l pressed the red button on my phone to end the call. My hand was shaking.
Gary was gone, but his voice was still echoing in my head. He was like a vampire. Every time I talked to him, he sucked the energy right out of my body. He drained me emotionally, physically, and mentally.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the blank wall. I wanted to scream. I wanted to call him back and tell him to leave me alone. I wanted to tell him that I hated him.
But I couldn't.
If I made Gary angry, he wouldn't hurt me. He would hurt my father. He held my family’s future in his hands. One phone call from Gary could destroy my father and my brother's lives and put them in jail. So, I had to be the good girl. I had to be the puppet.
"I can't fix this," I whispered to myself. "I can't make everyone
