his teacher.

–

Mrs. Henderson had been working with children for over twenty years she had seen a lot of accidents that happened in the classroom and playground but right now, she looked genuinely shaken by whatever happened to my son.

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