"What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to Melissa."

"No, you don't."

"Please, sir."

He looked behind me, then motioned me inside. "I wanna talk to you."

I stepped into the house.

Once the door was shut, Mr. Wu started yelling. "How could you do this to my daughter?!"

"Sir, I'm sorry. I-"

"What is wrong with you?!"

"I-"

"Why did you do that to her?!"

"I-"

"Was it because you had to fulfill your sexual desires?!"

"It-"

"Huh?!"

"I-"

"Why aren't you answering my questions, boy?!"

"I'm-"

"You messed up her life!"

"I know. I-"

"You know?!" He grabbed two fistfuls of my shirt, pushing me against the wall.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"I swore to Melissa that, if I ever saw you again…I was gonna kill you."

I swallowed.

"She made me promise I wouldn't. But she never said anything about teaching you a lesson."

I squeezed my eyes shut tight, turning my head a little.

"So how many other women have you screwed around with?"

"What?! Sir, I haven't-"

He punched me. "Wrong answer. Melissa told me you liked some other girl now. She was crying when she got home."

"I didn't know what I was doing. I was-"

"High? On drugs? I watched you as you promised Melissa that you'd quit."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"You're just a filthy liar, like your father!" He punched my lower stomach.

I doubled over in pain. "Sir, I'm sorry. Please…" Tears fell from my eyes.

His knees made contact with my nose.

My head flew back and hit the wall. I fell to the floor.

"You f***ing rapist!"

"What?! Sir, I didn't-" I clutched my ribs when he kicked. "Please! Stop! You're hurting me!"

"Good." He kicked again. "You deserve it after all the pain you've caused us…all the lives you've ruined."

I coughed up blood. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry."

"'Sorry' isn't good enough! You raped her! Do you think we'd ever forgive you for that?!"

"I didn't-ahhhhhhhhh!" I was kicked again. "Please. Please stop, sir. Please. I'm sorry. Please."

He grabbed my shirt, pulling me to my feet. "If I hadn't made a promise to Melissa, you'd be dead right now. See? Unlike you, I keep my promises. I'm just gonna hurt you until you wished you were dead." He threw me at the stairs.

I hit them, then tried to pull myself up them.

Mr. Wu grabbed my ankle, yanking me back.

"Please!" I begged. "Stop! Please!" When he didn't let go, I kicked his lower stomach.

He fell on the floor in pain, letting my foot go.

I rushed up the stairs.

When I was at the top, Mr. Wu grabbed my ankle, causing me to trip. He flipped me onto my back, punching and kneeing my lower stomach.

"Ahhhhhhh!" I was desperate. I called, "Help! Please! Help me!"

All of a sudden, a door opened and Melissa stepped out of her room.

"Who is making-oh my…Dad, what are you doing?! Stop it!" She rushed toward us, pulling her father away from me.

He stood, giving me one last kick.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" I was crying and bleeding, clutching my lower stomach.

"Can't get anyone else pregnant now, can you?!" Mr. Wu yelled. He kicked again.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Dad, stop it!" Melissa yelled.

"Fine. But I gotta show him the door." He picked me up, throwing me down the stairs.

I tumbled all the way down, hitting the side of my face against the wall when I reached the bottom.

Mr. Wu headed down the stairs toward me.

I tried to move, but couldn't.

He picked me up by my shirt, opening the door. He a gave me a small push.

I fell down on the porch.

"Take as long as you want," Mr. Wu said. "I know it hurts." He shut the door.

I lay there, unable to move, sobbing uncontrollably.

After a while, the door opened, then shut quietly.

Melissa sat on her knees next to me, rubbing my back. She was crying, too. "I'm so sorry, Jackson."

"Help me, Mel. Please."

She dialed three numbers on the phone, about to press call.

"Mel, don't. Your father will go to jail. I'll be okay."

She sighed, then dialed a new number. After a moment, she said. "Nathan, Jackson's hurt. Can you come pick us up?" There was a pause. "Yeah. We're at my house." She waited a moment before she spoke. "Please hurry." She hung up the phone.

Melissa looked at me. "I'll be right back, okay, Jackson?"

"Don't let him get me."

"I won't. I promise." She squeezed my hand before quietly sneaking into the house.

________________________________________________________________________

Nathan helped me up, leading me toward his car, Melissa following behind us, suitcase in hand.

I'd tried to persuade her to stay, but she wouldn't listen.

Nathan opened the door, helping me into the car.

I rested my head on the window.

After a moment, the engine started, and the car pulled out of the driveway.

My head would keep slipping down the window.

Melissa gently pulled it to lay on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Mel." I was comfortable with her arm wrapped around me. I closed my eyes, falling asleep.

________________________________________________________________________

"Jackson? Wake up, honey."

I was in so much pain.

I opened my eyes to see Melissa looking down at me. My head lay on her leg.

"We gotta get you into the house."

"Okay, Mel." I pushed myself up, feeling a little better.

Nathan supported me as we walked across the yard and into the house. He set me onto the couch.

"Thanks, man," I said.

"No problem. I gotta get on home. It's getting late. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye," Melissa said.

Nathan walked out of the house.

Melissa sat next to me, her arm around my shoulders. She pulled me closer.

I rested my head on her chest. My eyes traveled to her stomach. I rubbed it gently.

It was hard to believe there was life in there, growing…breathing…living.

Melissa and I spoke at once. "I'm sorry."

I pushed myself up to look at her. "You're sorry?"

"I told my father that you raped me. I was too scared to get into trouble. I didn't know he'd hurt you."

I looked downward. "I guess I deserved it."

Melissa pulled my head up to face her. "No, you didn't. No one does. Especially not you. You always say that when you're hurt. Why?"

"I did deserve it. I lied to you, Mel. And I ruined your future."

Melissa was quiet for a long while.

"Please speak to me, baby."

"You wanna know what I think?"

I nodded.

"I think that you want your father to care about you, which means punishing you when you should be…because you need to know he loves you. So you punish yourself to pay for all the wrongs you've done. Because you feel that we won't love you if you go unpunished." She took my hands in her, looking at my scarred wrists.

"How long have you known?"

"Since that night when we…you know?"

I nodded.

"Remember when I was on top of you, pinning your arms down?"

"How could I forget?"

She smiled. "That's when I found out."

I looked down.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you'd be mad. And you'd want me to quit. But it's hard to give up four addictions at once." I was ashamed. "Mel, I started smoking again. And you know about the drugs. I never quit alcohol."

She was disappointed.

"I'm sorry, baby." I prepared myself, ready to be yelled at.

Melissa gently touched my cheek.

I jumped, thinking she was going to slap me.

She noticed this. "Jackson, don't you understand? I'm not gonna punish you."

I looked at her, scared that she'd break up with me. "Mel, no. Don't leave me. Please."

"I'm not going anywhere."

I wrapped my arm around her. "Thank you, Mel."