My mother always took my stepdads side. One day Id had enough and decided it had to end.
For years I lived with my mother and my younger sister, Blythe. My grandma, who lived just down the road in Salford, would pop in often. Ive long since forgotten any memory of my own father, but I can still picture Blythes dad.
At first he treated me decently, but after I moved in, both he and my mother seemed to forget I existed. My stepfather, Gary Clarke, would raise his hand against me. Id cry, but I kept quiet, not wanting to upset my mother. Then one afternoon she saw with her own eyes how he was treating me.
That sparked a blowup between her and Gary, and he vanished from our lives for good. From then on it was just the three of us, and we were happy. Grandma Maggie often looked after Blythe. After I finished school, I chose to stay in Manchester for university, even though Id liked to study abroad. I couldnt just leave my family behind.
One day mum suggested we sell both our flat and Grandmas council house and buy a threebedroom house together, so we could all live under one roof with enough space for everyone. We agreed, and soon we moved into the new place. I got my own bedroom, Blythe stayed with Grandma, and Mum took the third room. Everyone was pleased.
It was there that Mum met our new neighbours, the Pearsons. Mr. Pearson was about Mums age and already divorced. From that point he began paying Mum a lot of attention, and she seemed to blossom.
Later Mum invited my Uncle Robert to stay with us. He said hed let us use his spare room. Everything seemed fine, at least I thought so, until he started insulting us, especially me. He made his displeasure clear, and although we argued now and then, Mum always sided with him.
I grew increasingly uncomfortable, so I decided to move to Leeds to continue my studies. Mum didnt mind at all; I could see the relief on her face, no longer forced to choose between me and Uncle Robert. Yet it didnt make me feel any better. How could a mother trade her own child for another man?
