He turned and raised his fist, causing her to let go and shy away from him. He glared at her as Edward watched from the kitchen floor, still naked and on his side, his knees pulled up to his chest as the words of his mother cut him deeper than he could have ever imagined.
“See how you cunts do without me to put food on the table,” he said, then left and slammed the door, plunging the house into silence.
Iris stared at the door as if doing so would will her husband to come back. When it became obvious it wasn’t going to happen, she turned towards Edward, who was still on the floor.
“This was all your fault!” she screamed, spitting blood onto the floor. “If you hadn’t said anything about... about the things we do....” she trailed off, sobbing quietly.
He closed his eyes and silently wept. His mother walked towards him, and for a moment, he thought it was to hold him or bring him comfort. Instead, she stared at him where he lay cold and shivering.
“I would swap him for you if I could. I don’t want you, I never did. He drinks because of you. because he has to bring up another man’s child. No wonder he left. You did this. You broke up our family.”
She walked past him, leaving him cold and broken on the floor. He heard her go upstairs and close the bedroom door. Edward didn't move. He lay where he was and stared at the knife his father had dropped. Despite everything, all he could think of was how it would feel in his hands, and how easy it would be to cut things up with it rather than using his bare hands. Eventually, he got to his feet and started to clean the mess from the kitchen. The knife he kept.
TO BE CONTINUED IN…
Miller continues to confide in Hapgood about the events that transformed him from man to the monster he would become as more horrific revelations make Hapgood fear for his own safety.
I was Jack The Ripper (Part One) Page 4