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"Life is not easy Raven, I was not perfect. I messed with the wrong people and they harmed your mom when she was carrying you, you were a premature baby. And I didn't have money to pay, your Nanna had to give up her savings. That day I vowed to myself that I will never let my kids make any bad choices that I made. I carefully tried molding you and Lily to being perfect, that you wouldn't have to live with consequences of any bad choices. Lily was so soft and sensitive, anything I said she agreed, but you were stubborn, you rebelled, fought back, yelled at my face. I thought that being rude and strict with you would make you succumb to my choices. I forgot the fact that you are my daughter, and listening to someone is not in your blood."

"Do you actually think I'm gonna be moved by your confession and forgive you for all I have been through, it was years of neglect, insecurities hammered into my head. And now I'm supposed to forget all of it and call you father of the year"

"I want you to let go of the past."

"Like that's super easy."

"My bad parenting was not your fault, my bad decisions were not your fault, Adam is not your fault, stop blaming yourself, let go of that anger, hurt and the trust you lost in people. I know it's not easy. Don't be like me, don't let one incident keep you from finding love. Life is too short to be mulling over the past.."

"I have plenty of people I care about."

"Realisation of how badly I had affected you hit me when I saw you crying in the cafe. If you think you can never forgive us, don't. These are my choices and I will suffer the consequences. Don't punish yourself for my mistakes. I realised what a lousy parent I was being when Lily was too scared to tell me about her, she thought I would judge her like everyone. But family is not like everyone, your faults, quirks, flaws are all accepted. I failed to make you both understand that, and it is an example of how bad I failed at parenting."

"If you claim to love me so much, then why didn't you come for me, why didn't you bother telling me about this."

"Leaving us was your choice, coming back home should have also been your choice. I didn't want to bring you back to a place that would make you miserable. If staying away from us meant you are happy, then you deserved to be."

"It's just too much for me to deal with."

"I was out for a meeting, the driver was on leave. My arm turned numb, I tried to speak, to call someone for help, but I was helpless. I remembered you at that time, how much I had messed you up, and I just couldn't die like that. I wanted to make you understand that none of it was your fault. Forgiving us, and taking us back into your life, is completely your choice but I don't want you wasting even a second blaming yourself for my mistakes. There was nothing wrong with you, you were perfect and I didn't deserve to have a chance to see your first heartbreak, comfort you when you were sad, the first boxing match you won. And I have my entire life to live regretting what I had lost. The past is meant to teach us something, it shapes us to be what we are, don't let it affect your life now."

"Things can't go back to normal, I don't think it's that easy."

"I'm waiting for you Raven. You have a family, your not alone. When you're ready to make an effort to take us back into your life, we will be there for you. Now, you have a company to save. Show the world what you are made up of, how strong you are. Because you're my daughter and she doens't give up."

"What are you doing now?" I asked Lily.

"I work part-time, and I'm taking classes to become a neuro surgeon. It's what I always wanted to be."

"I have so much going on right now, I need to time to think. I have spent my entire life waiting for this chance to speak it out. I need more time." I said tugging at my hair.

"I know. When your ready to give us a chance come back home. I don't want to manipulate or justify my mistakes, right my wrongs. I want you to understand that it's not your fault. Not many people make good parents, and I was one of them. You have a company to save, go fight for what is yours." Dad smiled pulling me into a hug.

I tightened my hands around him and sobbed into his shirt no longer caring about anything. I had my Dad with me, the moment I wanted was finally here. I was not a disappointment, not a burden, not baggage.

"I will wait for the day, you come back to us Raven." he gently kissed my forehead.

My fists crashed against the punching bag, I

shifted my weight slightly bending my knees and resumed harsh punches. In my haste to get rid of my aggression I had forgone gloves and wraps, my instructor would have my neck if he saw this. Thick blood oozed out of my busted and bleeding knuckles.

When my family had treated me badly I had set forth some solid rules. My insecurities and my thoughts were a cleverly built wall around me, a shell which would protect me from further hurting. But after listening to my father's words my world was turning over. All that I thought was true was not, confusion ran wild in my head. I didn't know whom and what to trust.

Just because my father had told me his side of the story doesn't change the fact that they willing put me through all that, it doesn't deny the sleepless nights I spent crying, doesn't deny the pain and hurt I was filled with.

Things wouldn't change between us so quickly, if they wanted me in their life they had to make it up to me, it was the least they could do.

I resumed the momentum of my punches

ignoring my angry tears and bleeding knuckles,normally this was a moment I would stop and let Dave yell at me.

My hard punch resulted in a cry of anguish and a stream of curses to fall from my mouth, but this was not a war of fists and power it was my battle against my inner demons, my beliefs which I had

set from the age I could think.

My battle was not of the physical sort where I could knock someone out, it was letting go of all the beliefs I held onto, I had to let go of my anger towards my parents so that I could move on, I couldn't let it wrap around my neck like a cord tightening and reminding me of the same event.

It was what so many people told me so easily yet tough was to do it, I wanted to let go of my anger towards the world, myself and try to let someone into my life. Easier it was said than done.

"Are you done?" I heard a deep voice call out, pretending to be oblivious, I resumed my punches until hands wrapped around my waist and tugged me into a warm chest, half heartedly I tried to yank his hands away only for him to tighten them and press his forehead against mine.

"How long have you been standing there?" I

asked wincing when my bruseid knuckles brushed against him.

"Aren't you supposed to wear gloves? Look at your hands. Honestly Raven, why don't you take care of yourself." He ignored my question and pulled me towards the couch.

"I don't care." I replied softly. Nobody ever cared whether my knuckles were bleeding, whether I had eaten. My parents didn't even bother when I had passed out due to exhaustion, they had dismissively asked the maid to take me to the doctor claiming they had an important meeting.

"I most certainly care, and next time I find you hurting yourself like this. You will get it good, trust me it's not something you will enjoy."Chris said gravely pressing a wet cloth on my hands to wipe away the blood. It was funny to see a bulky strong man like him handle my hands with so much care. It made me want to coo and embarrass him or kiss him senseless, you can pick.

"I'm not crying." I informed him, hating the

fact that I always burst into tears in front of him. I am Raven King and I don't cry, I don't want Chris to think I'm a crybaby.