28/04/2026
đź’” BROKEN BY BLOOD đź’”
A Short Story đź“Ś
Written by: AJ’s World ✍️📌
©️ AJ’s World. All rights reserved.
Do not copy ❌ or repost without permission. ❌
---
EPISODE THIRTEEN
Silence can be louder than words…
After that day my grandmother tried to talk to me, something inside me kept fighting… but I still couldn’t speak.
I wanted to.
God knows I wanted to.
But every time I opened my mouth, fear would choke my words before they could come out.
So I remained quiet.
Again.
Days turned into weeks… and weeks into months.
On the outside, everything looked normal.
I helped more at home. I stayed close to my grandmother. Sometimes, I even forced a smile just so she wouldn’t worry too much.
But inside me…
Nothing was normal.
The pain didn’t go away.
The memories didn’t fade.
They followed me everywhere… like a shadow I couldn’t escape.
---
As for my dad…
We fell out.
That was where another storm began.
After I finished my primary school and passed my exams, he came back from Onitsha, full of joy and pride. He talked about my future, about secondary school, about giving me a better life.
Then he said it.
“I want you to come back with me.”
Just like that.
My heart sank.
Back there?
Back to that house?
Back to my stepmother?
No.
“I don’t want to go,” I said quietly.
At first, he laughed it off. But when he realized I was serious, his tone changed.
“Why?” he asked. “You will have better opportunities there. You are my daughter—you are supposed to stay with me.”
I shook my head.
“I want to stay with grandma.”
He didn’t understand.
How could he?
He didn’t know what I had been through… what I was still carrying inside me.
He tried everything—pleading, persuading, even getting angry.
“Amah, stop this!” he said firmly. “I am doing this for your good.”
But I refused.
Not out of stubbornness…
But out of fear of myself.
Because deep down, I knew if I went back there… with all the anger and pain buried inside me… I might lose control.
I might fight my stepmother.
I might hurt her.
And I didn’t trust myself anymore.
That was how the distance between me and my father began.
Not because I didn’t love him…
But because he didn’t understand the war inside me.
One evening, i decided to go and watch TV in my uncle’s place… the same place I had avoided for years.
People were gathered, watching a movie as usual.
I entered quietly and sat down.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Just silence.
Then Frank saw me.
Immediately, his expression changed.
“What are you doing here?” he asked sharply.
I didn’t answer.
I kept my eyes on the TV.
“I said leave this place now!” he shouted.
Still…
I didn’t move.
Then his immediate younger brother spoke up.
“Leave her alone, she didn’t do anything.”
That single sentence changed everything.
Frank turned on him instantly.
Before anyone could react, he started hitting and fight him.
People shouted, trying to stop him.
But me?
I didn’t move.
I didn’t flinch.
I didn’t even blink.
I just sat there… watching.
Like I had nothing left to feel.
Then Frank turned back to me, breathing heavily.
“You are still here?” he said, stepping closer.
Slowly…
I stood up.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said.
My voice was calm—but firm.
For a moment, he looked surprised.
Oh, i see he said.
Then he rushed at me again.
And this time…
I didn’t step back.
I fought him.
Not like before.
Not out of fear.
But out of everything I had kept inside for years.
We pushed, struggled, and hit each other.
It was no longer just a fight…
It was release.
Years of pain… anger… and silence pouring out all at once.
People rushed again to separate us, pulling us apart with force.
But even as they held me back…
I didn’t look away.
I stood there, breathing heavily, staring straight at him.
No fear.
No tears.
Just… strength.
In that moment, I realized something—
The girl he once controlled…
Was gone.
And the one standing in her place…
Was not afraid anymore.
To be continued… 💔🔥
Please like, share, and comment 🙏📌
