*Esmerelda*

Time seemed to slow down as I stared at my stepfather. He looked very much the same as the last time I saw him with his longish graying hair and stern face. The difference now was that he didn’t look livid as he beat me into a pulp.

I was so shocked that I forgot where I was for a moment. Rosalind was giving me an odd look. I felt panic seize my throat. I never expected to see my stepfather in the city like this. Heck, I expected to never see him again.

The ...