The Day I Slept Forever Novel by Emerson Spencer _ Novel





The Day I Slept Forever Chapter 01

I liked goldfish.
Dad bought me a big aquarium.
A dozen bright little goldfish swam inside it.
Every day after school, I fed them.
They kept me company.
On weekends, Mom would take me to the aquarium store.
There were so many beautiful fish there.
I thought I was the happiest girl in the world.
Even the princesses in fairy tales probably weren’t as happy as me.
But then—
Mom and Dad got divorced.
I saw Mom holding the hand of the man who owned the aquarium store as they walked away.
Dad stood behind me.
When he looked at me, his face twisted with hatred.
“This is all your fault,” he said.
“You wouldn’t stop talking about those stupid goldfish. You dragged us to that aquarium every day.”
“Now look what happened. Your mom cheated.”
He shoved his hands in front of my face.
They were covered in red rashes and swollen blisters.
“I’m allergic to fish!”
“I endured this just to take care of those stupid fish for you!”
“And for what?”
“You two always thought everything outside this house was better!”
He grabbed the tank brush.
Then he started hitting me.
Again.
And again.
And again.
I didn’t dare move.
I didn’t dare run.
I just cried.
The next day, Dad brought home another boy.
I knelt on the floor, my face swollen, and hugged his leg.
“Dad… I’m sorry.”
“I won’t keep goldfish anymore.”
“Please don’t throw me away…”
Dad kicked me away like trash.
Then he walked over and kicked me again.
And again.
Finally, he grabbed me by the collar and threw me into the aquarium.
Cold water splashed everywhere.
“Stop calling me Dad.”
“I’m not your father.”
“If you love fish so much…”
“Then live with them.”
“You and your slut of a mother should both die.”
He stormed out of the room.
The little boy walked over slowly.
He smiled at me.
Then he turned on the water pump.
“From now on,” he said happily,
“your dad is my dad.”
The water started rising.
And strangely—
I felt happy.
Dad would be happy now.
Right?
Inside the tank, the water kept rising.
The goldfish scattered in panic.
I stood at the bottom of the tank, stretching my neck upward.
But the water kept covering my mouth.
I started choking.
I slammed my hands against the glass.
“Dad!”
“I’m sorry!”
“Dad, please save me!”
“I can’t swim!”
“I’m going to drown!”
Gurgle—
I swallowed a mouthful of water.
The water reached my nose.
Liam Thorne stood outside the tank, watching me struggle.
He laughed.
“Didn’t you always brag about how great your mom and dad were?”
“Well look at you now.”
“They don’t want you anymore.”
“From now on, Dad only has one child.”
“Me.”
“You’re lying!” I shouted.
“Dad only has me!”
The moment I shouted, water rushed into my throat again.
My vision blurred.
My tears fell into the water.
No one could see them.
Liam tilted his head, staring at me.
Then he suddenly ran out of the room.
“Dad!”
“Emily is crying!”
“She says you’re a bad guy!”
“She says she doesn’t want you as her dad anymore!”
I didn’t say that.
I didn’t.
Dad…
Please come look at me.
Dad’s voice came from outside the door.
Cold.
“So she wants that fish seller to be her father instead?”
“Fine.”
“Then I don’t want her as my daughter either.”
“If she won’t listen…”
“Then let her stay there.”
“Liam, come on. Dad is taking you out to eat.”
Their footsteps faded away.
The water kept rising.
I had swallowed too much water.
My stomach felt swollen and painful.
I struggled desperately, trying to grab onto something.
The necklace around my neck suddenly tightened.
It was choking me.
Dad once told me Grandpa gave it to me before he died.
He said it would protect me.
Keep me safe.
I tried to take it off.
But I stopped.
If I take this off too…
Dad will be even angrier.
My vision grew darker.
“Daddy…”
“Please save me…”
“Daddy… are you really replacing me with another child…”
“It hurts…”
Then everything went black.
When I opened my eyes again—
I was floating in the study.
The aquarium pump had stopped.
Something pale was floating inside the tank.
It looked strange.
I drifted closer.
Then I froze.
That…
was me.
Just then, Liam’s cheerful voice came from the hallway.
“Daddy, if I sleep in my sister’s room, where will she sleep?”
“And these toys…”
“Are they all mine now too?”
Dad glanced toward the study.
But he forced himself to look away.
He smiled gently at Liam.
“Of course.”
“Everything she had is yours now.”
“If you don’t like something, we’ll throw it away and buy new ones.”
Liam giggled.
But then he frowned slightly.
“If we do that…”
“Won’t my sister get mad at me?”

READ FULL NOVEL HERE