ᴴᵉᵃᵛᵉⁿ ˢᵉⁿᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ᵀᵒ ᴹᵉ ~ ᴬ.ᴳ

𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕒 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕤, 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟙 ~ 𝟘𝟞

❝  𝒞𝓁𝒶𝓇𝒶, 𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓊𝓅𝑜𝓃 𝒶 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒,

𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝒽𝑒'𝒹 𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒

𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎 ❞

𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕒 ~ 𝕡𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕤

ᴼᶜᵗᵒᵇᵉʳ ⁴ᵗʰ ¹⁹⁸²

"Clara, sweetie, can you please come downstairs?"

The sound of her Mother's angelic voice echoed around their grand home, traveling to the ears of an 11-year-old Clara Harris.

The 47-year-old Mother called for her youngest daughter from the front door as she entered the house with some grocery bags.

Clara exited her bedroom, bumping into her 15-year-old brother, that was walking past.

"Damn, Clara, must you always be such a clutz," Brian groaned at his little sister.

"Sorry Brian, I didn't mean to."

Brian immediately felt terrible for scolding his younger sister and sighed, "jump on my back."

Clara looked up at her brother in confusion, "Why?"

"I'm going to carry you downstairs. Consider it your birthday present for tomorrow," Brian smiled at the girl, who cheered in excitement as she pounced on him.

Brian chuckled as he walked down the marble staircase of their home with Clara clinging to him, giggling over his shoulder. He froze when he reached the last step to find their father glaring disapprovingly at the pair.

Kenneth Harris was a very successful businessman, and if you couldn't tell by his Giorgio Armani suit, you could tell by his behavior.

"Put your sister down this instance! You're both too old for games!"

Brian despised his father. He was an abusive, entitled snob. When his oldest sister Lily had gone to get married almost three years ago, she pulled him and his sister Margaret aside, advising them to leave just as she did so they could get away from their father. Lily still claims it's the best thing she has ever done.

"We were just playing, pops," Brian grumbled as he carefully lowered Clara to the ground.

"What did you just call me, young man," the stern tone of his voice felt like a bunch of razor blades were being shoved into Brian's ears.

"Sorry, Sir."

Kenneth hummed in stiff approval before scolding his son, "Go to your room, and don't come out till dinner is ready."

Brian nodded, and although he wanted to yell in opposition at his father, he knew better than to do so in front of Clara.

Kenneth's gaze fell on his youngest, the pair engaging in a staring competition. Clara stood silently, trying not to let her vision veer from his, but failed when she got distracted by the clacking of heels. Her father's expression turned smug when his daughter looked away first. For him winning anything meant he was better than everyone else, although he was already too confident in that aspect.