Retribution by Monique Orgeron

My retribution may be over, but my future remains controlled by my past.
Stripped of everything, I paid penance for a crime that wasn’t mine.
But in our world, the son always pays for the father’s sins.
My need for revenge blinded me.
Faced with the truth, I was forced to make a choice that went against what I’d fought so hard for.
With my atonement complete, I’m asked what would make me happy.
The problem is, I had happiness once and the very person who gave it to me is the same one who robbed me of it by leaving.
The girl I loved with all my heart and now hate with all I am.
How can I look forward when I’m tortured by memories of her?
Now she’s back.
Sometimes love isn’t good for you.
Sometimes, you have to love yourself enough to see the destruction ahead and simply move out of the way.
I once loved a boy who was determined to continually hurt himself.
For a chance to prove himself worthy.
His choices opened my eyes to see the years of pain and hurt the future held.
Leaving, I took a risk for a better future, but my return unravels a spiral of betrayal.
Leaving me at their mercy.