Catrina POV continued.

We went downstairs to have a discussion with my mother but she didn't seem like she was in the mood to listen to anything I had to say. She looked at me irritatedly and I could see the hate in her eyes. "Did you apologize to your father?" She asked coldly as she poured another cup of wine into her cup.

"Your daughter and I had a long discussion and we have come to an understanding. However, the subject of who her biological father still needs to be discussed." Arthur replied and my mom frowned.

She didn't look at Arthur instead she turned to me with an angry glare. "How many times do we need to have this conversation? I am not going to tell you his name! It is none of your concern. Besides, he is gone and he is never coming back. Arthur is your father. If you can't accept that then you can pack your stuff and get out. You can live out in the streets for all I care."

"You know, Maurice would still be alive if it wasn't for you. There had been reports of gang related shootings on the news and it was said that it was dangerous to be out after sundown. You didn't listen to our warnings. You just had to watch the sunset."

"Just as you turned to come inside a street gang drove past and began shooting. If Maurice hadn't pushed you out of the way then he wouldn't have been shot. It's your fault that he's gone."

"You should have died that day not him." My mom replied reaching for the wine bottle in front of her. As tears started streaming down my face. My mother only scoffed in response.

"Your such a crybaby. You are pathetic you really are. I'm the one who's dreams and future were stolen away. I'm the one who's husband died to save your miserable life. If anyone has reason to be upset and cry it's me not you. I curse the day you were born. You want to know the cold hard truth here it is, No one wants you around including me. So why don't you do everyone a favor and end your miserable existence."

My mom replied. I couldn't handle her harsh words. I knew she said things she didn't mean when she was drunk but this was beyond cruel. Tears filled my eyes as I rushed upstairs and closed my bedroom door."

"Once inside I flopped down on the bed and began to sob. Was my mother right? Did I make everyone's life around me miserable? Would their lives and the world be better without me in it?

Arthur POV

My face went dark and I grabbed the bottle out of Crystal's hand. "Why did you talk to Catrina like that? You really hurt her feelings." I replied angrily.

"Because it's the truth." Crystal replied reaching for the wine bottle which I held out of reach. "Give that back." Crystal whined.

"No. I told you when we got married Crystal that I wouldn't tolerate your drinking problem . Now you need to go upstairs and apologize to Catrina this instant!"

"Why should I? I meant what I said. That brat stole my dreams away. If she hadn't been born I could have gone to college and gotten a degree. My marriage to Maurice wouldn't have had that stain on it and he'd still be alive if it weren't for her. This world would be a better place if she had never been born." Crystal replied. At this, I slapped Crystal across the face sobering her up instantly.

"You hit me. You said you'd never lay a hand on me." Crystal whined placing her hand over the place where I had slapped her tears forming in her eyes.

"You deserved it after the way you behaved tonight. You don't even know what you did do you?"  I asked cocking my eyebrows. "How about I give you a hint." I replied tossing the bottle at her. "You emptied the entire bottle in one setting Crystal." I replied with a frown.

"Yeah so?"

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me woman I won't tolerate it!" I replied angrily drawing my hand back as if to hit her again.

Crystal shrunk back and started to tremble. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Do you even realize what you said to Catrina?"

"She knows I don't mean the things that I say when I've been drinking." Crystal replied with a shrug.

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean that your words don't hurt. Sometimes words hurt just as much as being hit in fact, often they hurt worse. Have you ever once thought about how Catrina feels? Knowing that you blame her for everything that has gone wrong in your life?"

"That it's her fault Maurice died and You wish it had been her instead? That you curse the day she was born. That truth is that you don't want her around you never did. And that the world would be a better place without her in it and she should do everyone a favor and die?" I replied with a growl.

"What have I done?" Crystal moaned.

"Crystal, who is Catrina's father?"

"It doesn't matter he's never coming back." Crystal replied.

"I think it does matter. I think her father is part the reason you treat her the way you do when your drunk. So who is he? I want a name Crystal right now." I replied.

"I can't. Please don't you understand that I can't?" Crystal whimpered.

"Crystal you know I don't like to repeat myself. Now answer the question." I replied a hint of irritation in my voice.

Crystal sighed and took a deep breath in and out before answering. "It's a long story but I'll try to make it short. As you know my dad is an alcoholic and he blamed me for my mother's death. He spent years physically and verbally abusing me. Right before my 18th birthday he told me that I was engaged to marry a man I had never met. He warned me that my betrothed would not tolerate being treated with disrespect."

That my only job from now on would be to be the good little house wife and bare him grandchildren. We argued and he hurt me to the point that I lost my memory. While waiting for the bus a man approached me and asked me if I wanted to disappear and never have to deal with my father's abuse again. I asked how and he told me that he could make me disappear forever."

At first, I thought he was going to kill me but instead he offered to take me away from it all just like a prince in a fairy tale. He told me that my father's plan to force me to marry would be foiled if I were to already be married. I wasn't sure how but he said that we could get a marriage license in another town. He told me that once we consummated the marriage there was nothing my father could do. He promised to love me always and never allow my father or anyone else to ever hurt me again."

"So we eloped and were married in a small town nearby. However, my father was furious that I had disappeared without a trace and refused to give up until he had either found my dead body or found me. When he found me he brought me straight to Maurice. He told him everything including the fact that I was as he put it, a whore. Maurice didn't take kindly to my father calling me names. As far as he was concerned I was and would always be his beautiful sweet innocent bride and no one was to say any different."

When his father learned that I was impure he was beyond livid. He stated that he refused to have a whore for a daughter in law. And demanded that Maurice break off our engagement. If he didn't then he'd be disowned. Maurice didn't care."

"He told his father that I would be his bride that he would have no other and that yes, it was true that I was no longer a virgin. However, that it was because he couldn't wait until after graduation to make me his. So when it was discovered that I was pregnant a few weeks after the wedding Maurice claimed the baby as his own."

"You still haven't answered my question Crystal. What was your husband's name?"

"Fredric. Fredric Kruger. Though he hated being called that. He always preferred to be called Freddy." Crystal replied with a sigh.

"The man accused of being the Springwood Slasher?"

"Yes. So now do you see why I can't tell her who her father is? He kidnapped her when she was five years old and probably would have killed her if Tommy hadn't hurt her first. When he was released on a technicality the rest of the parents of the town were furious."

"I remember. What ever happened to him after the trial?" I asked.

"We tracked him down to an abandoned warehouse where he had murdered those children. Everyone wanted justice for their children and so we doused the place in gasoline and made sure the doors were locked so he couldn't escape. He somehow came running out his entire body on fire screaming that he'd get his revenge that he'd murder our children."

"If anyone ever found out that there was even the slightest possibility that Freddy was her biological father who knows what the other parents of the town might do. That's why I refuse to tell her his name. She's safe as long as people don't suspect the truth. Arthur please say something."

"Your right, Catrina must never be told the truth. However, you still need to deal with the fact that you hate her."

"She's my daughter I love her."

"You might not realize it or maybe your ashamed to admit it to yourself but the truth is, you do hate her."

"What kind of mother hates their own daughter?"

"A mother who blames their child for the loss of their innocence. The truth is, that Catrina reminds you of him. You make her pay daily for his sins. You hit her and swear at her. You tell her that the world would be better off without her because you can't stand the fact that there is a possibility that she's his daughter. Your worried that she will turn out to be just like him." I replied with a sigh.