Chapter 5 Clara

Clara

"Mom, what did I do?" I whispered to her.

"You left school halfway. Your brother told me, and you thought you could hide it from me?" she shouted.

I realized one thing, I need to stay calm and collected and not cry.

"Didn't he tell you why I left?" I grabbed the phone in my pocket, held it tightly, and asked her bitterly.

"He introduced you to his friends in the cafeteria, but you were ungrateful and lost him." She replied, her voice was not low at all, making me stare at her with wide eyes. Is he really my brother? Damn him.

Instead of answering her like yesterday, I went to my room. I don't have the strength to argue with her.

"Hey dad" I grinned when I saw him sitting on the couch with a ghostly face over Skype on my laptop.

"Hey Princess" he wished me, his smile warm and loving. A lump formed in my throat.

"How are you?" I asked, and he smiled. I frowned, wondering if I was joking.

"I have to ask you this question because you've been here almost ten years later. I'm fine, honey, how are you?" he asked, setting aside the papers he was holding and focusing on me.

I saw my mother walking towards the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Princess, you are so cute." Dad's sudden compliment shocked me. I blinked, unable to believe his words. I look ugly and I know it.

"I guess it's not a good compliment, I think you have that trait, but you do look cute" His soft voice touched my heart.

"Thank you" I said, my voice almost a whisper.

"Is everything okay? Is your voice loud?" he asked with concern. A lump formed in my throat. Where were you when I needed your dad? why now?

"No, I'm totally fine, I made a good friend who turned out to be our neighbor. Rosalie Emerson," I said, faking a smile.

I don't want to cry in front of him. At least he's trying, unlike my mother and brother. I will give it to him.

"Emerson? That girl is cute. If you notice any problems, ask your brother or tell me, and I'll take care of it? Try to make yourself comfortable, even though I know it's weird because it's mid-semester" he was sweet I want to cry. Before I could stop, tears welled up in my eyes.

"What happened to the princess? Did someone treat you badly?" he asked, his eyes darkening at the second question.

I immediately shook my head no. Not going to say what kind of jerk I met today. Still, I am very grateful to Rosalie.

"It's nothing, I just miss you so much these years." I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

"I'll take you out on a date as soon as possible. I don't want to be a guest in my daughter's life anymore." His voice seemed to wrap around me in a protective way.

I nodded, actually looking forward to it. We chatted for about twenty minutes before he hung up, saying he needed work. I walked back to the living room, realising I can't hide in here forever.

My mom chose to come out of the kitchen at the same time because fear filled me. The mere presence of this woman was enough to make me anxious and panicky.

The one who was supposed to love me and protect me chose to hurt me and throw me among the wolves.

She was sitting at the other end of the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, a cup of coffee in her hand. I got up to go to my room, not in the mood to chat with her.

"Sit" Her authoritative tone kept me in place. I looked around to see if she was talking to anyone else.

"Clara, I am your mother, and you must obey me," she ordered, and my heart beat faster.

That's it. You are my mother, but you never showed up. I retract this answer as I sit quietly, hands clasped at my sides as they start to sweat.

I tried to control my breathing as they started to accelerate. Fuck, I didn't sign up for a panic attack when my friends and dad made time to regulate my mood.

"I want you to exercise and lose weight. It will look less ugly if you lose weight. It disgusts me to see you like this. I was born with such a person." Her answer shocked me. Mother? seriously? I close my eyes. don't cry. Don't give her the satisfaction of making you cry.

"How did you say that?" I could already say I was going to cry.

"Look at you, Clara, I'm sure I'd be bullied if you were that fat, so fat, everyone would judge you," she said firmly, like she wanted to see me being bullied.

"Like you were commenting?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could hold back. But I'm not apologizing.

Her eyes suddenly darkened. She gripped the glass tightly in her hand like she was trying to stop herself from bumping into me.

"I'm not commenting, I'm stating the fact that you look really ugly. Stop being an ungrateful bitch and be glad your dad took one look at you and still loves you," she snapped at me.

I stood up and shook my head.

"Because he accepts me the way I am and he loves me the way I am" I said, frustrated by my inability to control my breath and my mother's mental attack.

"As long as I grow up like this, I will not accept you as my daughter. I am famous and I run a fashion business. I will not let you be the black spot of the family and bring shame on us" The way you are. You look disgusting and I'm not going to let you be the kind of person who makes everyone point the finger at me and say what kind of daughter I had. ' she cried, throwing the cup on the ground.

It shattered into pieces, like my heart. At her feet, helpless, hurt.

"If you're disgusted by my dearest mama, then don't need to show me your faux caring, leave me the fuck alone, you can go to your goddamn party with your son, treat him like Show off like a trophy" I yelled looking back, I couldn't control my emotions and tears were streaming down my face.

I hate crying when I'm angry, which is what I do most of the time. I don't know why I'm so angry all day.

"What a pathetic ungrateful soul you are, first you hurt my son and now you're talking and yelling at me, who the fuck do you think you are?" she yelled.

"It was you who killed me first." I said, wiping my tears.

"Because you deserve it. As soon as you came back, you let me quarrel with your father and hurt your brother. Why are you coming back? Just to disrupt our normal life?" She yelled and stood up.

Instinctively, I took a step back. After this emotional and mental struggle, I couldn't stand the physical abuse. Her eyes flickered for a second, then darkened.

"If you don't obey me, I'll make your life hell," she threatened, taking a step forward. I took another step back, fear creeping into me.

"You've made my life hell. You don't love me. If I change myself for you, I'll just be your trophy. I love myself so I don't obey your mom"...I'd rather be your enemy , and I don't want to be your pawn. "Speaking, I shook my head, my eyes fell on the door, my eyes widened, and a breath escaped from my lips.

Rosalie. My mom's eyes followed me, then fell on my purple-haired friend, and her eyes instantly changed from angry to soft, angelic, like she hadn't been yelling at me a few seconds earlier.

"Come in Rosalie," her voice was soft, and as I turned to wipe away my tears, a tingle rose in my chest.

"Sorry, I just got here. I brought Clara's study plan and phone, and I just want to give them back," she said, her voice strained, and she had to know her well enough to say it.

"It's okay, I interrupted your conversation a few minutes ago, you can go to Clara's room, you two have a good time, I will ask someone to bring you snacks." Mom heard that Rosalie hadn't, and there was something in her voice. full of relief. Can't see anything.

"Of course, Caroline, I'd love it." She beamed sweetly as she came up to me.

"Why are you crying?" She frowned.

"She talked to her dad and got emotional" is what my mom said first. Wow! Wow. She wants to play the perfect mother and she is so far away from her in reality.