Chapter Fifty

"The first thing I'm going to do is tell my old man to fuck off. Then I'm going to tell my momma that I love her. Lastly, I'm going to tell Bernard to fuck off even harder. Then I'm going to give Annabelle a kiss. After that, I'm going to punch Roy in his gut."

Elowen frowned while grabbing Philip by his wrist before he could make it to the front door. "We agreed that we were inviting them to the wedding, not causing a brawl." Philip snatched her hand off him and continued his rant.

This is when Charlie intervened. "Elowen, he's still drunk out of his mind and you already know his family isn't going to want to go. You're having a wedding off the whim right now. Do you seriously think you're being logical at the moment? What happen to being successful... for Yvette?"

"You don't understand. My entire life I was told it was wrong to love Philip. Now that I'm right here-"

"If there is anyone who understands. It is me. You have no idea how many times I fantasized about running off with Bernard the moment he arrived back to America. But Bernard loved me so much that he knew my education would always come first until it was over. If Philip loved you, he wouldn't be so selfish right now as to let you go away with this."

"What on Gods green earth is going on here!" Elowen and Charlie turned around just in time to see Philip deck his father right in the mouth. Before anyone could prevent what was to happen next, the two men were going at it right in the front door.

The screams of Veronica could be heard from the front door and even Roy jumped out to break them up. "Charlie! Do something!" Elowen screamed in pure fear.

Without thinking, Charlie grabbed a garden brick and hit Philip as hard as he could right on the back. The fight ended seconds later with Philip yelling out in pain.

"That's it! I'm calling the police like I should have done a long time ago." His father rushed back in the house as Roy tried to make sure Philip's back wasn't broken.

"Why'd you hit my brother like that?! What's wrong with you man?!" Charlie dropped the brick out of fear that Roy might swing on him next. "You could have killed him!"

Elowen chuckled. "Oh, calm down Roy. He's so drunk he could barely feel that." Philip continued to hold his back as he was sprawled out on the grass in pain.

Veronica then stepped outside with Annabelle holding on to her leg. The two looked at Philip who laid down on the grass then quickly rushed back into the house. Everyone could hear Veronica yelling at him to put the phone down but there was a small scuffle and she heard the woman yelp after a loud smack.

Harry exited the house with his fist balled and a red tinted face. "Collect your brother so the cops won't think I did that too him!"

The way Harry was angry beyond recognition and demanding fear into everyone who stood three feet away, for the first time, Elowen thought she was looking at Philip. The man morphed into the boy she met years ago. The boy she fell in love with. The boy she never wanted to leave. The boy she didn't know that she was scared of until now. She knew he hit Veronica in that house and she knew that wasn't the first time.

Philip hit her and that was before everything. Elowen couldn't accept it until now. But what if she's Veronica?

"He's just like his father." These words barely came out loud enough for Charlie to hear her. But she didn't need another conversation to prove what she already knew. "We have to leave him," she finally said loud enough.

"But what about the wedding!?" Charlie argued. "We came all this way! We did all of this!"

"I can't marry that man! He's drunk all the time. Abusive and he's Philip! I was stupid, Charlie. If I marry him, I know I'll never get out and what would that do to Yvette?" She began pulling Charlie off the property before Philip could realize what was happening and stop them. "I have to go home to my daughter and I have to finish my life. I can't be... living like them ten years from now."

Charlie expressed a small smile. "I called Vernon at the bar. He's on his way to take you back to campus so you can reenroll and get away from here. The moment you told me what you were planning. I knew you were stupid too." Charlie chuckled and Elowen couldn't even be upset with him. She knew he did the right thing. "Let's go back to the bar and call a taxi home before the police flood this place."

One month later...

"I'm going back to school today. Found an apartment near campus. Yvette is coming with me and Vernon too." Philip played with the sleeves of his white hospital uniform as he listened to the news that Elowen broke to him. "I want you to know that you can call me for anything regarding Yvette only but you can't ever have her alone. You promised me that, remember?"

"How the fuck can I forget that you're taking my daughter from me when you call every week to say it?"

Elowen blinked as he slammed his handcuffed fists on the table. "Because... sometimes you act like you don't remember."

"Why are you here? I'm getting help. I'm recovering. I don't need you trying to make me relapse." He looked around to see security eyeing down patients and visitors like a prison building. "You're doing this on purpose."

"I'm doing this so you know this is our forever goodbye. I want you to know that I've given you chances and you've failed every single time. I don't want to hear anything about it being my fault because it's yours. It's always been you."

"Okay, anything else Elo? Since I'm taking the blame for both of our crimes." He stared at her with hooded eyes and a shit eating grin.

Elowen dug in her purse and pulled out the necklace he bought her all those years ago. He quickly sat up as she placed it on the table between the both of them without hesitation. "Yes."

A guard came over and confiscated the item due to safety reasons. Philip watched the man walk away and dispose of the necklace to another worker who would most likely put it with Philip's things.

"G- goodbye, Philip and really do wish you the best in this life. Just thought you should know."

With one quick jolt of his wrist, he was centimeters away from grabbing her by her neck. Elowen sat back in her seat and watched Philip fight and scream for freedom. "Fuck you, Elowen! You've always been a little selfish bitch! You never cared about me! You never gave a fuck! You little bitch!"

"Ma'am. The exit is this way." Elowen nodded and grabbed her purse while following a nurse to the far right door. Philip's screams and shouts echoed all the way until she was out of the building.

Vernon waited for her with arms open and a smile on his face. She didn't hesitate to run to him and give him the hug she should have given him forever ago.

Cheers to a shitty ending! :<