Hearts Awakening

By Rogue Gray

Home, is supposed to be a safe space. A place where you can breathe easily. But for Ana, it's a battlefield. Every step, every breath has to be calculated. With a controlling stepfather who pulls on her mother's addiction, and her own inner demons clawing at her sanity, Ana dreams for an escape from the chaos. But when secrets begin to unravel and her stepfather takes things too far, Ana is faced with an impossible decision: does she seek justice in a world that's shown her none? Or learn that forgiveness may be the key to unlocking the true power of her heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rogue Gray
• Release date: Mar 24, 2025
• ISBN: 9798230925460

Book preview

​Prologue

The signs were there—unmistakably, and yet, no one wanted to see them. You see, people aren’t born bad; throughout life, however, the hammer of trauma molds them into something unrecognizable, and Charlie was no exception.

The first time I laid eyes on him, my heart did this weird stutter—his stare was this deep, dark void, stealing the light from everything around him.

Despite this, he tried desperately to fit in - hiding his true self behind a facade of charm and wit. But deep down raged an inferno, waiting to be unleashed.

The small, seemingly harmless cracks in his perfect facade were deepening and splintering, and I realized just how far gone he truly was. Charlie’s demands echoed in my mind, ‘rules’ he’d learned as a small child.

Discipline is how you maintain control, and fear is the best motivator, he would say. In his world, a home wasn’t a sanctuary, but a stage for his performances, replaying the awful lessons from his own stern father.

Meanwhile, my mother tried to convince herself, and everyone else, that she was happy. But I could see the stress lines carved into her features and how her body would tense up every time he raised his voice, even if he was only calling for the dog.

Eventually, I’d convinced myself that love could be this complicated, that fear and hurt were just part of growing up. But it wasn’t. And that realization hit me hard. Because I’d seen the monster hiding behind his mask, and now, it was time to face it.

​Echoes Of Shattered Silence

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The sound of glass shattering echoed through the house, jolting me awake. As I sat in bed, my heart raced and my mind spun with a million thoughts. Mom and Charlie’s voices rose and fell–a storm on the verge of breaking, and I knew exactly why.

Not again.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing it to end. Charlie was at it again. He took pleasure in our pain, twisting Mom’s willpower around his fingertips, as if she were his own personal marionette. It made me sick to my stomach.

Why can’t he just stop?

Pressing my palms to my temples, I tried to calm my nerves as my eyes scanned the room, but honestly? All I wanted to do was to hide and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. But their argument seeped through the cracks of the door. Things were escalating, and fast. I couldn’t just ignore it. Straining to catch snippets of their argument, my stomach twisted. It was as if I were witnessing a car crash unfold in slow motion—screaming for them to stop but being unable to do anything.

I could hear Mom’s pleas, her voice quivering like a tightly pulled guitar string, and I could picture her now. Shoulders hunched, and eyes puffy, a broken woman who was begging to just be understood. Charlie scoffed, the contempt in his tone undeniable. It’s a piece of junk! What good is it doing you now?

A piece of junk?

His words carved themselves in my chest. It wasn’t just any old object—whatever it was, it was a connection to Dad no doubt, and that fact alone made it matter more than Charlie could ever understand.

Mom wasn’t trying to cling to the past or upset him.  She was only trying to keep alive a part of herself that had been lost when Dad passed away. But here Charlie was, tearing away the few memories we had left.

Why did I even marry you, Catherine! Charlie's voice dripped with contempt, not allowing her a second to respond. I bit down hard on my lip, feeling the familiar sting. It was a question I found myself asking all too often.

That first year after their wedding should have been focused on healing, but instead, we stood on the verge of ruin because of his twisted version of care.

As I stood there, trying to steady my nerves, I couldn’t help but think about the last time I had been in this situation. The memory still haunted me, making my heart stutter and my palms sweat.

Confronting Charlie had always felt like willingly leaping into a raging inferno—an act reserved for the criminally insane. I could vividly imagine him in the living room, flipping through fishing magazines with an air of nonchalance.

His icy blue eyes, cold and emotionless, scanned the pages while he orchestrated chaos around him, as if he weren’t the one pulling all the strings.

Just a little something to help you relax, he cooed as he handed Mom pills with the same smug grin he wore during his dental appointments. Those pills were his personal shackles, each one dragging her deeper under his control, making her even more dependent on him.

As tempting as it was, to hide away in my room with my earbuds in and lose myself in music, I knew that wouldn’t solve anything. Mom needed me, even if she didn’t realize it herself.

Then—bang!

A loud crash echoed through the house, shaking me from my thoughts like thunder rolling across an open plain. This wasn’t just another argument, things were about to go south, and fast.

Time slowed as I reached for the doorknob, visualizing armor that wasn’t there. Each step felt as though it were the tick of a clock caught in a viscous time warp, stretching out forever. There was no turning back now.

Pausing just outside the living room, I placed one hand on the wall and took a deep breath. Slowly, I peeked around the corner, and my breath caught in my throat.

Charlie stood over Mom, a malevolent shadow flickering in the dim light, while she trembled, kneeling on the floor. Her eyes wide, and puffy.

My heart twisted when I noticed the shards of shattered glass scattered around her, remnants of Dad’s photograph and specialized frame.

Rage began to flood my veins. How could he stand there, so casually, ruining something that meant everything to us? As my hands balled into fists, I felt the familiar pull of chaos teetering on the edge of panic.

And then I looked over at Mom—the pain written all over her face shattered something inside me. Charlie! Stop!

He spun to face me, eyes now raging like an inferno. I swear, if there had been a trapdoor beneath my feet, I would have jumped inside without a second thought. 

What did you just say?

