Fight again.

Angel, her eyes filled with pain, explained the accusations of witchcraft and the ensuing fight that had left her mother injured. Luna, even at her young age, understood the severity of the situation and the impact it had on Angel's perception of her father.

From then on, Luna became not only a playmate but also a steadfast friend who stood by Angel's side during the storm. The deep hatred that Angel harbored for her father became a burden between the two friends, forging a bond that went beyond the innocence of childhood play.

……

James didn't take this lightly, and he began to cheat on her.

Sometimes he would even bring the women into his marital bed, he once took one of his mistresses to Angel's room, unknown to him that Angel was around, and had not gone to school.

He and his mistress began foreplay, and when it was just about to escalate, Angel entered the room, and she angrily sent her Father and his mistress out, calling them all sorts of bad names like witch, whore, brute, asshole, bitch, and lot more which was too big for a five-year-old girl.

That day, James angrily stood up from his bed, and he wanted to charge at Angel, but the rice girl had called her mother before entering the room, and immediately James raised his hands at her, Mrs Belinda entered furiously.

The mistress was still lying down on the bed, she didn't even seem bothered about the arrival of the wife, and she continued to press her phone. This act drove Angel angry because according to her, the mistress was disrespecting and disobeying her mother.

Out of anger, she went to the kitchen and took a bowl of cold dirty water, then she came back to the room, observed what was going on, and on seeing her mother and father busy, she ran to the edge of the bed and poured the water on the mistress's body, making sure that the water meet her expensive phone.

On that fateful day, as tensions reached a boiling point, the mistress unleashed a torrent of threats, invoking both divine and infernal forces. Her outburst included ominous vows to lock Angel away in a cell, an act that sent shivers down the spine of both James and Belinda.

Amidst the chaos, James found himself pleading desperately with the mistress, his pleas a desperate attempt to salvage what was left of his unraveling life. Angel, in a surprising display of resilience, responded to the mistress's tirade with a composed demeanor. She calmly advised the mistress to seek a more honorable path in life, urging her to abandon the pursuit of irresponsible married men.

In a moment of self-reflection and perhaps stung by the truth of Angel's words, the mistress decided to sever her ties with James. With a heavy heart, she turned to Belinda, offering a sincere apology for the disturbance she had caused in their family. Acknowledging her wrongdoing, the mistress made a swift exit from their lives, leaving behind a wake of disruption and the possibility of a fresh start for the beleaguered family.

As James's anger escalated, Belinda endured the beatings, hoping that somehow he would change. Yet, with each replacement mistress, the cycle of violence persisted. Belinda, faced with an unbearable situation, finally reached a breaking point and made the painful decision to send James out of the house. She hoped that the separation would serve as a wake-up call, nudging him toward positive change.

However, the separation proved to be an illusory solution. Instead of transformation, James's behavior grew even more violent. The years passed, and the connection between Belinda and her husband dwindled into a mere memory. The void left by his absence was filled with the haunting echoes of past traumas.

It started when James lost his job, and the family crumbled under the weight of financial strain and emotional turmoil. Belinda, desperate to mend the broken pieces, attempted numerous conversations with Angel. Yet, the young girl, harboring a deep-seated belief that her father was a predator, remained steadfast in her conviction that he didn't deserve her love.

…..

"Are you alright, Angel?" Luna asked her friend, concern etched on her face as she observed Angel's attempt to conceal her pain behind a forced smile, the cup of tea clutched tightly in her hands.

Angel, trying to maintain a facade of strength, replied with a smile that failed to reach her eyes, "I'm okay, Luna. Just tired of all this mess."

At that moment, the weight of Angel's words hung in the air, the desire for parents' divorce lingering like an unspoken plea for peace. Luna, taken aback by the intensity of her friend's statement, stared at Angel with wide, startled eyes, grappling with the gravity of the situation.

"But... why?" Luna finally managed to whisper, her innocence contrasting sharply with the complex emotions swirling in the room.

Angel sighed, the heaviness in her heart evident as she opened up to her friend.

"Because every day feels like a battle, Luna. I'm tired of the yelling, the fights, and the pain. I just want it to stop. Maybe if they're not together, everything will be okay."

Luna, too young to fully comprehend the complexities of adult relationships, could sense the genuine distress in her friend's words. She reached out, placing a small hand on Angel's shoulder, offering a silent gesture of comfort and understanding.

"Papa said that grown-ups fight when they are feeling sad and heartbroken, and sometimes, love has the ability to heal them up. Don't you think that your daddy just needs a little bit of fixing?" Luna asked her friend, her eyes piercing into hers, seeking answers.

Angel, her brows furrowed with the weight of her father's actions, considered Luna's words. She knew the scars of her father's behavior ran deep, but Luna's innocence sparked a flicker of hope.

Angel: "Well, you are right. But my father cannot be fixed; my mother told me herself. The only thing that can be done is to leave him helpless, and I am ready to do that!"

With a determined stride, Angel retreated to her room, her emotions swirling in a tempest of anger, sadness, and a longing for peace.

Meanwhile, Luna, lingering in the hallway, whispered to herself, "Well, I am guessing that Angel also needs some fixing inside, just like her father." Luna contemplated how the wounds inflicted by her friend's tumultuous family life might be healed, even if Angel had resigned herself to a fate of perpetual turmoil.