Sniffling sobs met my ears and I knew my mother heard me loud and clear. I didn’t miss the gasp as I laid everything out for her. When she cleared her throat to speak, I wasn’t sure what to expect but my heart lurched in my chest anyway.
“Liliya, I…” Before my mother could finish her sentence, the phone crashed to the floor. The distinct sound of a woman’s yelp and continued cries of pain echoed through the line. There wasn’t anything I could do but listen as the violent scene played out. The angry sound of my father’s screams and curses directed at my mother stole the air from my lungs in a matter of seconds. Dear God. Just as quickly as it had started, the chaos came to a halt. Only the sound of my mother crying could be heard until the heavy breaths of a man filled the phone line.
“I’ve done everything for you, Liliya. But hear this, girl. You will regret the moves you’re making against your flesh and blood. I promise you, you’ll never see it coming.”
I stood frozen, my hand white-knuckling my phone, unable to breathe. My own father had threatened me. I knew he’d make good on it, just as he had with my brother. Bastard. Anger bloomed from the dark place inside me, twisting and turning as it moved throughout my body, digging in its claws, making me see what kind of woman I needed to become to survive my own father.
One thing I knew without a doubt was this. War was coming, and I was going to be at the heart of it. Blood would flow, but it would not be mine.
A life for a life.