37
“Ambrose!” My door slams open, making me jump in my chair.
Mum comes fuming into my room. She looks crazed, like nothing can stop her from getting what she wants.
Well, I will be damned if that happens under my roof.
This house is in my name, not hers. I let her get away with too much, wanting some kind of motherly love, but I am past it. Waiting for that to happen is like waiting an eternity for what was never written for you.
“What are you doing on that laptop? You think you can order me about without consequence?” she screams.
I get up from my chair and stand in front of her. “Yes. I can. Get out of my room.”
She glares at me. “No. You are my daughter. I gave birth to you, and I will not have you disrespect me like this.” She pushes at my shoulder, making me stumble a step.
“Don’t touch me,” I grit out, clenching my hands into fists. I don’t want to harm her, but I’m not opposed to it.
Not anymore.
Whatever I had left for her, any kind of remorse, emotion, it has all evaporated into thin air.
She has lost the only daughter, the only family, she had left.
“I will touch you, hit you as I please. Who are you to stop me?” she screams.
I shut my eyes and take a deep breath, then sink onto the edge of my bed, rubbing my forehead.
“What the fuck is this? Is this the man—Is that Aurora’s husband?”
My head snaps up when I see Mum watching the footage replaying on my laptop. I lunge towards her as I see her switch to the email tab. I go to push her when she turns and shoves me with such strength that I stumble back a couple of steps.
No. No.
No.
“Don’t touch that!” I scream. I go to her again and push her away from the laptop.
No, please don’t tell me she sent the email.
No.
If Helia sees this, he will kill me.
I was supposed to tell him I love.
I chose him above everything.
This cannot be.
“You sent the email!” I scream, turning to my mother.
There’s a smug expression on her face.
“What have you done?!” I scream, getting into her face, but all she does is glare at me.
“You thought to control me? You don’t know me at all then, dear daughter.” She tuts and shakes her head as if disciplining a small child.
What has she done?
What has she actually done?!
“You don’t know what you just did! Do you have any idea what will happen now? Do you have any idea about—” My voice breaks as tears gather in my eyes and fall to the floor.
I drop to the ground, crying.
I can’t undo this.
This cannot be happening.
No.
I will lose everything now.
Remo will know I sent it.
Helia will think I sent it.
They will all hate me.
Especially Aurora for getting her husband sent to jail.
Everything is over.
“You just ruined my fucking life!” I scream, shaking and punching the floor.
“Noo!!” I cry out as I watch her smash my laptop against the edge of the desk, effectively taking away everything.
“That should teach you a lesson.” She turns and walks out.
I get off the floor to rush to her. All I see right now is her torment and punishment.
I will not let her live after destroying my life within seconds.
I twist the knob and find it locked.
I twist and shake the door but nothing.
“Stay in the room until you learn what respecting your mother is.” Her voice trails off on the other side, and my heart drops to the ground.
How will I tell Helia that I didn’t do it?
I can’t climb down the balcony; there is nothing to hold on to.
I start to breathe faster, my chest heaving as I look for my phone all around the room. I flip the bed covers, throw my desk drawers open, wrench my bed out of place, but nothing. Everything is turned upside-down in my room, but I can’t find my phone.
She took it.
My fucking mother took it.
Every minute that goes by, I can feel my life being set aflame.
I can feel my heart stutter, its beat no longer working properly.
Helia.
I need to tell him.
It wasn’t me.
It wasn’t me.
I don’t know what I was thinking, typing up the email.
I was never going to include the clip. I was going to delete it.
I don’t want to lose you. I wasn’t—
I drop to the floor, my hand in my hair.
Helia will hate me once he finds out.
He will hate me.