17, mid- June

There was a distant smile on her face as she looked in the mirror. It was nearly two years since she wore a dress so short, showing off her legs bare for all to see. In reality, it was only showing below her knees, but the feeling of showing too much still nagged her.

Tabitha gave a light twirl in her dress, even though it wasn't flowy. It was a form-fitting spaghetti strap black floral dress. A light shawl would cover her shoulders. Her hair was up in a slightly messy bun, with two loose ends on either side of her face. She was trying to imitate Gwyneth Paltrow's awards season hairstyle, which wasn't hard due to how long she grew out her hair.

She applied a deep red lipstick lightly over her lips, not wanting too much smudging outside her lip line. With a swipe of mascara, she looked decent enough to leave. Tabitha walked down to the kitchen, making a small noise for her grandmother to look at her.

Sonya was busy cooking some dinner.

Tabitha was shocked by her grandmother's recovery over the past few months. It was as if one day she was all better, not needing to lay in bed anymore. The doctors didn't know how to explain it, so they claimed it to be a phenomenon. Tabitha thought it was a miracle from God, answering her prayers of getting away from the priest. Although she still needed to work to become fully healed, Sonya worked hard to get back to her old self. She wanted to open back her book shop before the end of the year, and it seemed hopeful that it would indeed happen.

Along with the gift of her life, Sonya also turned a new leaf, making sure not to make the same mistake she did with Phillip. There would be no use of making gossip with all the trouble it caused before. It made no use of having broken friendships over nonsense. She felt herself also getting closer to Tabitha than how the last few months were, opening themselves back to being like before. It was due to these events that she didn't have Stephen coming around as much.

Well, there were other things too for her judgment; it was the suspicion from before she had about Foley. Although she was busy being on bedrest, the suspicion never left. It was only because of how much she needed the priest's help Sonya never uttered a thing to him.

When she started to get better, she didn't want to jump the gun and tell anyone if, by chance, she had a relapse. One evening, when she thought he had left, Sonya decided to head down to the kitchen to make herself some tea, maybe even talk with Tabitha for a bit.

What she wasn't expecting was to see the priest of their town, who she trusted her life with, to be in an intimate position with her grandchild. The poor girl seemed scared out of her wits. He held her from behind and seemed to whisper something into her granddaughter's ear, who's eyes widened, lips trembling.

Before she says anything more, she went back up the stairs straight to her room.

It hurt to see her granddaughter in that situation and not be able to do anything about it. How could she not have known? There was a predator in her own home who she unwittingly invited to prey on her only relative who cared for her. Her blood, her kin, who sacrificed her young years to help her.

Sitting down on her bed, Sonya lost all appetite to think of what Stephen had gotten away with doing. Her mind then rolled back to the time Tabitha and Stephen had gone to London for her birthday. That was when the immediate change happened. She thought about it long and hard, about how Tabitha was when they had gotten back from the trip.

~

(Two years ago)

Sonya had a cake ready on the table, with minor decorations and a gift wrapped right where she wanted Tabitha to sit. They would be back soon, having spent two days together. Hopefully, it did help them in the way she wanted, that now Stephen and Tabitha would finally be on good terms. She was excited to spend the day happy, not having celebrated a family member's birthday in the last decade.

It reminded Sonya of how lonely she was.

Never mind that, though, she had Tabitha now.

When she heard the sound of an engine, she knew they arrived back. Excited, she opened the door as fast as her body would take her (which wasn't much, and she didn't want to tire herself out). The image she had seen before was a bit different than what she envisioned. They were both quiet, too quiet.

Stephen was holding onto his bags and Tabitha to hers. Her attire wasn't her usual cute outfit, but something more tomboyish, long denim overalls and a dark red shirt. It seemed to be a bit much to wear in June, but maybe it was cold on the train.

"Hello, darling! How was your trip?" The young girl finally looked her in the eyes. Although that same smile plastered on her granddaughter's face, there was something in her eyes that seemed distant, almost as if she wasn't even there.

She didn't do drugs, or at least not on Father Foley's supervision. Knowing him well enough, Sonya knew he wouldn't tolerate it. Maybe she was tired. Yes, a trip like that could take a lot out of even the youngest of hearts.

"Grandma, it was nice. I had a lot of fun, and we took quite a bit of pictures." It was short, sweet, and almost rehearsed. There should've been warning bells in her ears, but Sonya ignored it. After an awkward hug, Tabitha rushed into her room.

Sonya looked at Stephen, who was watching Tabitha. "I hope she wasn't too much trouble for you." He finally looked towards the elder after a moment, a slow smile forming on his face. "No, she was fine. Just perfect, as you expected."

"Why don't you stay for dinner? I wanted to celebrate Tabitha's birthday still, our own little thing." His eyes shifted, contemplating what to do. "I would love to, but I need to prepare for the upcoming Mass. I'll see you soon." It was odd, but Sonya allowed him to leave without another word.

~

Sonya recalled how her granddaughter's behavior changed over the years. She was a fool not to notice it.

