A/N.: So, here goes chapter 3, it's mostly about Mitchie's story. I hope you enjoy reading it! And as always your thoughts/opinions on this are very much appreciated and help me to get into a writing mood ;)

Chapter 3:

"It all started, when-"
Mitchie stopped and willed herself to continue. "Sorry, it all began when my mom told my dad, that she was pregnant. Usually that would mean a happy couple, but no- my dad left my mom only to return after I was born and ask her to marry him, because he still loved her. My mom hadn't been over her feelings and wanted me to grow up with both my parents, so she forgave him and they got married. I always thought, I had a normal family, but when I was old enough, I realized, that it was not normal for a father to be completely uninterested in his daughters life. He practically never spoke to me more than a few sentences, but I thought, that my daddy was special and that he loved me in his own way," her voice began to waver and Shane comfortingly stroked her back.
"When, when I started school, the only way to get his attention was through grades, as I quickly learned. So I always tried to be the best at every subject, to make my dad proud of me. I wanted to hear him say that so bad. But there was that one time, where I couldn't concentrate on my test.."

7 year old Mitchie sat in class and stared at the paper in front of her, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't concentrate enough to remember how to solve the problems in her math test. So, when the teacher said, the time was over, Mitchie was forced to hand in an empty sheet...
She had dreaded the next day all night, because she knew, that she had failed the test. There was no way, that this would ever make her dad proud of her. He would be disappointed.
Later that day, when Mitchie arrived at home, her mom asked her, if she had gotten her math test back and being the good child she was she told her mom the truth. "Oh, Sweetie, it will be okay, it's just one test, don't cry. Now, I have to finish cooking. How about you get this of your chest and tell daddy? He's upstairs."
Mitchie entered her dad's room after knocking. Her dad looked at her with bored eyes "What do you want?" Mitchie looked to the floor in shame "I got my math test back," she said sadly. "It's an A, right? You know the rules, Michelle," he told her coldly. "I-I I failed it," she admitted on the verge of tears. Her dad got up from his place and walked over to her and looked at her with angry eyes "What did you just say?" A tear slipped out of her eye "I failed the test," she said and began to cry. "Look at me!" her father exclaimed furiously and Mitchie obediently looked at him, only to see his brown eyes, that were so much like hers, angrily looking back at her scared one's and then, something, she had never thought her dad would do, happened- he slapped her. Mitchie fell to the floor from the force behind his hand, she screamed in pain and began to sob loudly. "What the hell were you thinking?! You can't even pass a simple math test, what can you even do right?! Stop crying! Now go to your room and don't come out until you're told," he finished with a cold glare.

"You're such an disappointment," she heard her father say, as she scrambled off the floor and towards her room.
"He slapped his seven year old daughter and told her she was a disappointment?!" Shane asked enraged, that somebody- anybody, let alone her own father, could do this to Mitchie, the girl, who was always nice to everyone, the girl, who had so much love to give.
Mitchie nodded sadly "Well there's more..." she said.
"Did he ever hit you again?" Shane interrupted.
"No... after that, I promised myself, that I would make him proud and never fail a test again, it was hard, but I made it. But he never acknowledged that and the next thing I knew, was that a few days after my eighth birthday, my dad told me that he would divorce my mom, because she was cheating on him with her boss. I was really angry at my mom and I think I really hurt her, when I told her, that I hated her. But the day, before they were supposed to sign the papers, my dad came back and fought with my mom," she paused to take a deep breath and to wipe away the lone tear, that had fallen for her eye. Shane squeezed her hand.
"That was they day, when the truth about my father's intentions- he never wanted to be with my mom and me, he only married her, so his parents wouldn't disown him of their fortune. So, because he hated his life with us, he came up with the plan to pretend, that mom was cheating on him, giving him and his parents a good enough reason to get a divorce. He only wanted us, so he could be rich when his parents die. In the end, they really divorced and my dad left the house, I knew his new address, because his stuff was sent there, so up until I was maybe 15, I sent him a letter every month, to tell him how my life was and that I loved him, but he never wrote back," Mitchie broke down in tears, her whole body shaking with sobs. She clutched Shane's T-shirt, as she cried into his chest. "I-I just wanted him to be proud of me, I don't know what I did wrong, I just want to know," she sobbed.
"Shh, Mitchie, it's okay, he's a fool. You did nothing wrong, you were the most perfect daughter anyone could have asked for, it's his loss. He doesn't deserve you," Shane tried his best to console her.

Mitchie looked up at him with puffy eyes "Shane... he called, he said he wants to come and visit..." she confessed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Shane looked shocked "Do you want him to visit? The person, who only cared about his parents' money, when he married your mom, now wants to visit you, when your career is about to grow even more? I seriously doubt his motives," he said, his dislike for the man, he'd never met before, clearly showing.

"I... don't know, normally I would know... but I don't know what I want anymore, Shane. Ever since I was little, my biggest dream was to make him proud and he crushed it over and over again, this might be my chance to make him proud. It's just, that I also know, that I am probably going to be the hurt one in the end, I always am."
"I think we should see, how important this is to him, if he doesn't call again in the next few days or so, he doesn't really care and doesn't deserve your attention, but if he does call again, you will tell him your decision and whatever it is, I'll be by your side," he told her, he would never leave her alone with that... person.

"Thanks, Shane. I was really afraid of what you would think of me," she admitted.

"Mitchie, I love you, I doubt that there's anything that could change that," he said.

Mitchie's eyes watered, but this time from happiness "I love you too."

Shane cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and finally her lips. In that moment, Mitchie knew that they were meant to be, Shane would never judge her for her past. Now she only needed to make a decision about her father, maybe Caitlyn could help her.