Chapter 21

That crumbling house, reeking of mold and cheap liquor, was all Bradley ever knew of "home". His father had lived a life of debauchery, hitting his mother whenever he lost money gambling or when they had none left. If Bradley tried to step between them, he would suffer the brunt of the beating, too. When Chloe finally couldn't take it anymore and left, he became the main recipient of the beatings. "You walking disaster! "You're as filthy as your mother!" Those words became the constant white noise of Bradley's childhood. The walls were stained with either liquor or blood. The shame and filth of that house followed him everywhere. At school, people looked at him like he was something they had to avoid at all costs. His bag was thrown into gutters, his chair smeared with glue. Occasionally, walking past the field was enough to be dragged into the bathroom and beaten bloody. The bullying only stopped after Bradley sent one of the students to the hospital. The few thousand dollars