Since that night, Sonya made efforts to distance herself from Stephen. Even when he asked about her odd behavior, she would deny any ill feelings and claim she wanted to be independent again. If Stephen figured something was up, she didn't know. All she wanted now was for her grandchildren to be safe.

Today was finally the day, and she was so happy for Tabitha! How she has grown so much over the years. She was making a nice dinner, some food from back home to celebrate. It was unfortunate that none of Tabitha's family made it. It wasn't that they didn't have the means to, but at this point, it was as if they didn't want to see Tabitha anymore. If they called, talking to Tabitha wasn't really on their mind, only hearing Issac a little.

It was sad to think of how little Tabitha had now. Before, she had a whole world of family and friends, which turned into three people; Sonya, Issac, and Phillip. Sonya could hope that life would offer her better things, and God wouldn't abandon her during this time. She wasn't even an adult yet but suffered so much.

Hearing footsteps coming by, Sonya took to the direction of the stairs. Seeing Tabitha, tears pooled her wrinkling eyes. She was beautiful, breathtaking if only her family could see her now.

"Tabitha, you look like a doll! Give me one moment I'll take some photos."

~~~

When they reached the destination, time was nearly cutting it. Tabitha wasn't known for being late, and this wasn't going to be the first time. If she was going to give the valedictorian speech, she needed to show why she had earned it. Zipping up her green gown, she headed to the small stage along with the other girls.

Sonya and Phillip took some seats near the front. Issac was playing with a toy on Phillip's lap. Foley sat in his position with the teachers, taking glances towards the baby boy.

There was a countdown of four hours before the change of his life, of their life. He then turned to Tabitha, who was smiling with her classmates. He knew why she was happy, and it wasn't because of him.

Tabitha thought she was the valedictorian since she worked so hard in the past ten months to prove herself.

Well, she was.

But Foley warned her several times not to anger him, and she chose to defy him several times. There were consequences to every action. Especially the small things. Foley knew exactly who to go to for that.

Now, Father Foley wasn't known to be a cruel man to the students. He was loved by many of the young girls. That would have to do more with his looks, though.

He just needed her grade five points down in her religion class, just enough for another girl to get the achievement. Maybe this was all she needed to remember once and for all not to defy him. If they were going to live together as husband and wife, she needed to remember that.

He looked up at the clock across the room hanging on the top. It was time for the ceremony to begin.

Tabitha felt butterflies in her stomach, anxious for Father Foley to announce her and her achievement. She was excited, even if it was going to be short-term; it may be the last time for her to be blissfully before the storm came around.

"....and now, here is our valedictorian, Cara Gleeson."

Tabitha almost got up, but she didn't. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't think properly. S-She was meant to have that award, that was a fact. Her grades were on top and consistent. The same couldn't be said about Cara, but she was a nice girl.

Tabitha stayed seated, ignoring the rest of the ceremony proceedings until it was time to pick up her diploma.

Worry crossed over Sonya's eyes seeing how Tabitha looked as if she had seen a ghost. She didn't understand how Tabitha didn't get the award. It was all she spoke about for the last few weeks. Her eyes then moved to Stephen, who seemed fine, but he said something to Tabitha. It was bad enough for her face to change drastically. She was going to cry.

Then, she finally understood. Stephen smirked at Tabitha's figure walking away from him. He planned this.

He planned her grandchild's demise.

~~~

At this point, Tabitha was just going through the motions. She followed her classmates in getting her diploma from Father Foley.

She barely acknowledged his congratulations he gave the other girls. When it came to her, it was different.

"Why did you do that?" She looked him directly in his eyes. She didn't have to fear, yet there was still time for her. He returned her look with a mock-confused face, "What is it that I did to you?"

"You know what you did. I was going to be valedictorian. How could you take it away from me? I was looking forward to that!"

Tabitha registered that she was whining, but she didn't care. Tabitha was way too quiet about the stuff he did against her, and for what she had gone through the last year, she deserved to whine this one time.

Stephen glanced behind Tabitha before looking back at her to give his answer, "Next time, you should listen to me the first time. I told you, you would pay for hiding that from me. I promised you would graduate, not that you would graduate with the highest honor of our school." Tears welled up in her eyes, realizing what he did.

Foley did say back in March he would get revenge for her hiding his paternity of Issac. It wasn't right for him to start taking full control of her life this way. She walked to her grandmother and Phillip in defeated, slow steps. Both looked concerned, "Tabitha, is everything alright?" She sniffed, wiping her tears away.

A sad smile spread on her lips. "Everything's fine. I'm just overwhelmed. I finally graduated."

