A mother shrieked, “You’ve betrayed me!” as the father vanished into thin air.
The mother’s voice cracked through the darkness, “You’ve betrayed me!” while the father dissolved into silence, leaving not a word behind.
Emily was deep in sleep when the phone shattered the night. She grabbed the receiver, her heart hammering against her ribs.
“Emily!” Her mother’s voice quivered with despair. “Come! Now!”
“Mum, whats happened?” She jolted awake, scrambling to steady her breath. “Another row with Dad? You’ve spent your lives at each others throatssort it out yourselves!”
“Theres no one left to row with!” her mother wailed, voice splintering. “Your father doesnt exist anymore!”
“Mum is Dad dead?” Emilys blood turned to ice.
“Just come and see for yourself!” her mother snapped. “This isnt a chat for the telephone!”
“See what?” She nearly screamed in confusion.
“Come!” The line went dead.
Shaking, Emily fumbled into her clothes and raced to the family home on the outskirts of Manchester, dread gnawing at her.
“Emily! Hurry!” Her mothers voice rang like a funeral bell.
“What now?” she muttered, rubbing her bleary eyes.
“What now?! Im hanging by a thread, and she asks questions!” Her mother was nearly sobbing.
“Mum, its seven in the morning, its Saturday,” she tried to reason, though worry coiled tighter inside her. “Ive got plansthe kids, James. Explain properly, or Im not coming.”
“You wont come?” Her mother gasped in outrage. “I mean nothing to you! You dont care about my grief!”
“Mum, you and Dad have bickered your whole lives,” Emily cut in. “Im tired of playing referee.”
“Your fathers gone!” her mother screamed before the line went dead again.
“Whats all this?” James grumbled, rolling over in bed.
“Something bad, apparently,” she murmured, still reeling. “Ive got to go.”
“Theyre unbearable!” James groaned. “Does your mother forget youve got your own family?”
“James, not now. You dont pick your parents,” she sighed. “I have to go. Sorry, but youll have to manage the kids alone.”
“Like I havent before,” he grunted. “Tell your mumif she rings like this again, Im filing for divorce.”
Emily raised an eyebrow.
“Seriously?”
“No, obviously,” he muttered with a tight smile. “But she needs scaring. Might make her think twice.”
“She wont,” Emily shook her head as she gathered her things.
The family home had always been a battleground. Her mother, Margaret, shrieked endlessly, while her father, William, stayed silent, lips pressed into a thin line. Outwardly, he ignored her tirades, but Emily knewinside, he was boiling.
The rows had started when she was a teen. At first sporadic, they soon became daily. Her mother, voice like a banshee, staged scenes loud enough to wake the neighbours. Even the old men on the bench outside would shake their heads. “How does he live with that? Poor bloke.”
No one asked how Emily survived it. From the outside, the family seemed perfecther father ran a lab at the university, earned well, her mother didnt work, “kept house.” But “kept house” was generous. Margaret ruled everythingher husband, Emily, even the cleaner William hired to help. A futile effort.
The fights grew uglier, public, vicious. Emily was just another piece of furnitureher feelings didnt matter. She dreamed of escape. And she did. She left for university in Manchester, rarely returning. But every visit was poisoned by their screams.
Once, her father had finally snapped, “What do you want, Margaret? The moon?” Her mother, stunned hed spoken back, burst into laughter beforebrieflyfalling silent.
At their wedding, her mother outdid herself. Needling William, criticising everything, and when the officiant offered him a toast, shed leapt up. “Ill do it! You cant trust him with anything important!” Guests exchanged glances; Emily burned with shame.
After the wedding, her father secretly bought her a flat in Manchester, swearing her to secrecy. She told only James. “Bloody hell,” hed muttered. “Hope we never have secrets like that.” “Never,” she smiled. “I take after DadI cant stand rows.”
The memories flooded her on the drive. She expected the usual complaints, her fathers exhausted stare. But reality was worse.
Her mother flung the door open, wailing, “I gave him everythingmy youth, my life! And he dares!”
“Mum, wheres Dad?” Emily gripped her shoulders.
“Your father left last night!” her mother sobbed.
“Left?” The floor seemed to tilt.
“He packed his things and vanished while I slept!”
“Did you call him?”
“Of course! He wont answer! You tryhe wont speak to me!”
Emily dialled. Her father picked up instantly, voice eerily calm. “I know why youre calling. Ive earned my peace from your mother. Im staying with a friend. If you need me, Im here. For you.”
“Dad, where are you?” she asked, feeling her mothers glare.
“In the countryside. For now. Well see. Alright?”
“Alright,” she whispered.
“What did you promise him?” her mother shrieked. “That traitor!”
“Mum, enough! Dads not a traitor. Hes tired of your theatrics.”
“Thats what he told you?”
“No, thats me. Hes with a friend. Hell come backdont worry.”
He never did. Her mother tracked the address, stormed there, pounded on the door. No answer. She called relentlesslysilence. She accused him of an affair. Finding no proof, her fury doubled. “How could he leave without reason? Am I nothing?” she wept.
One day, Emily snapped. “Mum, he doesnt want your forgiveness. Hes not divorcing you, still gives you his salary, blames you for nothing. He just wants peace. Hes had enough.”
“Hes had enough?” her mother screeched. “Im the one who endured everything!” Her sobs finally broke her, as if the truth had pierced her like an unseen blade.
