Death is the option

Liam’s POV:

My father’s hand gripped my ear so tightly, it felt like it would tear off. I winced in pain, trying to pull away, but his strength was overpowering. “Dad! Stop! You’re embarrassing me!” I shouted, my voice cracking. But he didn’t care.

“Shut your mouth, Liam!” he barked, dragging me down the hallway. The teacher trailed behind us, her voice hesitant as she tried to intervene.

“Sir, please, we can handle this at school—”

“No!” my father cut her off, his voice firm. “This boy needs to be disciplined properly. I’ll take care of him myself.”

I felt my face burn with humiliation as other students peeked out from their classrooms, whispering and giggling. I tried to yank my arm free, but my father’s grip only tightened. “I’ll make sure he learns his lesson,” he added, his tone sharp.

“Dad, let go of me!” I protested again, but it was useless. He was like a man possessed.

When we finally reached the car, he shoved me inside with so much force that I stumbled, landing awkwardly in the back seat. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” I yelled, my voice trembling.

He didn’t respond. He slammed the car door and got into the driver’s seat, his jaw set in anger. The silence in the car was suffocating, broken only by the sound of my heavy breathing and the occasional sniffle I tried to hide.

By the time we reached the house, I was bracing myself for what I knew was coming. My father yanked me out of the car, dragging me toward the front door. My mother’s voice rang out the moment we entered.

“What’s going on? What did he do this time?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

“Stay out of this, Sarah,” my father snapped, not even sparing her a glance.

“What did he do?” she asked again, her tone more forceful now, but my father didn’t answer. He pulled me into my room, slamming the door shut behind us.

Before I could say anything, he grabbed his belt and started swinging. The first strike landed across my back, sending a sharp pain through my entire body. “Dad! Stop, please!” I screamed, but he didn’t listen.

“You humiliated me!” he yelled, his face red with fury. “ You think you can behave anyhow? Not under my roof!”

Each strike felt worse than the last. My cries echoed through the house, but no one came to help me. Not my mother, not anyone. When he finally stopped, I was curled up on the floor, trembling and gasping for air.

He threw the belt aside and pointed a finger at me. “You’re pathetic, Liam. Get up and fix yourself. Don’t let me see your face again tonight.”

As the door slammed shut, I stayed on the floor, tears streaming down my face. My body ached, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness inside me.

I thought about everything—how my perfect life had fallen apart in just one day. At school, I was supposed to be untouchable, the king. Now, everyone was laughing at me. Even Jayden, that loser, had turned the tables on me.

What was the point of it all? No one cared about me. Not my father, not my classmates, not anyone.

The thought crept into my mind slowly, like a whisper I couldn’t ignore. Maybe it would be better if I wasn’t here anymore. Maybe if I disappeared, everyone would be happier.

I wiped my face and stood up, my legs shaky but determined. Without thinking too much, I left the house, running as fast as I could. I didn’t care where I was going. I just needed to get away.

When I reached the bridge, I stopped, staring down at the dark water below. It looked peaceful, almost inviting. The wind whipped around me, cold and sharp, but I barely noticed.

I stepped closer to the edge, my heart pounding in my chest. “This is it,” I whispered to myself. “No one will miss me.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. But just as I was about to step off, a voice called out behind me.

“Liam! What are you doing?”

My eyes snapped open, and I turned to see Jayden standing a few feet away, his face pale and full of worry.

“What do you care?” I spat, my voice shaking. “This is all your fault! You ruined my life!”

Jayden took a cautious step closer, his hands raised as if to calm me. “Liam, listen to me. I know you’re hurting, but this isn’t the answer. Please, just step back.”

“You don’t understand!” I screamed, tears streaming down my face. “My dad hates me, everyone at school hates me, and it’s all because of you! I wish I’d never met you!”

Jayden flinched at my words but didn’t back down. “You think I don’t know what it feels like to be hated?” he said quietly. “You think my life has been easy? You have no idea what I’ve been through, Liam. But this isn’t the way to fix it.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. For a moment, I hesitated, my feet frozen in place. But then the anger and pain surged back, overwhelming me.

“No one cares about me!” I shouted, stepping closer to the edge. “Just leave me alone!”

“Liam, stop!” Jayden yelled, but it was too late. My foot slipped, and I felt myself falling. The wind rushed past me as the water came closer and closer.

I hit the surface with a force that knocked the air out of my lungs. The cold was shocking, wrapping around me like a vice. I tried to scream, but the water filled my mouth, choking me.

I thrashed around, my limbs heavy and uncoordinated. I wasn’t a good swimmer. I knew I was going to die.

But then, through the blur of water and darkness, I saw something—or someone—diving in after me.

It was Jayden.

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me toward the surface. I gasped for air as we broke through, coughing and sputtering.

“Hold on!” he shouted, his voice strained. “I’ve got you!”

But my strength was fading fast. The last thing I saw before everything went black was Jayden’s determined face, his grip on me unrelenting.

And then, nothing.