I said, leave her alone. I repeated, digging my nails into my palm with every ounce of fury I could muster. You little brat! His voice thundered through my soul, rattling my resolve. Why do you always have to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong? His eyes flashed with a crazed look that turned my insides to ice.

Because someone has to. The words spilled forth as if they had taken on a life of their own. Suddenly, pain shot through me burning as hot as fire, his grubby fingers dug deep into my collarbone, but backing down was not an option. I wouldn’t let him see me break.

Please, stop! You’re hurting her! Mom’s voice cut through the chaos, as his eyes flickered over at her for a moment, hesitation ghosting his features before he turned back to me, his grip tightening ever so slightly.

You’ll regret this, he snarled as he searched my face.

And then—as if it were something ripped right out of a horror movie—he raised his fist.

CRACK!

Plaster exploded around us, raining down like confetti. And with a grunt of frustration, he shoved me away, storming out of the room, and slamming the bedroom door with a finality that echoed throughout the house.

I was suspended in time, the air thick with the aftermath of chaos. How had we gotten to this point?

Would I be able to convince Mom to escape before he kills us both?

Wiping away the tears that threatened to fall, I stood up, catching my breath. Mom was still on the floor, hands trembling as she gathered the broken pieces of glass as if they could somehow mend her broken heart.

When she noticed me, she tensed, her blonde hair shielding her face.

Are you alright? I asked, inching closer.

Her voice trembled as she forced out the words, I'm not hurt, but are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he? Her eyes scanned over me, frantically.

No, I’m okay, he didn’t hurt me. but in that moment my voice drifted off, sweeping me into a memory. The day of their wedding. It should have been filled with happiness, a fairytale wrapped up in sunshine and smiling faces.

Mom looked radiant,  a princess in her gown and Charlie’s smile lit up the reception hall. And for that brief moment, I had thought everything would be alright.

But even fairytales have their twists.

The magic faded as darkness crept in. I had sensed it as I climbed into the bed of Charlie’s pickup truck, ready for our new life. How naïve I had been.

The tension in the vehicle turned suffocating as the shadows shifted, Charlie’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles turning ghostly pale.

And the moment Charlie’s gaze shifted toward Mom, I felt my stomach drop, a sudden, unfamiliar fear of something not quite right began setting in. In a flash, his hands were around her throat, fingers digging in like a piranha's teeth.

I screamed as my fists pounded against the glass that separated us. No! Let her go! In an instant, the truck stuttered to a halt. The screech of tires sounding akin to a beast screaming into the night, and everything around us slowed, the world outside becoming a distant blur.

Get out! Charlie snapped, and Mom hesitated, fear and loyalty battling for control in her eyes. When she finally stepped out, tears streamed down her flushed cheeks.

I continued pounding my fists against the glass, desperate to reach them, to somehow protect her, but Charlie tore away with me still in the back, the truck lurching forward while my screams became lost in the night.

After what felt like eons had passed, Charlie finally swung the truck around, his face was a mask of emptiness as he barked at Mom,

Well, what are ya waitin’ for? Get back in. Now! That day, the flicker of love that once seemed so bright—faded into the shadows. Mom turned to me once we got home, and asked me that very same question. He didn’t hurt you, did he? Just like that, I was yanked back to the present, holding Mom tightly while tears spilled over.

Ana, I’m so, so sorry. This is all my fault. Her voice cracked. I wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault, that Charlie had been pulling us both into his web long before either one of us understood what was happening.

Don’t say that. The words slipped out before I could stop them and she flinched, the flicker of a sad smile touching her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Which told me everything.

She took a deep breath, trying to reclaim some semblance of calm before readjusting herself. Okay, why don’t you go back to bed? I’ll clean this up. I opened my mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes silenced me.

It was a look that said, no arguments, or else, so I swallowed my protest. She was trying to hold it together, to keep up appearances of normalcy, and I guess, I could respect that.

Okay. Just... Please wake me if you need anything. My voice wobbled as I watched her nod, the tension in her shoulders easing. Once in my room, I closed the door behind me, craving a moment of solitude to gather my scattered thoughts. I slid down to the floor and let the tears fall freely.

They weren’t just for Mom; they were for the girl I used to be - the one who had dreams, hopes, and a bright future ahead of her. But ever since Charlie came into our lives, she seemed to disappear with every demon that came after us.

Would she ever understand how deep his darkness went, how he believed that only obedience warranted love? Someday—I would make him pay for the damage he had done.

But for now, all I could do was survive, fight through this darkness, and carry a glimmer of hope, just as Dad always taught me to do

​Echoes Of Her Truth

Morning light spilled into the hallway, bright and blinding as I approached my locker. I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious about the bruises starting to show on my arms. In an instant, Tris’s hazel eyes locked onto mine, and I knew she would sense the lie before I even spoke it.

We’d been through too much together for her to not notice.

She studied my face, her beautiful, hazel eyes narrowing ever so slightly. That looks rough, her voice trailed off as she leaned in closer to examine the marks.

Her concern was evident in her every move - as if she could make the pain vanish with just her proximity. You sure you’re holdin’ up alright?

My heart raced as I felt my nerves kick in. I tucked my hair behind my ear, wincing at how clumsy the gesture looked.

It wasn’t surprising that my smile turned lopsided either; it was an obvious, and poor mask for the truth - a truth that felt impossible to hide any longer. Swallowing hard, I tried my best not to show how much this ‘no big deal’ bothered me. It’s really not that big of a deal,

The words tumbled out hesitantly as if they didn’t quite belong. I’m... I started to say but then stopped, realizing how ridiculous it sounded.

Of course, I wasn’t okay. Anyone could see that this situation was anything but normal. Taking a deep breath, I tried sounding more convincing. Really, I’m fine. 

She wasn’t buying what I was selling. Not one bit - which