True Colors ~Chapter Three~ Gimme Sympathy

Let's just say... my childhood wasn't the greatest.

Sure, in my little home in the suberbs of Riverview, I had the perfect "Southern Family"- or at least that was the impression we gave off to the public.

There was my father Dustin, a hardworking businessman, and my mother Leanne, one of those typical blonde, southern bell stay-at-home mothers.

But, as you've heard before, never judge a book by its cover.

Behind that big oak door, you could see that the perfect little family we had was really broken and shattered- broken and shattered by none other that my father.

My sister Delilah was the only one that I was really close with growing up. She was the only one who understood what I was going through, and she was obviously going through similar circumstances.

In my childhood years, I was always the tough one. The one that everyone stepped to the side in order not to cross in my path.

In my teenage years, I was what you could call the heartbreaker- the one guy all the girls wanted, and then deeply regretted having anything to do with me.

My actions were looked down upon by everyone- except in my father's eyes.

In his eyes, everything I did was "typical behavior". He even credited himself for my behavior, saying that he had "shaped the boy right". And honestly, he had.

From a young age, I had been purely brainwashed by my father's Words of Wisdom.

"Son, lemme tell you something."

"Yes Dad?" I replied.

"Someday, Carty, you're gonna meet a girl, and yur gonna wanna marry that girl."

"I know."

"When you marry her, you need to show her who's boss. You know, show her she needs to treat you with her respect. Whatcha do, son, is ya reel her in, then show her the ropes."

"What do you mean, Dad?"

I watched a sly grin form on his face. "Ya know what I mean, Carty. Just what I do to your mom. A little whack here and there, and pretty soon you'll have that girl shaped up in no time."

I took these words in. "But... Won't that make her scared of me?"

He gave me a thoughful look, before grinning again. "Nah, 'course not! Women these days need to learn to quite bein' goddamn mouthy bitches to their men. They need to know there place, cuz women aren't nothin' without their men."

"I... I understand."

He looked at me with his arms crossed at his chest. "Do ya now?"

A smile went across my face. "I do. Dad, I wanna be just like you when I grow up."

He grinned and ruffled my hair with his hand. "That a boy, Carty."

In my mind, my dad's word was the truth. Everything that was uttered from his mouth was meant to be taken honestly and seriously, and to be believed.

When I met that one girl, the one that was right for me in that club in Bridgeport, I made sure to follow my father's rules.

Selena Night, a beautiful, feisty girl who I absolutely loved.

I did as I was told-

I reeled her in...

Then, after a final bout of her venomous tongue getting the best of her,

I "showed her the ropes".

I showed her that Carter Mason took absolutely no shit, and was to be respected by his woman.

I simply walked away, leaving her helpless on the ground after my hand went across her face.

In my mind, she was to respect me, do as she was told and not refuse, and try her best not to piss me off.

I loved her, but bondaries had to be set, didn't they?

As I stood over her broken body, I fully realised that I was a monster.

As a second generation, Selena was my mother.

And I-I was a unfortunate copy of my asshole father.