Cursed Hearts

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Goldilocks

Alice lets me inside my old home and it's disastrous.

   I see pieces of fabric sprawled out across the house, dishes piled up in the kitchen, and the dining room table broken in half.

   "Alice. I'm so sorry I left you to live in this mess," I say.

   I've already apologized to her a million times and I know they'll never be enough. I left her.

   "Mom," she says, pulling me in a hug. "It's okay. You're back now!" she smiles.

   I can see my daughter trying to be hopeful. I don't know what my plan is, but I'm going to figure it out once I talk to her father.

   "Where's Max?" I ask her.

   "He's in the room."

   I walk towards the bedroom that was once our place of romance, now all I see is remorse. I'm stepping over broken glass and avoiding the mess Max has made.

   "Max?" I call out.

   I open the door and peek inside to find the man asleep with a flask in hand. Our bed sheets are on the ground and I can tell he's shivering. I place them on top of him, grab the empty flask out of his hand, and shut the door.

   I'll deal with him when he wakes up.

   I decide to clean up the house, it's no surprise to me that it's a mess.

   When Max and I were together, which wasn't that long ago, he'd break things and create chaos. As a maid, and Max's former lover, I'm used to cleaning up after people.

   "So where'd you go?" Alice asks me as she helps me tidy up the mess.

   "Well, almost everywhere. I traveled through the White Kingdom and even had a job as a maid in the Beauty Kingdom," I laugh.

   I've done so much in so little time. Met so many people.

   I met a princess who was on the run. I met a long-haired bitch trapped in a tower. I met a witch who ate little kids and lived in a candy house. I met a king who was kind and fearless, even moments before death. I met the infamous prince who slept with every girl in every kingdom. I met two kind children who brought many smiles to my face. And I met a huntsman who made me believe that love may be worth it.

   In a perfect world, I'd take Alice back to the Enchanted Forest and live happily ever after with Cameron and his children. But happily ever afters don't exist, especially for someone like me.

   As we're cleaning, I'm telling Alice all about the adventures I went on and all the people I've encountered. Max's deep voice ruins the cheerful mood.

   "Where the hell is my flask?" he shouts angrily as we hear him come out of the room.

   I'm not prepared to face him. He was abusive before I ran away, there's no telling what his plans are for me when he realizes that I've come back.

   "Alice, you better have my dinner ready," he says as he's walking towards us.

   "Goldi?" he asks as he spots me.

   "Max," I say coldly.

   He gets up and tries to hug me, but I walk away before he can. I will not let him touch me.