Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows novel Chapter 28

Once the weak break free from the shackles of fear and shift their perspective from victim to observer, they realize that the abuser isn’t as formidable as they seem. Essentially, both are the same; the latter just uses force to mask their incompetence and cowardice. The worst outcome is death, but he wouldn’t choose that. He merely capitalizes on people's fear of death to bolster his facade.

Calmly, I said, "I don't have any money for you, just my life. You can choose to kill me now. Of course, after you do, you’ll spend the rest of your life behind bars."

My father realized his usual tactic of violence had been seen through and lost its effect, so he switched to emotional manipulation. A burly man, tears brimming in his eyes, was playing the pitiful card—just shy of kneeling before me.

"Lana, Daddy didn’t mean it. I was just too angry at the moment. Can you help me out? It’s just the two of us in this world. Could you really bear to watch me be driven to a dead end? Your mother wouldn’t have the heart to see that from above."

Self-centered, cowardly, full of deceit, and ungrateful—the list of negative traits could go on forever when describing him. I felt no sympathy. "Then you should go join Mom. She must be lonely up there."

Just then, a young man with a familiar baby face walked into the tattoo shop. It was Cooper, the new officer in town. He had handled a few of my previous calls to the police. He asked, "Is Jonah home right now?"

My heart skipped a beat, suddenly tense, thinking he was here because Jonah had beaten my father.