Abuse of Hypocrisy

Her father lives a life of hypocrisy can she protect others by stopping her abuse.

On some level of my life I've been like any other teenager.

School day in and day out, with classes that I hate, and activities I love. Friends I can't get enough of, others I can hardly tolerate.

My home life is even average, with it's white picket fenced neighborhood were every house looks the same and my parents work way to much.

Then there was my secret. It was nothing out of the ordinary, one in every five kids keeps it if you look at the statistics; but then those statistics involve children in foster care or the child of alcoholics and addicts. I wasn't one of the many in that way, I had a family and we had no problems, that we spoke of or acknowledged. My dad was the one with the problems, I'll never make excuses for him, but when your the Mayor of a city like ours all you have is problems with no real time to sort them out.

No this isn't a story about my family falling apart because of an affair my father had someone else can tell you about that.

My story is about the abuse of hypocrisy I stood by and walked away from.

I was thirteen when it started, without warning; he had come home one day with a rough shut of the door and a loud bang as he slammed his briefcase down on the cadenza. Not thinking much of it, as I sat down at the coffee table in the living room doing homework, I looked up with a frustrated smile when he walked in ready to great him with the civics problem I had been struggling with for some time. My question wasn't answered with the adoringly amused smile he'd given me since I was two, or the light hearted laugh that would escape him as he pretended to think about what I had dubbed in that moment the worlds hardest highs school question, before easily producing the answer as he had done on so many question filled nights up till that point. Instead I was answered with a slap across the face before walking away to work in his study.

That was the first of many attacks, leaving bruises to be dismissed under the pretense of my athletic endeavors, basketball and soccer, both of which when played right, if you asked any coach could be considered a close contact sport.

As I got older and the beatings more regular the bruises started to disappear. He was giving himself rules he wouldn't hit me above the neck or under the knees, and my arms below the elbow were off limits. This gave me leeway to ware skirts and a broader rang of tops hiding our secret from the ever growing threat of suspicion as the political spot light shone brighter on him and our family while he was running for Governor.

Stress made the beatings worse. Ask a politician of any caliber and they'll tell you those finally months are stressful beyond words, yet with advisors, press meetings, charity events, and last minute speeches he still found time to relieve his.

Through it all I remained steadfast loyal and obedient to the father I adored; attending those charity events, charming people with self importance so high the reason for being there was meaningless. I stood by his side at the podium of those last minute speeches, head held high with a bright yet solemn smile, listening to him repeat the intentions of his administration. If elected empty promises I knew would never come to pass.

I wasn't privy to most of my father's campaign planes, but the day before the election most of his staff was working from our home. I'd spent most of the morning in my room trying my best to avoid the chaos, and nursing some back pain inflicted on me the night before when I was thrown into the bookcase of his study. When hunger won out I went down to the kitchen going unnoticed by my father and his advisors as I rummaged for an apple.

That's when I heard it, the results of the latest poll which stated that 90% of the women surveyed planed to vote for my father because the whole of his campaign sat on the foundation of an administration strongly dedicated to stopping violence against women.

I looked over at my father, coffee cup in hand as he read over the papers placed on the island in front of him nodding as he listened to the advisor babble on, and flinched when a bruise on my upper arm from a few days earlier hit the refrigerator. I lost my appetite when I saw the look of satisfaction on his face retreating back to my room were I paced like the caged animal I had been for far to long. My animalisticly frazzled moment was interrupted by yet another of his many advisors informing me I had ten minutes till my father's final press conference, to be held out on our front lawn.

As always I went out there standing with him like the obedient daughter I had been.

But I wasn't.

I wasn't on his side when he got into the throws of his speech and I removed my sweater and let my skirt fall to the grown revealing every thing they had been intended to hide.

I wasn't on his side as the flurry of camera flashes went off documenting the promise he had shattered long before he'd made it.

I wasn't on my own side as he took me by the shoulders shaking and hitting me; his rage overpowering any damage control he may have attempted had he not touched me.

I was on the side of those women I knew were going to vote for him. Trusting in a promise he'd never once given to his own daughter. Hopping someone would see them as people, have compassion, and protect them.

But I know.

I knew they were putting there lives in the hands of the wrong man.

I pushed him away and walked off the stage that day with my head held high, not with a solemn smile but one bright and proud.

Needless to say my father didn't get the tittle he had hoped and worked hard for, but he did in fact change tittles. Not from Mayor to Governor but from Mayor to child abuser.

I was still the mayor's daughter, but I did what my father couldn't.

I stopped hiding our secret and helped other's to stand up and do the same.

Reviews

[Rain]

A sad yet interesting story. It's devastating how her father started abusing her, but she mustered the courage to tell someone. I can find no mistakes nor give you any other critisism. It was simply stunning.

Thx for the interesting read.