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Chapter Fifty-Six

As I laid on the ground, coughing and gagging, I realized something.

The lack of oxygen somehow made things so clear.

I had never once helped Renee, not really.

What I had done, which had actually been nothing, led her to this point to lose control; to strangle me; to fear own actions.

I rolled on my side, holding my neck and blinked rapidly to clear my vision.

It was silent save for my wheezing. That's when I realized she had left the room.

I winced as I swallowed and grabbed the couch to lift myself up.

Renee walked back into the room with a bottle of liquor she had apparently kept hidden.

She didn't look the least bit flustered and my emotions got the best of me.

I coughed a few more times and rasped, "Mom."

"There are those voice again," she said sarcastically and grabbed a glass from the cabinet.

"Don't you want help?" I asked weakly.

"Isabella!" she yelled and dropped the glass on the floor. By the look on her face, it was an accident.

She looked more upset about breaking the glass than she did about strangling me.

"Normal people don't act like this. You aren't happy so you can't stand for anyone else to be happy," I mumbled, more to myself.

"Now you're feeling sorry for yourself," she cackled.

"No, I'm not. I feel sorry for you. To live your life every day stuck inside something you can't get out of..."

Renee poured herself another glass and I couldn't stand to look at her anymore.

So, I slowly walked to the kitchen table and grabbed the car keys.

"Where do you think you're going?" she screamed and I stopped in place.

"I don't know," I admitted.

Edward wasn't here, but he did give me a key. I suddenly realized why he was so adamant on me staying at his place and my eyes burned at the gesture.

Making a move to walk upstairs to grab the key to Edward's place, Renee stepped in front to block me.

"You're not leaving," she hissed.

"Yes, I am."

"No." She narrowed her eyes. "You're not."

Two seconds passed before I pushed past her and made a dash up the stairs. Which was stupid because I realized too late I should have just ran out the front door.

Halfway up the stairs, she pulled my ankle and I had to use my hands to catch myself before my chin broke my fall. I kicked and squirmed out of her reach before quickly crawling the rest of the way.

Running straight to the bathroom, I didn't quite get the door shut all the way before Renee began pushing it open.

We struggled for at least half a minute, both pushing in opposite directions when she finally managed to use her body weight to open it completely.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I screamed as she tried to bring her hands to my neck again.

I quickly moved out of her grip only to lose my balance and fall backward in the bathtub.

"Shit!" I yelled as a jolt of pain shot through the back of my neck.

"Accidents happen, Bella. You need to be more careful."

"Stay the hell away from me!" I kicked as she tried to grab my legs, making it hard for me to get away.

She grabbed my hair and pulled me up so I was on my knees in the tub.

That's when I heard his voice.

A/N: Next update will be later tonight. Thanks for reading.