Tina POV

I woke up her to my alarm sounding and yawned. What time was it? 6:00 in the morning. "Ugh." I groaned as I noticed the time in the clock. I hated getting up early. Why on Earth anyone would want to get out of bed this early was beyond me. Pulling my pillow over my head I tried to block out the annoying alarm and go back to sleep.

"Tina you had better be getting up." My step father warned and I rolled my eyes in frustration.

"Good morning Tina. Did you sleep well?" mom asked as she placed a plate full of pancakes, bacon and eggs  in front of me. Before I could respond my step father entered the room.

"Good morning dear." Mom said giving her husband a peck on the cheek. To which I just rolled my eyes. I hated seeing the two of them being all loveydovey.

"Ugh! I lost my appetite. If you'll excuse me I have homework work I should be doing."

"But you barely touched your breakfast. Are you sure your not hungry?"

"I'm really not mom." I replied pushing her plate away.

"Your mother slaved over a hot stove to make you a wonderful breakfast and your going to sit down and finish your plate." Maurice said with a frown.

"I said I'm not hungry." I replied pushing the plate further away from me and rising to leave the table.

"If that's the way your going to behave then perhaps you should go without food for the rest of the day. Perhaps then you'll learn to appreciate what you are given." Maurice replied.

"Whatever. Like I care. I wouldn't be hungry anyway, with all this mushy stuff going on." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" My step father asked rising from his chair.

"None of your business!" I muttered again.

"That's it! I've just about had it with your attitude young lady!"

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it Maurice?" I questioned challenging my step father.

Maurice POV

Sarah was shocked, "Tina...." Sarah started to say something else but I held up my hand and shook his head. Sarah knew that meant that I wanted to deal with this myself.

I frowned I didn't want to have this argument again and quite frankly I didn't have the time. Tina smirked as if she had actually succeeded in shutting me up. Satisfied she turned and walked up stairs.

"That is it! I've had it! I tried being nice and I've let her attitude slide so far. I figured that she just needed some time to accept our relationship and then things would get better but Sarah I can only handle so much."

"Honey she's approaching her teenage years it's only going to get worse before it gets better."

"That is unacceptable. Either she starts treating us with the respect we deserve or I'll send her to my father's military school. Sarah, the punishments there are nothing she's ever encountered before. My Father has no qualms about physical punishment. The punishments he's created are designed to break ones spirit."

"The General delights in breaking sprits and believe me he's looking forward to having her attend his school. He won't be easy on her because she's family he will be ten times harder on her because of that. I guarantee that she will be miserable and by the time she comes home for her first break she will be a shell of her former self. That's the last thing I'd want to happen but if that's what needs to happen in order for her to start respecting us then so be it."

Sarah POV

I sighed "I'll talk to her." With that I walked upstairs to Tina's room. Tapping on the door she called to her. "Tina can we talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about! Why did you marry him anyway? What could you possibly see in him? He's horrible! It seems like it's his personal goal to make my life miserable. All he ever does is scold me and threaten to send me away! He doesn't love me and you know it!" Tina replied her voice trembling. "I wish dad were here. He'd kick Maurice's butt."

I frowned Tina was being ridiculous. She knew better then to call an adult by their first name. "Tina Mare Rosealynn Bendito you will open this door this instant!"

Tina frowned but opened her door. "What? Can't I express my opinion?" Tina said flatly.

"Expressing your opinion is fine. However, you know better then to call an adult by their first name. As for your comment about your father I think it's time I told you the truth. Your father is never coming back, He left us."

Tina's jaw dropped. "How could you say that? He didn't leave us, he was lost as sea. You said so yourself. He would never leave us he loves us!" Tina replied her eyes filling with tears.

"Tina your father fell in love with his research assistant and he divorced me so that he could marry her. He has a new family and a new life. He chose to leave us and it's time to stop pretending. I have moved on and have found someone who makes me happy."

"Someone who loves me and even though you don't want to accept it or admit it he loves you too and he only wants what's best for you. He's not going anywhere so I suggest you make the best of things." I replied.

"Whatever! If what you say is true and daddy is alive then I'll just go live with him! I doubt he'd send me away unlike my step father who can't wait to get rid of me."

"Tina don't fool yourself. Your father wants nothing to do with either of us. He gave me complete legal guardianship over you. What does that tell you?"

"Your lying! It's not true! Daddy loves me!"

"Tina he hasn't written to us or called us. He hasn't sent you any birthday or Christmas presents or cards in years. He doesn't want anything to do with us. As for your comment about your step father it's simply not true. He loves you very much it's Your attitude that frustrates him."

"I'm going to have to punish you for your behavior downstairs. I hate to do this but until you can learn to respect your step father your grounded. That means a 7:00 bedtime no exceptions and I'm canceling your birthday party. That means there will be no trip to Disney this year."

"What?!! That is not fair! You promised we'd go this year." Tina said angrily.

"Life's not fair Tina the sooner you learn that lesson the better. You are to remain in this room until your step father returns from work. If you still feel that my punishment choice is unfair we can discuss the matter with him when he returns."

"I hate you! I wish someone would come and take me away from here! I can't stand to be around you. I hate the both of you I wish I'd never been born!" With that Tina slammed her door shut in her mother's face.

Maurice POV

When I arrived at home he I Sarah in tears at the kitchen table. Looking up Sarah smiled." Welcome home sweetheart." Sarah said giving Me a hug.

"Sweetheart why were you crying when I walked in?" I asked in concern.

"I wasn't crying I had something in my eye."

"Sarah you know I don't like being lied too." I replied with a frown.

Sarah sighed "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Of course I'll forgive you my love. Now why were you crying?"

"Tina mentioned that she wished her father would come back and kick your butt so I felt that it was time I told her the truth. She was very upset by our conversation. She refuses to accept the truth." Sarah replied. "I lost my temper and I grounded her and told her that our trip to Disney World for her birthday would be canceled."

"I take it she didn't take too kindly to being told that." Maurice replied.

"No. She was furious and she said that she hated us and that she couldn't stand being with us. That it would serve us right if she ran away and she went to live with her father. I tired explaining that he doesn't want anything to do with either of us but she won't listen. She called me a liar and she that she wished that she had never been born. I know she didn't mean it. She was just hurt by the truth and needed to lash out. Am I being to hard on her?"

Maurice frowned "Sarah you had every right to take away the trip to Disney World. Her
behavior this morning was completely unacceptable and so was her response to being punished. So, she hates living with us? Fine then she can pack her things! I'm sending her to my father's military school first thing in the morning."'

"Maurice please listen to reason. She's only just learned the truth about her father not wanting her. I don't think sending her away to military school right now is the right solution. She already feels like you don't love or want her.
If you send her away to military school then we will hardly ever get to see her. That will only confirm her belief that she's an unwanted inconvenience from my previous marriage."
Sarah begged to no prevail.

"Sarah she's got to learn her behavior has consequences. She's got you wrapped around her little finger. Do you really think she believes that just because I want to send her to military school that I don't love her? She's just using that as an excuse so that you'll give in and refuse to allow her to be sent away and its not going to work. I warned you that I wouldn't tolerate her behavior any longer." I replied.

"At least let me go with you when you tell her." Sarah replied.

"No. You need to stay here, it's time I have a word with my step daughter alone." I replied. A slight hint of anger in my voice.