"Violet, sweetheart, come help me set the table. Your father is coming home soon." I said, staring at her, seated on the couch. She groaned as she stood up, not wanting to be awakened from her slumber.

"He's only going to be mad the entire time. His dumb science project got ruined. I don't want to be there for that..." Violet said, dragging her feet toward the kitchen. I stared at her with annoyance striking my features.

"I know... he just had some unfortunate events today." I said, knowing full well that his entire life's work was destroyed and that he might be furious.

"Mom, I don't want to be there when he starts exploding over it."

"Violet... we are a family, we put up with each other." She rolled her eyes at my words.

Within a few moments of my utterance of that statement, the expectedly angry Robert Dooley Veowsalot walked in. He had taken my last name and I had taken his. We had combined them after we got married all those years ago. As two PhD doctors, it was a challenge to change our last names when so much work was associated with them.

"Hi honey, how was your day?" I walked over to him as he put his stuff down.

"Good." He simply said. This was worse than I thought. He wasn't angry— he was clearly in disbelief.

"How was... everything?" I asked, wanting to know more information about the kid that destroyed my husbands life work. He had called screaming and yelling, and possibly even crying on the phone earlier.

"Fine." He said, heading over to the kitchen to our daughter.

I watched him intently, waiting for his next move. It was like watching a lion ready to hunt a lamb.

"Hi Violet." He kissed her head, "how are you sweetheart?"

"Good, are you ok dad?"

"I want to show you something Vy." He suddenly said, not answering the question and instead heading toward where he had dropped off his black bag. He reached into it and pulled out a culture tube.

My heart was racing as I wondering what he would do next.

"Can you eat this for me Violet?" He asked, holding the thing of possibly dead cells that were definitely a biohazard in his hands.

He walked over to her and dumped the ingredients in her plate. I felt disgusted.

"I don't want to." Violet said.

"Eat it." He demanded. His eyes narrowing at her as she moved around the pasta on her plate.

"I really don't want to. Mom— don't let him make me."

"Violet, the cells are probably fazed out by now. It won't do anything to you." I encouraged, afraid to say no to my husband and afraid for my daughter. I wondered what could possibly happen. Robert never spoke about his experiments to me so I had no idea what was happening or what he was doing.

Those could be cells of the Black Plague for all I knew.

"Why?" She asked, tears piercing her eyes. She stared at me in disbelief and I looked away. I couldn't bear it.

"Violet just do it then go wipe your mouth. Robert you're acting strange honey, take a seat and we can discuss this."

He turned his piercing gaze toward me and that was enough to shut me up. My eyes landed on Violet, her face so stained with tears.

It hurt to look.

I looked away.

I grabbed my coat from the coat hanger beside the door and stepped outside of our home. I couldn't bear it and the monster wouldn't notice.

He was a terrible husband.

I walked down the black to a nearby cafe. Quiet music played as I sat at a booth. I tried my hardest not to think about the abuse going on in my home. I wasn't sure what to do.

The only thought that kept relaying in my head was how much Violet would hate me for this.

---

In case you're interested in getting the totally edited/revised/changed paperback version of this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Read-Minds-ebook/dp/B08RYV11F2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=veronica+Soliman&qid=1609863783&sr=8-3

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)