Now, her life begins.

~~~

Stephen finally did it.

He was free for the first time in 12 years. He was no longer restrained by the ordinance of the Catholic Church.

Well, it wasn't like he was restrained, but after some years, he realized he wasn't up to the task. He didn't tell his parents yet, knowing his father would laugh and throw it in his face. His father may become a bit too happy, though, hearing that his son was marrying a girl like Tabitha.

It then forced him to think back to his encounter with the young girl after graduation. He slowed down his car a little as he was on his way to Sonya's house. Soon, he stopped altogether, ironically ending up in the same spot where he confronted Tabitha on her first day of school.

If they were alone, he would've wiped her tears away, telling her it was alright. His mind ticked as he mind reminded him of how she whined sometimes. Life's tough. Whining wasn't going to get anyone anywhere. He wanted to tell her how nice she looked with her hair up, but she didn't need to wear such dark lipstick. It made her look too mature for her age.

That somehow brought up the notion of what he would do now that he was taking her. he wasn't sure how Sonya would take it. He hoped she would be happy that her granddaughter was with someone she trusted and who she believed would take good care of Tabitha.

He thought about training her to stay at home and learn how to do things his way. He was getting ready to take over his father's financial firm, so he needed to respectable wife to show on his side. Stephen wanted to provide her good things in life, with her returning his kindness with affection to him.

He knew that it would take a long while before she would show him that, but they would have all the time in the world. Hopefully, he would also prove to her that he is a good father for Issac.

Letting out a long breath, he started back his drive to Sonya's home. Anticipation rose in him, thinking of what would happen in the next few hours. He already had the marriage license, so they just needed to head to the courthouse to officiate it. Stephen wasn't in the mood to try and properly plan this out. Maybe in a few years, if she proved herself worthy of it, he would make a big show of having a big wedding, but it was unlikely. If Tabitha did anything well, it was putting up a fight against him.

The scary part was that deep inside, it drove him insane, in a good way. He felt turned on by her attempts to get away from him. There was a high chance in this marriage she would fight a lot, and he would have the pleasure to put a stop to it.

When he finally reached, there was an odd feeling coming to him. Something was amiss, or maybe he was mistaken. He was probably feeling giddy.

Knocking on the door, he was half-expecting Tabitha to answer, ready to go with Issac in her arms. He promised she would graduate if she would pull her end and agree to be his. Instead, Sonya opened the door, giving him a soft smile. Although impatient, he returned the smile to his old friend.

"Stephen! It's good to see you, but I thought you would be at the church. Isn't Mass tomorrow?" He quirked both eyebrows, "I would usually do that, but not this time. Well, I wouldn't be doing that anymore if I'm being frank with you."

"Oh? How come?" She opened the door wider so he could enter, which he did. He scanned the home to see if he would see Tabitha's shadow lurk, but there was nothing. He turned back to the elder, "Sonya, I think there's something I need to tell you. M-Maybe we should take a seat."

He never was one to get nervous, at least not to the point of stuttering. Was that guilt trying to enter a way into his heart? They both took a seat right in the living room. Brown eyes looked at the stairs, reminded of the first time he saw the young girl running down them.

How times have changed since then.

"What's the matter, Stephen? You look a little pale." She looked concerned for him, and he was starting to wonder if it would be the last time she would feel that way for him.

"Well, is Tabitha around? It would be better to say this with her here."

"No, she left a while ago. She took Issac with her saying she would be gone a few hours." Forget the anxiousness and guilt. Anger resurfaced, hearing Tabitha was gone. He refused to let it show, not wanting to scare Sonya.

"Right. Well, this is something you would need to know anyway, even if she was around." Sonya's face changed from concerned to confused. There was a silence. A knife could cut through the air with the tension that built in a matter of seconds.

"Sonya. Tabitha and I were to get married today."

Back in home, or with her family, Sonya was known for when she got upset, she got UPSET. Her children all knew better than to take her to that breaking point. Pot spoons and belts would be thrown around if they would've done something to piss her off (although it did take a while for that to happen). She knew she was supposed to be screaming now, turning red at what Stephen had told her. She had witnessed for herself what he was trying to do to Tabitha, and she was too cowardly to stop it that time.

She wasn't going o be a coward anymore.

"Stephen, I know we've been good friends for years, but right now, you are treading dangerous waters. I would advise you to carefully explain what you mean by you and Tabitha were going to get married." Her words became more pronounced and slow as she said each word. That Trinidadian accent that she withheld for years was approaching back quickly.

It was obvious what a stupid mistake Stephen had committed. He should've waited until after they tied the knot. It was too late now, though. He hoped Sonya would have been understanding towards him.

She wasn't going to be, so he had to resort to another tactic.

"Tabitha and I are in love with each other. We both had agreed after her graduation, I would officially leave the church and get married. I was expecting her to be here with Issac to take them. I thought she would have told you." He tried to look genuine when saying it, not speaking too quickly like a hasty lie, but ecstatic like a man in love.

It didn't work out in his favor. He felt his cheek throb from the slap Sonya had given him. If he didn't respect her so much, he would've retaliated.

"How could you? To my only grandchild who sacrificed herself to help me, to my blood! I thought you cared for us, but it's obvious you had another motive. You bring shame to God's name. How could you call yourself a priest with such filthy thoughts and actions towards Tabitha?" She stood up, wanting to keep her distance before she slapped him again.

His face became somber, "So she told you?"

"She didn't have to tell me. I saw the way you would look at her, and I didn't want to believe it. I thought you better than to do that you a teenaged girl. Then I saw months ago one night how you touched her and how scared she looked."