Lexie wiped her cheeks and stood with a shakiness in her stance. "I-I can't " she stuttered out. "Why would a father do that to his child? Why...? Just why...?"

She felt miserable, sick to the stomach, felt like she was buried in a deep pit of repulsion.

She couldn't imagine how Zheme felt...

Abused?

Unloved?

Mistreated?

Or perhaps he felt violated?

After all, his childhood was brutally taken away from him, he didn't get a chance to enjoy his youth like she did, yet she had been nothing but a pest to him. She had perplexed him until even she felt annoyed at herself, but she'd stop now.

For...