Ruined Childhood
By Beth Connolly
Published by Beth Connolly at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Beth Connolly
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“How could you, Greg?” Suzy asked with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, completely bloodshot from all the crying she had been doing. Her marriage had been going so well. She had a beautiful daughter and a larger than life husband who owned his own farm. He had seemed so nice, so sincere in his love. “I just did,” he said coldly, not even trying to make it better. His eyes were cold and uncaring; he didn’t love her anymore. “Did you even think of Elly? Did you even think of what this would do to her? What’s she gonna think of you now, Greg?” she asked him desperately her bloodshot eyes drenched with torrents of tears. All she could think of was her precious daughter and how she was going to spare her the hurt. But she knew that wasn’t possible; it never is in a divorce. “She’ll get through it,” he said unthinkingly, ignoring the sound of little footsteps down the hall. He had convinced himself from the very beginning of the affair that it wouldn’t matter to his seven-year old daughter, Elly. “No, she won’t! She practically idolizes you, Greg. Do you know how bad you’ll be breaking her little heart?” Suzy asked him, the pain seeping into her voice. She had known that this was coming but she hadn’t expected it so soon. The extra hours at work, the new ranch hand, it had all happened so fast.
Then, Elly walked into the room. “Daddy? Mommy?” she asked in her sweet little voice. She took a minute to rub her eyes with her little fists before looking at her mom and dad. She smacked her lips a bit as she took in the awful sight before her. Suzy looked at her daughter despair in her eyes. Elly didn’t understand what was going on. Why were her parents fighting? “Oh, honey. Why don’t you go back to bed,” Suzy said soothingly trying to shoo her only daughter back to bed. She took Elly’s hand for a moment, but then she jerked it back surprising her mom. “No! I want to know what’s going on,” she said defiantly sticking her chin out. Her lips pouted and her blue eyes were confused as she stood there, her arms now crossed against her chest. “Mom,” she whined. Suzy sighed and then spoke. “Sweetey, mommy and daddy aren’t going to live together anymore. Daddy and mommy are splitting up.” And then Elly’s world started crashing down on her.