HATING, HURTING:
A STEPBROTHER
BULLY STORY
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
HATING, HURTING: A STEPBROTHER BULLY STORY
First edition. July 1st, 2020.
Copyright © 2020 Iris Taylor.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Cruel Bully
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prologue
Cole
I stood in the dark shadows, watching her as she tossed her gym bag into the beat-up station wagon that she and her mom drove. It must have been painted a horrible toad-green color once, but now had fading patches of brown, as if it was trying to blend in with the dense forests that surrounded Gray Lake.
Hers was the only vehicle around, everyone else having left a while back, and I had to salute her for her bravery. Or maybe it was her naiveté – who knew with someone as green as her? She was new, a fresh lamb unaware of the monsters that lurked in the area. She needed to be brought up to speed with that, and soon. It was getting dark, with dusk setting in, bringing with it unspoken promises and threats.
Her damp blond hair whipped in the wind, freshly washed golden silk that had no right to shine the way it did. Not when she had so much to pay for. And pay for it she will. My jaw clenched thinking about how her blue-green eyes lit up when she saw me that first day, as if I was some long-lost cousin she had always hoped to meet. The girl needed to know she had turned my life upside down, and that was something I would never, ever forgive. Not when she had put the final nail in the coffin.
Life had been tolerable before. True, I hadn’t been the most appreciative of people, but that wasn’t the point, was it? No fifteen-year-old knew to appreciate life’s little joys. Not when there was stuff to do, a life to live. But of course, life had to let you down. It always did - it was a matter of when and not if. And mine had crashed the moment my mom walked out the door and left without looking back. I didn’t blame her one bit, not if I had me and my worthless father to deal with. Hans was her favorite, and she’d left him behind, too.
The blond she-devil I was watching startled, her posture wary, and I slowly shifted back farther into the shadows as she looked up and looked in my direction, her eyes searching. She hurriedly stepped into the car and after revving the hesitant engine, slowly drove away. I wondered how long I should wait before sabotaging her ugly ride. Soon, I promised myself. She needed to feel perfectly safe again.
Run little one.
Run, but don’t expect to escape from my clutches.
I will make you pay.
Chapter 1
A few weeks prior...
Ella
I watched my mom’s face light up as Marcus held her hand and told her about his day at work. He was a distinguished-looking man with salt-and-pepper hair, still heartbreakingly handsome for someone who was approaching fifty. And he looked at my mother as if she was his whole world.
Marcus owned a marketing company and it was during one of their numerous interagency conferences that he and my mom met and hit it off. Mom looked younger than her forty-two years, but especially so now that she had met Marcus. She had quit her sales job with the rival company where she had worked for the past decade and was now working part-time under him. It worked out well – she had more time for herself and me, as well as for her soon-to-be role as Marcus’s wife here.
“Do you think we should order in tonight?” Marcus asked. The Isaacs had a wonderful housekeeper who cooked marvelous dishes, but I guess for him the novelty had worn off.
My mom smiled. “What were you thinking of?”
“How about some Thai? Som tam, maybe?”
My mom laughed. “I’d love that, but I’m not sure your stomach could take it.” She turned to me, her blue eyes twinkling in mirth. “The last time we had Thai food, Marcus spent the entire afternoon in the washroom.”
Marcus opened his mouth to protest but then shook his head and nodded. “Ok, I’ll ask for less spicy.”
I laughed and replied, “Order me whatever you’re having, mom. Just not the shrimp.”
I had a shrimp allergy – one that caused me to break out in hives and the occasional swollen lip. Which was sad, because I loved shrimp. I hadn’t had it in years, it was just simply not worth it. I smiled, thinking of how life had treated us since we arrived at Gray Lake a few weeks ago. Sure, I had had to sacrifice my last year of high school and leave Melissa and Tony. But there was always FaceTime and my best friends had promised to drive the three hours it took to get here during school breaks. And maybe now that I’m leaving them both alone, they will finally acknowledge those sparks they have. I smiled at the thought. We had grown up together, and it would be the cutest thing if they started to date.
Tony was possessive of Melissa, who turned a blind eye to his jealous side and continued to date different guys every other week. Unlike me, she had a penchant for the bad boy types. I just couldn’t see what was so fascinating about guys who smoked, skipped class, and spewed curse words with every breath.
